Description of the attraction
Eastbourne is located on the south coast of Great Britain and has been known as a seaside resort for a long time. But there was a time when the city had to participate in the defense of the country.
During the wars with Napoleon (1804-1812), a chain of fortifications was built along the entire southern and eastern coast of Great Britain, designed to serve as protection against an alleged attack by the French. 103 so-called Martello Towers were built, 74 on the coast of England, the rest in Ireland and on the islands. They got their name from the name of a similar fortification on the island of Corsica. These are small round towers up to 12 meters high with powerful stone walls. There was a turntable at the top, where artillery pieces were installed. The garrison, as a rule, consisted of one officer and 15-25 soldiers. The chain of such towers in Great Britain is a unique phenomenon in the history of world fortification; nowhere else in the world were the Martello towers built at a distance of visibility from each other; as a rule, these are free-standing single fortifications.
The coastal fortification plan also included the construction of three larger fortresses, or redoubts, at Eastbourne, Harwich and Dimchurch. Barracks, arsenals and warehouses were located here. Eastbourne Redoubt was built in 1804-1810.
Since Napoleon, who suffered a crushing defeat in Russia, never attacked Great Britain, these fortresses and fortifications were never used for their intended purpose, but the Eastbourne Redoubt served as the headquarters of the military police during the First World War and as a warehouse during the Second World War. Canadian troops were also stationed here, awaiting the landing on the coast of Normandy in 1944.
In 1977, a War Museum was opened in the fortress - the largest military museum on the southeast coast of Great Britain. The museum is open to the public from April to November. Also, the territory of the fortress serves as an excellent stage for historical reconstructions.
