Dozens of fortifications were built in

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

and the

Cape Peninsula The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of ...

between the 1650s and the 1940s. Most have gone, but a few still stand.

List of fortifications

Entries in bold indicate that the building still stands, either intact or in ruins.

Dutch colonial period (1652–1795)

Castle of Good Hope - model of the Amsterdam Battery

17th century *

Fort de Goede Hoop The Fort de Goede Hoop ('Fort of Good Hope') was the first military building to be erected in what is now Cape Town. It was built in 1652, and was in use until 1674 when it was superseded by the Castle of Good Hope. History The Fort was bu ...

(1652–1674) –

Table Bay Table Bay (Afrikaans: ''Tafelbaai'') is a natural bay on the Atlantic Ocean overlooked by Cape Town (founded 1652 by Van Riebeeck) and is at the northern end of the Cape Peninsula, which stretches south to the Cape of Good Hope. It was named ...

(present Grand Parade) * Tranenborg (1652–?) – Table Bay (Salt River mouth) * Duynhoop (1654–1672) – Table Bay (Salt River mouth) * :af:Coornhoop (1657–1662) – present-day Mowbray * Kyckuyt (1659–1670s) – present-day Paarden Eiland * Keert de Koe (1659–1670s) – present-day Maitland * Houdt den Bul (1659–1663) – present-day Bishopscourt * Ruyterwacht (1659–1660s) – present-day Rondebosch * Santhoop (1661–?) – Table Bay (near Salt River mouth) * Castle of Good Hope (born 1674) – Table Bay 18th century *

Chavonnes Battery The Chavonnes Battery was a fortification protecting Cape Town, South Africa, built in the early 18th century. It is now a museum and function venue. History The battery was one of the coastal fortifications of the Cape Peninsula linked to the ...

(1726–1860) – Table Bay * Fort De Knokke (1744–1926) – Table Bay * Sea Lines (1744–1827) – Table Bay * Imhoff Battery (1744–1896) – Table Bay (next to Castle) * Muizenberg Fort (1740s–1827) – near present Natale Labia Art Museum * French Lines (or Military Lines) (1781–1827) – present-day Trafalgar Park (

Woodstock Woodstock Music and Art Fair, commonly referred to as Woodstock, was a music festival held during August 15–18, 1969, on Max Yasgur's dairy farm in Bethel, New York, United States, southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, Woodstock. ...

) * Gordon Battery (c1781–?) – slopes of Devil's Peak * Kloof Nek Battery (c1781–1827) – Kloof Nek (between Table Mountain and Lion's Head) * Camps Bay Battery – present-day Camps Bay High School * Conway Redoubt (c1781–?) – Constantia Nek * Gilquin Battery (later West Fort) (1781–1827 –

Hout Bay Hout Bay ( af, Houtbaai, meaning "Wood Bay") is a harbour town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is situated in a valley on the Atlantic seaboard of the Cape Peninsula, twenty kilometres south of Cape Town. The name "Hout Bay" can ...

* Zoutman Battery (later East Fort) (1781–1827 –

* Amsterdam Battery (1787–1900s) – Table Bay (near present V&A Waterfront entrance) * Coehoorn Battery (1780s–?) – slopes of Devil's Peak * Rogge Bay Battery (1780s–1827) – present St John's Arcade, Riebeeck Street * Boetselaar Battery (1793–) –

Simon's Town Simon's Town ( af, Simonstad), sometimes spelled Simonstown, is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa and is home to Naval Base Simon's Town, the South African Navy's largest base. It is located on the shores of False Bay, on the eastern sid ...

* Zoutman Battery (later Lower North Battery) (1793–) –

* Klein Gibraltar (1794–1827) –

* Kyk in de Pot (1795–) – Table Bay (rebuilt as Fort Wynyard 1862)

British colonial period (1795–1910)

18th century * Craig's Tower (1795–?) – near Salt River mouth * York Blockhouse (later Queen's Blockhouse) (1795–1827) – Devil's Peak * King's Blockhouse (1795–1827) – Devil's Peak * Prince of Wales's Blockhouse (1795–1827) – Devil's Peak * Martello Tower (born 1796) –

19th century * Fort Wynyard (born 1862) – Table Bay * Craig's Battery (1880s–?) – near Salt River mouth (replaced Craig's Tower) * Green Point Battery (1880s–1907) –

Mouille Point Mouille Point ("Mu-lee") is an affluent suburb of Cape Town, situated between the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront, Victoria and Alfred Waterfront and Granger Bay to the east, Green Point, Cape Town, Green Point to the south and the Atlantic Ocean to t ...

beachfront * Three Anchor Bay Battery (1880s–1920s) –

Three Anchor Bay Three Anchor Bay is a suburb of Cape Town in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Small anchorage in Table Bay. The name, first encountered in 1661, possibly refers to anchors securing chains stretched as defence across the bay. The form Dri ...

beachfront * Cemetery Battery (later Queen's Battery) (1889–1943) –

* Noah's Ark Battery (1890–1940s) –

* Sea Point Battery (1891–1928) – present Sea Point Junior School site * Lion Battery (born 1891) – Signal Hill * Middle North Battery (born 1892) –

* Upper North Battery (1895–?) –

20th century * Scala Battery (1906–1947) –

Union/Republic of South Africa (1910–)

20th century * King George V Battery (1914–1928) – Milnerton * Duiker Battery (later Apostle Battery) (1940–) –

Llandudno Llandudno (, ) is a seaside resort, town and community in Conwy County Borough, Wales, located on the Creuddyn peninsula, which protrudes into the Irish Sea. In the 2011 UK census, the community – which includes Gogarth, Penrhyn Bay, Craigsi ...

* Cornelia Battery (1940–1944) –

Robben Island Robben Island ( af, Robbeneiland) is an island in Table Bay, 6.9 kilometres (4.3 mi) west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town, South Africa. It takes its name from the Dutch word for seals (''robben''), hence the Dutch/Afrik ...

(north) * Robben Eiland Battery (later De Waal Battery) (1941–1944) – Robben Island (south) * Docks Battery (later Duncan Battery) (1940–1946) – Table Bay

References

* Barker, B.J. (2003) ''The Castle of Good Hope from 1666''. * Emms, M. (1976) "Fortifications of the Cape of Good Hope" in ''Lantern'' (June 1976). * Ras, A.C. (1959) ''Die Kasteel en ander Vroeë Kaapse vestingwerke 1652–1713''. * Rosenthal, E. (1966) ''Bastion of the South''. * Seemann, U.A. (1997) ''Fortifications of the Cape Peninsula 1647–1829''. * Sleigh, D. (1996) ''Forts of the Liesbeek Frontier''.

List of fortifications

Dutch colonial period (1652–1795)

British colonial period (1795–1910)

Union/Republic of South Africa (1910–)

References

See also