Kent tower built to defend Britain from French transformed into luxury holiday let

Property developer Gary Mayatt transformed the derelict Martello Tower into a luxury property

A tower built to defend Britain from French invaders more than 200 years ago has been transformed – into a luxury seaside escape. Over five years, property developer Gary Mayatt transformed derelict Martello Tower 25, on the seafront of Dymchurch, Kent, into a plush holiday let.

After buying the ‘gutted’ tower for £220,000, developers spent £800,000 on renovating it to include four king-size bedrooms, five shower rooms, and an open-plan kitchen and dining space to provide views overlooking the sea.

Sleeping up to 10, pricing for a short-stay booking is at £750 a night, while long stays range between £500 to £580 a night. The 30ft-tall tower was built in 1806 as a gunpost against a possible Napoleonic invasion. The building is Grade II-listed and even includes a secret staircase in its outer wall.

Photographs prior to the renovation show a completely gutted exterior with exposed brick and a partially missing roof. Now, the building has been completely transformed with a modern interior, football table, and roof terrace.

Developers say the construction was completed by manufacturing floor sections off-site in Scotland before they were craned into place from outside the building.

The project was delayed by a £30,000 metal theft from the roof and a three-year wait for a mains electricity connection, which was completed this year.

Developer Gary Mayatt said: “Standing on that terrace makes all of it worthwhile — watching the sunrise, or a storm rolling in over France, you get this moment of complete quiet you just don’t find anywhere else.

“That view is the reward for every delay and every headache along the way.”

“There’s something special about giving an old building a future instead of letting it fall down. I’d genuinely do it again — probably with a few more grey hairs, but I’d do it again.”

The building is now being managed as a holiday let by company The Holiday Cottage Collection. Alexandra Roberts, a director at the Holiday Cottage Collection, said: “Seeing the before photographs makes the finished property even more extraordinary.

“Gary has taken a building that was never designed to be lived in, let alone operate as a modern holiday home and created something really special without losing the features that constantly remind you you’re standing inside more than 200 years of history.

“We knew from the moment we saw the finished property that it had all the ingredients of an exceptional holiday let – history, architecture, beautiful interiors, sea views and a location where guests can walk straight out and enjoy the vast sandy beaches and coast.”