Built to support West Langney Fort, Tower 69 was sited on today's low tide mark and was abandoned in 1872 along with Tower 70. It may have been used as a practice target during some of the various siege experiments carried out by the Royal Engineers and Royal Artillery 1875-76.
Tower 69 and 70 were the subjects of four small watercolours by an unknown local artist in 1872. The one above shows the tower beginning to split due to undermining, while that below shows the collapsed sea wall, perhaps a few days or weeks later.
The ruins of both 69 and 70 were still visible in 1901. In Chambers' Guide to Eastbourne, it says that:
"The ruins of the 2 towers (Nos. 69 and 70) which lie nearest to the Great Redoubt on the east, well deserve a visit, for they are striking examples of the cohesive power of really good brick-work. Of 2 other towers (Nos. 71 and 72) which formerly existed in the gap between the nearest ruined tower and the Redoubt, every vestige has disappeared."
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| Tower 68 | Tower 70 |