Martello Towers, Mauritius - MauriTrips - Tours & Travel in Mauritius - the Island Paradise

On the coast of Mauritius there remain three of the best examples of Martello Towers in the world. The Martello Towers were built at the main bays as a military response to protecting Mauritius against enemy landings. The enemy, the French, might aid the colonists in their opposition to the conditions surrounding the abolition of slavery; the colonists having ancestral allegiance to France. The Martello Towers were never used in battle but are mute reminders of this turning point of Mauritian history.

Restoration on the was done to facilitate visitor access, the door on the ground floor was kept and a staircase was built linking the first to the ground levels where there would have initially been ladders. Lighting was installed by Local Government and the interior stonework sand-blasted to remove leached lime cement. The joints between the stones on the roof were resealed with epoxy and the leaky internal drainpipes were replaced with plastic tubing. The gun carriage and platform has been re-built and the original gun has been replaced on the roof. Historical museum displays are currently (1999) being prepared for public exhibition - National Heritage Fund.