Talk:Martello tower

key west
What about the one in key west? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.42.145.34 (talk • contribs) 6 December 2005


 * Well, yes, what about it indeed? Does it exist?  Can you tell us about it? — Preceding unsigned comment added by JohnWheater  (talk • contribs) 14 December 2005

half a million bricks?
Can somebody provide verification for this statement in the leading paragraph, it sound a lot like an off the cuff remark rather then an actual fact. Kglavin 07:25, 4 January 2006 (UTC)
 * I agree - I've taken it out until someone can find a source for it. -- ChrisO 19:21, 4 January 2006 (UTC)

Towers on the west coast of Ireland
I seem to remember a Tower on the west coast of Ireland, somewhere on the southern end of Gallway Bay. I assume it was one of a number of such towers in the area, defending the Bay. It does not appear in this list, however. 70.48.6.166 18:18, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

Was it the tower at Finavarra, near Kinvarra? see http://www.clarelibrary.ie/eolas/coclare/history/fortifications/chap12_finvarra.htm BrownHairedGirl 13:26, 19 February 2006 (UTC)


 * That tower is one of two Martellos in Galway. 194.237.142.10 16:18, 12 June 2007 (UTC)


 * The towers you're thinking of are Finavarra Tower and Aughinish Tower.Skydive23 (talk) 06:44, 18 January 2009 (UTC)

Number of Irish towers
I dispute the number of Irish Martello towers, so will change the statement. In my recent research I have counted mention of around 40 towers of which about half were built on the east coast and around 30 still exist for sure. Does anyone have a copy of the book Martello Towers of Ireland by Victor Enoch we could use as reference? I wuld like to expand this section. ww2censor 14:14, 27 March 2006 (UTC)


 * Most of the towers in Ireland were on the east coast, for various military reasons, and actually, might be better if Martello Towers of Ireland had its own article, with a short piece on each? 194.237.142.10 16:19, 12 June 2007 (UTC)


 * The Victor Enoch book would be an awesome reference. I just looked for it on Amazon and found it out of print.  Looks like the Dublin City Library has 6 copies.  Anyone in/near Dublin? Skydive23 (talk) 02:09, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

Aldeburgh Martello tower
The martello tower at Aldeburgh is the most northerly and the largest Martello Tower in England. It is built in a quatrafoil formation and had a moat and bridge wich has been parially destryed by the sea. In side the four foils center on a large central area covered with a huge mass masonary dome which is built in a parabola creating sound reflections. These refections make it hard to hear the person standing next to yu though you can hear exeptionally clearly the person the othere end of the room.

Destruction
MAny 1/3 of martello towers are no longer standing primarilly due to errosion by the sea. The number of towers lost olling streaches is an indicator of the coastal change since the napoleonic wars

Lettering of East Anglia Towers
AFAIK the English East Coast towers are named A to Z (Q Tower is in Felixstowe).

See Martello at http://ukfortsclub.org.uk/wood_index/m.html

Summary table
It seems rather strange that ChrisO has made a summary table and then only lists one tower in Ireland when there are 15 specifically mentioned in the text and at least 40 extant? If a summary table is to be made then it is likely to become very populated over time and dominate the article especially of you include all the British towers. Ah, I see you changed the title to avoid the British towers. Is there really a point to the table or is the text not enough? ww2censor 23:05, 8 March 2007 (UTC)
 * While writing this, I see that ChrisO has added the ones in Ireland to the table but I still see it getting big. ww2censor 23:07, 8 March 2007 (UTC)
 * I'm just covering the non-UK ones. The UK ones are already sufficiently covered by online sources, but there doesn't seem to be a collection of the non-UK ones anywhere on the Net. I estimate there'll probably be about 40-50 with the largest clusters being in Ireland and Canada. -- ChrisO 23:39, 8 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Actually, when these tower were built, Ireland was part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland so even though most of the extant towers on the island of Ireland are outside the current United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the table title is inaccurate. Perhaps the title should be List of Martello towers outside of Great Britain because Great Britain would more accurately describe those towers listed in the table. ww2censor 15:05, 25 March 2007 (UTC)
 * Good point - I've made the change. -- ChrisO 15:11, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Scottish Martello Towers
Why no mention of the Martello Towers in Scotland? There are two in Orkney, and are now owned by Historic Scotland. I have no idea if there are others in Scotland or not. Robert Scarth 14:19, 25 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Thanks for that - I've added it to the article. -- ChrisO 14:32, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

Great Britain and Ireland
Nice cleanup. You got the gist of my short intro. Thanks. Cheers ww2censor 02:19, 26 March 2007 (UTC)

Martello tower owned by the Landmark Trust
One tower, near Aldeburgh, is owned by the Landmark Trust  and is available for rent. Is it worth mentioning that?

If someone were really keen then they could stay in one. FerdinandFrog (talk) 12:44, 1 July 2008 (UTC)

Suggestion
The current article is great for info, but it doesn't do much to explain why they came about and why so many were built. I propose trying to rewrite some of this to follow the rough timelines involved in contruction and the various reasons and decisions taken. This book and others can be used as useful references. If so, it would perhaps take an enhanced version of this form, with the appropriate expansions and explantions, etc: 1793 - Inspiration for First Towers - the Corsican Tower - a tower in Corsica, as a result of a famous naval battle between British ships and French troops in 1793. Destroyed by the British in 1796 when they withdrew from the Med, but not before they'd sketched some blueprints of their own. 1795 - Cape Colony, South Africa - A dutch colony siezed by the British in 1795, two towers were built at Cape Town and Simon's Town. 1796 - Halifax, Nova Scotia - A tower was started in 1796 insprired by the Corsican Tower, if failed to measure up. 1802 - Fort Nugent, Jamica 1803 - Quebec City, Canada ?? Not sure if this is the right date, whatever... 1804 - Great Britain Try to list, etc . . . etc.

