Exploring Kent's Past

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Monument details

Summary

Grade II listed building. Main construction periods 1806 to 1806. Grade II Built in 1806 as part of the coast defences. Circular tower built of brick with walls 5.5ft to 6ft thick. In the centre is a brick pillar with vaulted arches springing from it. On the ground floor was the magazine and above it quarters for the garrison divided into 2 rooms with a gun emplacement on the roof. Ditch with ramparts lined with ashlar. The ditch has been filled up on the north side. Door about 2ft above the ground. The tower is now a private residence. Internal alterations are not clear, but the gun platform is hidden by a raised wooden platform and the tower has been re-rendered.

Monument Types

• MARTELLO TOWER (Post Medieval to Modern - 1806 AD to 2050 AD)
• HOUSE (Altered 1987, Modern - 1987 AD to 2050 AD)

Full description

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Description from record TR 13 NE 25:
(TR 19413523) Martello Tower (No.8) (NAT) (1)

Martello Tower No 8: W.D. property. Intact and in good condition.(2,8)

5281 Martello Tower No.8 Sandgate TR 13 NE 13/19C Grade II Built in 1806 as part of the coast defences. Circular tower built of brick with walls 5.5ft to 6ft thick. In the centre is a brick pillar with vaulted arches springing from it. On the ground floor was the magazine and above it quarters for the garrison divided into 2 rooms with a gun emplacement on the roof. Ditch with ramparts lined with ashlar. The ditch has been filled up on the north side. Door about 2ft above the ground. (3)

Martello tower No. 8, south of Martello Road and one of four martello towers surviving along the edge of the cliff at Sandgate. (4)

TR 19403525. Martello tower No.8 in the Shorncliffe Camp area was built in 1805 with a surrounding moat. It is abandoned in a bramble patch and the door bricked up to stop further damage by vandals. (5,6)

Scheduled as an ancient monument - Kent 292a. (7)

De-scheduled 15/12/99 (9)

The tower is now a private residence. Externally the structure is complete though an upper storey has been added. The origianl windows and dorr are retained though the latter has a porch added with wooden steps leading to it. There is a small building added to the north side to serve as a boiler house and garden shed. The tower has been completely re-rendered with scribed lines to simulate ashlaring. Internally there has been a thorough modification. The gun platform is hidden by a raised wooden platform which forms the floo of the second storey added to the top of the towr. The layout of rooms at first floor level replicate to some extent the original arrangement. The basement is now reached by a spiral staircase. The enlarged magazine is now used as a bathroom. The moat survives with its stone retaining wall on the south, east and west sides though it has been filled on the north side. (10)

The following text is from the original listed building designation:
11.
5281 SANDGATE
Martello Tower
No 8
TR 13 NE 13/19C
II
2.
Built in l806 as part of the coast defences. Circular tower built of brick with
walls 51/2 ft to 6 ft thick. In the centre is a brick pillar with vaulted arches
springing from it. On the ground floor was the magazine and above it quarters
for the garrison divided into 2 rooms with a gun emplacement on the roof. Ditch
with ramparts lined with ashlar. The ditch has been filled up on the north side.
Door about 2 ft above the ground. Listing NGR: TR1942035233 (11)

<1> OS 25" 1958 (OS Card Reference). SKE48274.

<2> F1 CFW 17-JAN-1964 (OS Card Reference). SKE42608.

<3> DOE(HHR) Dist of Shepway Kent 11 3 75 61 (OS Card Reference). SKE41048.

<4> Bldgs of Eng NE & E Kent 1980 445 (J Newman) (OS Card Reference). SKE37749.

<4> John Newman, 1969, The Buildings of England: North East and East Kent, Bldgs of Eng NE & E Kent 1980 445 (J Newman) (Monograph). SKE7874.

<5> Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945 1977 39 (D Bennett) (OS Card Reference). SKE43680.

<5> Bennett, D., 1977, A Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945, Handbook of Kent's Defences 1540-1945 1977 39 (D Bennett) (Monograph). SKE7811.

<6> Martello Towers 1972 87 (S Sutcliffe) (OS Card Reference). SKE46558.

<6> Sutcliffe, S., 1972, Martello Towers, Martello Towers 1972 87 (S Sutcliffe) (Monograph). SKE7818.

<7> DOE (IAM) record form 27 11 74 (OS Card Reference). SKE40744.

<8> Unknown, 1964, Field report for monument TR 13 NE 25 - January, 1964 (Unpublished document). SKE5349.

<9> English Heritage, 1965, Dover Castle (Scheduling record). SKE6594.

<10> Victor Smith and Andrew Saunders, 2001, Kent's Defence Heritage (Unpublished document). SKE6956.

<11> English Heritage, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest (Map). SKE16160.

Sources and further reading