gaspirator
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Back in 2006 I gained access to a Martello Tower; some contractors were doing a basic survey inside and I got permission to have a look round.
I actually did four visits over a couple of months before the contractors left, taking the means of access with them.
This exploration will always be my no.1 of all time and nothing can ever eclipse it - I can promise you an interesting twist at the end...
This is not the actual tower, but a similar one to give you the general idea. Built 1805-1808, the tower in question was slightly modified in the 1870's to have a larger magazine area and a pair of ammunition hoists fitted.
Entry was via one of the two first floor windows; the workmen (the white things are hard hats) built the scaffolding bridge, which leads to the stairs. On the right is the original doorway; the other window is behind the central pillar. (This is a photoshopped panorama).
Another panorama looking back to the entry window. Perspective is distorted; the bridge is skewed.
Much of the original floor was present; pretty rare in these towers, but a lot of rot had set in and you could see some old repairs to some of the joists.
Original door on the right; halfway between it and the pillar is the hatch with ladder down to the magazine. A few nervous moments were spent crawling across the joists to reach the hatch. The workmen hadn't tried to get down, as they were only interested in the roof.
View towards window, with fireplace. The joists here (and under the bridge) have the vaulted magazines below to support them.
1950's grafitti on pillar.
Better view of window and fireplace; this would have been in the soldiers' quarters and was the main cooking range. A smaller fireplace was in the Offcier's room on the opposite side. The windows have been widened, possibly 1870's.
Details of drawbridge mechanism above original entrance.
Nervous explorer about to test a 200-year-old ladder that looks rotten and has broken and missing rungs...
The ladder held, although I propped it at the point where it was buckling. Doorway is to what I'll call No.2 magazine. Top right is slate cistern for drinking water; just behind is ammo hoist shaft.
No.1 Mag; small windows are lantern shelves. Second ammo hoist to left of door (where the airbrick is). No.2 mag door just visible to right of ladder.
Thru door and into No.1 mag; wooden shelving possibly WW2. The far chamber is the original magazine area. In the 1870's the wall was removed (see the vertical grey strip on left and corresponding straight edge on pillar on right) and the vaulted arch extended over.
1953 newspaper; don't think many people have got down here since then.
Looking up ammo hoist to roof.
Joist detail; floor rests on stone corbels. Note copper grille on ventilation shaft; this runs up inside the walls to the roof. The birds nests were unoccupied - this is the only derelict tower I've been in that isn't full of dead pigeons.
Inside No.2 mag looking back towards ladder. Original mag door was in wall on extreme right, but bricked up 1870's and the vault extended round as seen here. Ladder just visible at top left of lantern window.
Looking up through the floor at the vaulted ceiling.
Looking down from original doorway.
Steps up to the roof; these are built into the thickness of the wall.
Doorway and shot locker. The iron racer (rail) on which the gun carriage ran is just visible on the firestep. Iron ring in wall just left of the locker.
At the top I promised you a twist and this is why this exploration is my no.1...
Two years after these photos were taken, I got an email from a long-lost branch of our family. One of my ancestors had been in the Royal Artillery and he and his family had lived in a tower. One of his children was born in 1878 and the birth certificate proves it was this particular tower!
Little did I know at the time that I was walking on the very same floorboards on which a member of my own family had been born 128 years earlier...
- Pete
I actually did four visits over a couple of months before the contractors left, taking the means of access with them.
This exploration will always be my no.1 of all time and nothing can ever eclipse it - I can promise you an interesting twist at the end...
This is not the actual tower, but a similar one to give you the general idea. Built 1805-1808, the tower in question was slightly modified in the 1870's to have a larger magazine area and a pair of ammunition hoists fitted.
Entry was via one of the two first floor windows; the workmen (the white things are hard hats) built the scaffolding bridge, which leads to the stairs. On the right is the original doorway; the other window is behind the central pillar. (This is a photoshopped panorama).
Another panorama looking back to the entry window. Perspective is distorted; the bridge is skewed.
Much of the original floor was present; pretty rare in these towers, but a lot of rot had set in and you could see some old repairs to some of the joists.
Original door on the right; halfway between it and the pillar is the hatch with ladder down to the magazine. A few nervous moments were spent crawling across the joists to reach the hatch. The workmen hadn't tried to get down, as they were only interested in the roof.
View towards window, with fireplace. The joists here (and under the bridge) have the vaulted magazines below to support them.
1950's grafitti on pillar.
Better view of window and fireplace; this would have been in the soldiers' quarters and was the main cooking range. A smaller fireplace was in the Offcier's room on the opposite side. The windows have been widened, possibly 1870's.
Details of drawbridge mechanism above original entrance.
Nervous explorer about to test a 200-year-old ladder that looks rotten and has broken and missing rungs...
The ladder held, although I propped it at the point where it was buckling. Doorway is to what I'll call No.2 magazine. Top right is slate cistern for drinking water; just behind is ammo hoist shaft.
No.1 Mag; small windows are lantern shelves. Second ammo hoist to left of door (where the airbrick is). No.2 mag door just visible to right of ladder.
Thru door and into No.1 mag; wooden shelving possibly WW2. The far chamber is the original magazine area. In the 1870's the wall was removed (see the vertical grey strip on left and corresponding straight edge on pillar on right) and the vaulted arch extended over.
1953 newspaper; don't think many people have got down here since then.
Looking up ammo hoist to roof.
Joist detail; floor rests on stone corbels. Note copper grille on ventilation shaft; this runs up inside the walls to the roof. The birds nests were unoccupied - this is the only derelict tower I've been in that isn't full of dead pigeons.
Inside No.2 mag looking back towards ladder. Original mag door was in wall on extreme right, but bricked up 1870's and the vault extended round as seen here. Ladder just visible at top left of lantern window.
Looking up through the floor at the vaulted ceiling.
Looking down from original doorway.
Steps up to the roof; these are built into the thickness of the wall.
Doorway and shot locker. The iron racer (rail) on which the gun carriage ran is just visible on the firestep. Iron ring in wall just left of the locker.
At the top I promised you a twist and this is why this exploration is my no.1...
Two years after these photos were taken, I got an email from a long-lost branch of our family. One of my ancestors had been in the Royal Artillery and he and his family had lived in a tower. One of his children was born in 1878 and the birth certificate proves it was this particular tower!
Little did I know at the time that I was walking on the very same floorboards on which a member of my own family had been born 128 years earlier...
- Pete