Whatcha think? --HighKing (talk) 17:41, 30 July 2008 (UTC)

Finavarra Tower
Near Galway, there are two martello towers- one near Finavarra and the other near Aughinish. I've recently visited the Finavarra tower and took a look inside. Fascinating photos!

I do note that Google Maps writes "Rine" on the furthest tip of the penninsula where the Finavarra Tower is located. As no town actually exists there, and a search for Rine in Ireland gives a completely different location- I'm inclined to give Finavarra the name for the tower. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Skydive23 (talk Skydive23 (talk) 22:51, 8 December 2008 (UTC)


 * I have listed it on a sandbox page, quite some time ago, as being at "Finavarra Point" but don't recall where I got that info but it may have been this site. ww2censor (talk) 23:58, 8 December 2008 (UTC)

Rosaveel Tower
A Clare Library source which has been mildly helpful for other towers has indicated a tower in Rosaveel near the Shannon Estuary and Galway Bay. This is the 3rd of the 3 towers for Galway Bay and I just noticed it doesn't appear to be in the list. I'm going to add it to the list and see about compiling enough information for a decent start article. I'll avoid stub at all costs! Skydive23 (talk) 02:26, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

Say what?
"The Key West Martellos were built in the style of someone with bad hearing."

No idea what this is supposed to mean but it certainly doesn't sound encyclopaedic. Flapdragon (talk) 20:51, 24 April 2009 (UTC)


 * It isn't. I've taken it out, as the entire paragraph is unsourced. -- ChrisO (talk) 20:54, 24 April 2009 (UTC)

Key West
"The Key West martellos were square instead of round and had thin walls with long gun loops. In addition, the Key West Martellos were encircled by a curtain wall of heavy guns, making them, effectively, keeps instead of standalone towers."

Thin walls, square, curtain wall -- in what sense are these Martello towers? Flapdragon (talk) 23:13, 22 June 2009 (UTC)

Numbers for Irish Dublin Bay towers
There is no evidence I can find in the sources that any Irish towers have ever been numbered by anyone other than the editor who added them in the article and on the one source he added which appears to be his own website and therefore must be considered as original research unless some reliable sources are provided. ww2censor (talk) 18:16, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

Martello Towers in Wales
The two gun towers at Pembroke Dock in Wales are towers, but they are Victorian and neither follows the design of a Martello tower. Apparently, locally they are referred to as Martello towers, but that does not make them ones. The paragraph should go.Acad Ronin (talk) 03:32, 10 March 2012 (UTC)

Louisina tower (was: Semi-protected edit request on 16 March 2015)
Request page be updated to reflect that Tower Dupre in Louisiana was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Before and after photos at this link: http://flyingcypress.blogspot.com/2011/12/tower-dupre.html

71.208.217.143 (talk) 04:01, 16 March 2015 (UTC)


 * You don't need a semi-protection request to ask for content to be updated. However, blogs are not reliable sources, so provide something better like a known newspaper or book as reference. ww2censor (talk) 10:19, 16 March 2015 (UTC)

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Quebec City towers
According to this newspaper article, the towers in Quebec City were built between 1808 and 1812. http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/actualites/societe/201308/08/01-4678398-cure-de-jeunesse-pour-la-tour-martello-dans-saint-jean-baptiste.php The tower on Rue Lavigueur, in a residential area, was rent by a medieval group, and also used as a theatre venue during international events. It will soon be incorporated as a tourist attraction, like the other two surviving towers. Sorry article is in French. Sir John Falstaff (talk) 02:08, 2 January 2016 (UTC)

South Africa comment
There is a Martello tower near Fort Fordyce in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is in excellent condition and visible from the Adelaide to Post Retief, so there are not 3 but 4 Martelos in SA, Malcolm Turner. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 105.228.131.25 (talk • contribs) 13:17, 25 April 2016

Cuba
For the record: the tower at Varadero, Cuba, is a somewhat over-elaborate water tower. It is not and was not a military installation.Acad Ronin (talk) 21:23, 27 June 2016 (UTC)

Map Mistake
The worldwide map mentions Mallorca which is wrong; it was in Minorca where several towers were built by the British as is correctly mentioned in the text of the article. From reading other comments it seems to me the map is in need of correcting other mistakes as well. GS3 (talk) 14:52, 24 July 2016 (UTC)

External links modified (January 2018)
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Beginning of this article too UK focused
The introduction of this article gives the impression that these towers were almost entirely a British development. I hope an editor with wide knowledge of the subject can improve this. Pete unseth (talk) 17:14, 26 April 2021 (UTC)

Section Indonesia tower in error
The section on the Indonesian Martello on Pulau Bidadari states in error that the Martello tower there was erected by the Dutch East India Company in 1850. However, by that time the Company did not exist anymore as it had been nationalized by the Dutch state in 1799. In reality the tower on P. Bidadari was one of the towers erected by the Dutch colonial government of the East Indies between 1850 and 1852 in the Thousand Islands (Indonesia) archipelago. See Onrust Island. Ereunetes (talk) 19:50, 7 August 2022 (UTC)