This is the largest and most northerly of the chain of fortified towers put up by the Board of Ordnance to keep out Napoleon. Built in the shape of a quatrefoil to house four heavy guns, nearly a million bricks were used in its construction.
Although they successfully deterred the French from invasion, in this exposed position, the elements still attack and inevitably, some of the water still finds its way inside. Purpose made canopies over the main living space now provide significant protection giving an agreeable nautical resonance of sails and canvas.
Sensitively restored by the Landmark Trust after it was purchased in 1971, both exterior brickwork and the vaulted interior are maintained to the typical high standards of the Trust.
Guest comments
We will remember the strange acoustics and the fishermen's lights along the beach.
Here you may live with the sea, the wind and rain, sometimes, the light at Orford Ness flashing at night, and Aldeburgh at just the right distance. The stone-flagged battery on the roof, with the mountings of guns and a high, thick parapet for shelter, is a very pleasant place to be.