SSC#6: Martello Tower #1 - Origins
This is the 6th cache of a 9-cache circuit hidden on the lower slopes of Simonsberg (548m), the northernmost peak of the Swartkop Mountains range which runs from Simon’s Town to Smitswinkel. The caches form a potential 4km circuit on a mix of good tar road, stony sandy jeep tracks, sandy/rocky trails and steep indistinct gravelly/bushy trails marked by occasional cairns. The D/T ratings reflect the shortest route to the cache. Remember this is snake country so watch out where you put your feet and use a hiking stick to prod ahead as necessary.
The cache, a small green-taped push-click tablet pot and one of three based on this fascinating historical building, is hidden just off the side of a tarred road leading up from the rear of residences above Runciman Drive to a covered reservoir up on the slopes of Simonsberg mountain. There are increasingly fine panoramic views all along it. At this point the Simon’s Town Martello Tower is substantially hidden and hard to pick out amongst the jumble of naval buildings below – it will become increasingly revealed as you proceed along the road.
The cache was hidden in recognition of SLAIN's cache GC5A7FF Martello Tower hidden on 5/8/14 and archived on 10/1/16 after some 26 finds.
To reach the cache location: turn south off Runciman Drive at S 34 11.719 E 18 26.315 onto Harbour Heights Drive and follow this up and around to the end and park in the off-road space available at S 34 11.814 E 18 26.444. Walk the small distance up to the tarred path and follow this east a short distance down to the cache location.
An alternative parking spot is available at S 34 11.803 E 18 26.552 at the end of Dorian Close.
Martello towers sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive, mostly coastal, forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards.
They were inspired by a round fortress, part of a larger Genoese defence system, at Mortella (Myrtle) Point in Corsica, designed by Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino (el Fratin) and completed in 1565. This tower and its men successfully resisted a sustained attack from two British warships in 1794 - the name Martello (which means 'hammer' in Italian) is a misspelling of Mortella.
Their round structure and thick walls of solid masonry made them resistant to cannon fire, while their height made them an ideal platform for a single heavy artillery piece, mounted on the flat roof and able to traverse, and hence fire over, a complete 360° circle. A few towers had moats or other batteries and works attached for extra defence.
The Martello towers were used during the first half of the 19th century, but became obsolete with the introduction of powerful rifled artillery. Many have survived to the present day, often preserved as historic monuments.
The British built three Martello towers in South Africa, one at Simon's Town Naval base near Cape Town, one at Cape Town, and the third at Fort Beaufort. The tower at Simon’s Town and Cape Town were both built in 1795. The tower at Cape Town was demolished over 100 years ago, but the tower at Simon's Town remains and is sometimes claimed as the oldest Martello in the world.