Holiday home of the week: A converted fortress on the Suffolk coast

Built to repel Napoleon’s forces

History comes to life inside this Suffolk Martello tower – transformed into a holiday home with a dramatic rooftop terrace.

Set in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, close to the rural hamlet of Bawdsey, the former fortress dates back to the 1800s and was one of a chain of towers built to keep Napoleon’s forces at bay. The colossal adaptive reuse project was overseen by architects Piercy & Company. Now named The Found, it is available to rent via Unique Home Stays from £2,195 per week.

The UK holiday home’s three-metre-thick walls are made from almost a million bricks. They wind around a huge central brick shaft, creating circular interior spaces across the structure’s three floors.

If that sounds imposing (and a bit dingy) fear not: openings channel light into The Found’s interiors while maintaining its historic exterior.

Holiday home of the week: A converted fort on the Suffolk coast
Photography: © Mark Watts for Unique Home Stays

Three bedrooms fill the ground floor, while the living room is on the first level, complete with a cosy wood-burning fire. Finally, a spiral staircase leads up to the rooftop level, with 360-degree views of the rugged shingle Suffolk coast.

Holiday home of the week: A converted fort on the Suffolk coast
Photography: © Mark Watts for Unique Home Stays
Holiday home of the week: A converted fort on the Suffolk coast
Photography: © Mark Watts for Unique Home Stays

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