Descibed in 1873 as being safe from sea erosion, Tower 61 stands about 200 metres from the sea and has had an interesting history.
It was for a time used by the marine artist Val Prinsep as a residence in the early part of this century, and it was from this tower that some of his seascapes were painted.
By the 1930′s, the tower was being used as an enormous shingle grader, with a hoist taking shingle up to the roof (left).
It later sprouted a concrete roof in 1940, for which the gun carriage was thrown off the tower, and left in pieces on the beach. The new roof came with an extra cell built on top to contain range-finding equipment for a gun battery of three 5.5″ guns installed on the beach in front of the tower on March 21, 1941. Garrisoned first by the Canadian Army, the local Home Guard took over after 1942.
Blocks of flats were erected around the tower in the late 1960′s to create the Martello Estate, with the tower as the centrepiece. The tower has stood derelict since then, extra door and windows being formed to attempt conversion to a residence over the years, which has yet to happen. The gunslits on the roof were glazed in 1992, and an original cannon mounted on the parapet prior to the tower being put up for sale for £84,950 in 1991. Further work has recently been carried out, with a viewing platform with barriers being created, and proper doors and windows added.
source : the south coast martello towers
