Two of the remaining Martello Towers can be found near Fisherman’s Beach behind the artillery ranges, meaning that access is both limited and dangerous.
In total 74 of these towers were built in 1805 stretching from just along the coast at Folkestone to Seaford near Eastbourne. They were designed as a defence against possible invasion by Napoleon who, seemingly bored with waging war against most of mainland Europe, decided to have a go at England. Each tower held 24 men with a huge cannon on the top.
Although never needed for their original purpose they were later used to combat smuggling and also as signalling stations and coastal defences during the two world wars. The two in Hythe are still in fairly good condition, others have been destroyed for development, some lay in ruins and a few have even been turned into houses.
