Napoleonic tower home for sale in Suffolk: incredible three-bedroom fortress conversion still has its own moat, cannon and drawbridge entrance

A converted fortress overlooking the Suffolk coastline, complete with moat, drawbridge and even a pair of cannon guarding the driveway, has been listed for sale for £750,000.

The Martello tower in Felixstowe was built in 1810 to act as a lookout station and defence against would-be invasion from Napoleonic forces.

Some 103 of the stone towers were built in England from Seaford in Sussex to Aldeburgh in Suffolk, and just 47 survive, of which a handful are now lived in.

The Grade II listed building was converted for residential use in 1947 and includes more than 2,100sq ft of living space. The master bedroom has its own entrance via the drawbridge, with two other bedrooms on the same level.

As you might expect from a former watchtower, the crenellated roof terrace provides the best views of the Suffolk coastline and the North Sea and is a very private sun trap in summer.

The ground floor features circular open-plan living, with a large kitchen-breakfast room and a living area with French doors to the garden.

Next door, in the former explosives store, now serves as a formal dining room with an impressive vaulted ceiling. There are also two bathrooms on this floor and access to cellar storage.

The first-floor drawbridge leads on to a walkway which gives access to a raised section of garden, high on the walls of the dry moat, as well as the lower garden.

If this is not enough, an annex built within the moat walls could provide a perfect granny flat or holiday let and, at 860sq ft, has its own living room, kitchen, shower room and two bedrooms. A double garage, with an inspection pit, is also part of the annex.

The whole property covers 0.7 acres and is reached via a gravel drive, flanked by two cannon, which might still serve to deter unwelcome visitors.

The towers along the East Coast were each designated a letter of the alphabet, which is how The Q Tower was named.

Felixtowe is not exactly a short commute to the capital, with the fastest trains to Liverpool Street taking one hour and 37 minutes, including a change at Ipswich.

The Q Tower is for sale at £750,000 through Strutt & Parker