North Wales Coastal Watchtowers Built as Defense Against Barbary Pirates

Several stone towers along the North Wales coast, including structures near Deganwy, Whitford, Abergele, and Llandrillo-yn-Rhos, were likely constructed in the 17th century as defensive measures against Barbary pirate raids. Historian George Lloyd proposed these were watchtowers built by Sir Thomas Mostyn, modeled after Genoese fortifications from Corsica. The towers served as early warning systems where watchmen would alert communities via smoke or flame signals when distinctive pirate sails were spotted, allowing residents to retreat inland. The Mostyn family, as local landowners, were responsible for maintaining these beacons, though funding from the crown was difficult due to Wales' poor economy. Barbary pirates from North African ports like Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis captured Europeans for slavery in Ottoman markets, with attacks recorded in Cornwall, Devon, and Ireland during this period. The threat diminished in the late 17th century as European naval power grew, rendering the towers obsolete.