Buy this picture |
aerial photograph of a line of 3 Martello Towers at Folkestone Kent England UK. Martello Towers towers can be found all round the south coast of England and were built in the 19th century. They were usually around 12m high surmounted by a single artillery piece and manned by 15 to 25 men. The design was inspired by similar towers around the Island of Corsica and in particular one at Mortella Point which was attacked by the Royal Navy in 1794 as part of the French Revolutionary Wars against France. The British forces were so impressed as to how well such a small fort with a small garrison can hold out against much larger forces that it inspired similar towers to be built in Britain. The Martello towers are not the only bit of history in this photograph as right in the centre, under the small hut , have been found the remains of an unenclosed Iron Age urnifeld and overlying Roman villa. An Urnfield is an Iron Age Cemetery for the burial of urns containing cremated remains. The Roman villa was built later on the site during the first century AD.
- Albums
- Visits
- 3845