Several of the islands strung across the South entrance of
Castle Harbour,
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest.
Bermuda is an ...
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 being an important route in from the open Atlantic for shipping. It was also a weak point, 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 U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
) 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 Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, 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 used to describe the majority of lands of Earth's Western Hemisphere, particularly the Americas, and sometimes Oceania."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: ...
. 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 consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...
. 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, ''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 T ...
), ''Burnt Point Fort'', or ''Ferry Point Battery'' (in 1688), and ''Ferry Island Fort'' (in the 1790s) were built, and in 1822 a
Martello Tower. Ferry Island Fort and the Martello tower were both built by the regular
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
, 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
World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
, together with St. George's Town and other nearby fortifications, like
Fort St. Catherine (''
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
File:PSM V60 D036 Goat island with charles fort ruins.png, Goat Island with Charles' Fort ruins
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 (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
Artillery battery fortifications in Bermuda
World Heritage Sites in Bermuda
Tourist attractions in Bermuda
St. George's Parish, Bermuda