The building is a Martello tower, one of the squat, thick-walled circular or oval defensive structures erected along the Irish and British coastlines in the early nineteenth century as a precaution against French invasion. This particular example has been converted into a private residence, complete with a flat glass roof, cut stone chimney stacks, and an external metal staircase bolted to the outside wall. The original fittings are long gone, replaced with timber casement windows and a matchboard door, but the bones of the structure remain entirely legible.

The tower dates to around 1810 and sits on a narrow spit of land, with a tidal lagoon lying along its southern side, a natural feature that would have complemented its defensive purpose when it was first built. Its dimensions, roughly 20 metres on the northeast to southwest axis and 17 metres on the northwest to southeast, make it a substantial example of the type. Like most Martello towers, the original doorway was set well above ground level, in this case 2.4 metres up on the southeast face, accessible only by a removable ladder. This arrangement was a standard defensive measure, intended to make forced entry difficult. First-floor windows face WNW, north, and northeast, orientations that suggest the main concern was seaward surveillance. Although it appears on records under the name Battery, it was listed as a Martello tower when formally recorded in 1996.