Rideau Canal - Shoal Tower - Kingston, Ontario
Posted by: mTn_biKer65
N 44° 13.731 W 076° 28.683
18T E 381954 N 4898353
Quick Description: Kingston Martello Tower - Shoal Tower is part of the Kingston Fortifications which is part of the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site.
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 2/23/2012 4:32:47 PM
Waymark Code: WMDTPV
Shoal Tower is a Martello tower located in the Kingston, Ontario harbor, directly across from Kingston City Hall. It is one of four such towers built in the 1840s to protect Kingston's harbor and the entrance to the Rideau Canal. The other 3 Martello towers are Cathcart Tower on Cedar Island, Fort Frederick on the grounds of the Royal Military College of Canada, and Murney Tower.
Built in 1847, the tower, which is located in the water, started being constructed in the winter. The base was built on the ice of Lake Ontario. When the ice melted, the base sank to the bottom of the lake. The water was then pumped out of the base and the walls were constructed. This limestone tower is 11 m high and 16.5 m in diameter.
The guns of Shoal Tower defended the approaches of Kingston Harbor.
Much more information on the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site is available here: (http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1221/)
Reference number: 1221-005
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