Martello Tower Restoration Martello Tower, Bartra Rock, Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland is a collection of images of a conservation project showing a landmark building. Now a protected structure and a National Monument ( in private ownership) Bullock Martello Tower was built as part of a line of 28 coastal defence towers by the British military in 1804 –1805 to protect against the real threat of a Napoleonic invasion. The original military base has been transformed into a warm and peaceful 21st century home. The Bartra Tower is probably one of the least visible today, however its plan is probably the best known of any in the world, as it was reproduced in Maurice Craig’s ‘The Architecture of Ireland’ in 1982. For many it is the quintessential model of an Irish Martello Tower. Architect and Interior Designer, Simone Stephenson, describes the work carried out to the Bullock Martello Tower: “Overseeing all aspects of the project of restoring this Martello Tower has required perseverance. The most challenging aspect has been the persistent water ingress and the long process of drying out the Tower.