Martello Tower (Barbuda)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Martello Tower | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | River Road, South Coast, Barbuda |
| Coordinates | 17°35′42″N 61°49′45″W / 17.59500°N 61.82917°W |
| Built | 1800s |
  Location of Martello Tower in Antigua and Barbuda | |
The Martello Tower, also known as River Fort,[1][2] is a former defensive fort located on a beach about three miles south of Codrington, Barbuda on River Road.[3][4] The tower is said to be the oldest martello tower in the Caribbean[5] and served as a prototype for future martello towers.[6] At 56 ft (17 m) tall, the tower is the tallest building in Barbuda.[5]
The tower was built during the Napoleonic Wars[7] to protect Barbuda's southern coast and anchorage.[6][8] Some documents say the fort was built on the site of a former Spanish fort built in 1745.[5][9] Its design does resemble Spanish towers of the same time period.[6] However, archeological analysis of the structure's timber suggests that the fort may have originally been built by British admiral Charles Knowles in the 1740s.[10][6]
