Eastbourne Redoubt

Now defending the town and its seafront, Eastbourne Redoubt takes you back to Napoleonic times and an invasion that never happened. Built over seven years from 1803, it is one of only three Napoleonic Redoubts that avoided demolition.

The circular construction has a dry moat to aid protection from invaders. The moat was never intended to hold water due to standing on a shingle beach. For even more defence, a Glacis or earth mound, was placed around the redoubt to deflect incoming canon balls or too envelope them.

During WWI, the building was used as military police headquarters, the cells of which still exist and can be explored. WWII saw the fortress acting as a school air raid shelter, and was briefly taken over by the Canadians before D-Day, so rumour has it.

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