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Several of the islands strung across the South entrance of
Castle Harbour Castle Harbour is a large natural harbour in Bermuda. It is located between the northeastern end of the main island and St. David's Island. Originally called ''Southampton Port'', it was renamed as a result of its heavy fortification in the early ...
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were fortified in the early days of the territory, hence the harbour's name. When official settlement of the archipelago by England began in 1612 (unofficial settlement having begun with the 1609 wrecking of the Sea Venture) the first permanent town, St. George's (then called ''New London'') was placed on the North side of St. George's Harbour. St. George's Harbour could be accessed directly by channels from the East. Those channels, however, were shallow, suitable, originally, only for small ships. As a consequence, and despite any major settlement on its shores, Castle Harbour was an important anchorage in the early years of the colony, with its main entrance,
Castle Roads Castle Roads is the primary channel by which vessels enter Castle Harbour, Bermuda, from the Atlantic Ocean. Although little used, today, except by pleasure boats, Castle Harbour was once an important anchorage, and an access route used by ships ...
being an important route in from the open Atlantic for shipping. It was also a weakpoint, as it was remote from the defences of St. George's Harbour, and difficult to reach. It was quickly fortified and garrisoned by a standing militia. Initial fortification by the Virginia Company's (Bermuda was originally settled as an extension of
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth are ...
) first deliberate settlers in 1612, was around the inlets to St. George's Harbour, but by the end of that year work had commenced on Castle Harbour's defences, starting at Castle Island (previously called ''Gurnett's Head'', and ''King's Island''). As a temporary measure, two guns had been salvaged from the 1609 wreck of the Sea Venture, one of which was installed on Castle Island ) in 1612. Proper fortifications were soon raised under the instructions of Governor Richard Moore. King's Castle (called ''Queen's Castle'' during the reigns of Queen Anne and
Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 216 days was longer than that of any previ ...
, though, like ''King's Square'' in St. George's Town, current practice ignores the sex of the current Monarch) is, today, the oldest surviving English fortification in the
New World The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. ...
. It is Bermuda's oldest standing stone building, predating the State House. Its ''Captain's House'', built a year after the State House, in 1621, is the oldest stone home in Bermuda. It is also the oldest standing English house in the New World. In 1614, King's Castle famously repulsed Spain's only ever attack on Bermuda. Two shots were fired from its
artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during si ...
. Although neither struck, the Spanish vessel abandoned the attack (its crew did not realise that the gunners in the fort had only enough ammunition for one more shot). This fort was used as late as the Second World War by Bermuda's military garrison, with soldiers living in tents within its walls, watching over the channels with machine guns. Other forts built at the South of Castle Harbour included ''Devonshire Redoubt'' (1620) and the ''Landward Fort'', on Castle Island, ''Southampton Fort'' (1620), on ''Brangman's Island'' (originally known as ''Moore's Island'' and ''Southampton Island''), at the East side of Castle Roads, ''Old Castle'', or ''Charles' Fort'', (1615), on
Goat Island Goat Island (or Goat Islands) may refer to: Arts * Goat Island (performance group), a Chicago-based company * ''Goat Island'' (play), ''Delitto all'isola delle capre'', by Ugo Betti Places Australia * Goat Island (Port Jackson) in Sydney Harbou ...
, ''Pembroke Fort'', on Cooper's Island, and Fort Bruere, on the Main Island. At Ferry Reach, on the north of Castle Harbour (an area now separated by the
Causeway A causeway is a track, road or railway on the upper point of an embankment across "a low, or wet place, or piece of water". It can be constructed of earth, masonry, wood, or concrete. One of the earliest known wooden causeways is the Sweet Tr ...
), ''Burnt Point Fort'', or ''Ferry Point Battery'' (in 1688), and ''Ferry Island Fort'' (in the 1790s) were built, and in 1822 a
Martello Tower Martello towers, sometimes known simply as Martellos, are small defensive forts that were built across the British Empire during the 19th century, from the time of the French Revolutionary Wars onwards. Most were coastal forts. They stand u ...
. Ferry Island Fort and the Martello tower were both built by the regular
British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...
, which had established a permanent Bermuda Garrison following US Independence (although detachments had been posted in Bermuda almost continuously since 1701). The island chain across the South of Castle Harbour (which includes Castle Island) is often referred to as the ''Castle Islands''. Their fortifications are the oldest surviving English New World fortifications (due primarily to their being constructed of stone, whereas contemporary English fortifications on the North American continent were built from timber and earth). They were also the first English coastal fortifications in the New World. Those then existing were depicted and described in the 1624 book, The Generall Historie of Virginia, New-England, and the Summer Isles, by Captain John Smith. As a result of their historical significance, they have been made a UNESCO
World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for ...
, together with St. George's Town and other nearby fortifications, like
Fort St. Catherine Fort St. Catherine, or ''Fort St. Catherine's'' (as it is usually referred to), is a coastal artillery fort at the North-East tip of St. George's Island, in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda. Successively redeveloped, the fort was used fir ...
('' UNESCO World Heritage Site: Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda'').''Bulwark Of Empire: Bermuda's Fortified Naval Base 1860-1920'', Lt.-Col. Roger Willock, USMC, The Bermuda Maritime Museum Press, The Bermuda Maritime Museum, P.O. Box MA 133, Mangrove Bay, Bermuda MA BX.


Gallery

File:Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers camp at Tucker's Town, St. George's Parish, Bermuda in 1867.jpg, Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers camp at Tucker's Town, in 1867, with Castle Island forts in the background File:PSM V60 D034 Ruined fort on castle island bermuda.png, Ruined King's Castle (''"Queen's Castle"'' during the reigns of Queens Anne and Victoria, and also called ''"Seaward Fort"'') on Castle Island Image:Somers Isles Map by John Speed 1676 - Parish of St George.jpg, The Parish of St. George's, in 1676. ''Castle Island'' lies to the South of
Castle Harbour Castle Harbour is a large natural harbour in Bermuda. It is located between the northeastern end of the main island and St. David's Island. Originally called ''Southampton Port'', it was renamed as a result of its heavy fortification in the early ...
(originally ''Southampton Harbour''). File:Martello Tower seen from Ferry Island Fort, Ferry Reach, Bermuda 2011.jpg, Martello Tower seen from Ferry Island Fort, Ferry Reach, Bermuda 2011


References

{{World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom Military of Bermuda Fortifications in Bermuda Batteries in Bermuda World Heritage Sites in Bermuda Tourist attractions in Bermuda St. George's Parish, Bermuda