Castle Roads is the primary channel by which vessels enter 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 ...

, from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the ...

. Although little used today, except by pleasure boats, Castle Harbour was once an important anchorage, and an access route used by ships to reach the still important St. George's Harbour. The infilling of waterways between St. David's Island and Long Bird Island in the 1940s, as well as 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 ...

joining the contiguous landmass so created (which the causeway predates) means only small boats can pass between the two Harbours, today. It was once common to use the term ''roads'' in reference to a waterway. Other examples include

Hampton Roads Hampton Roads is a body of water in the United States that serves as a wide channel for the James River, James, Nansemond River, Nansemond, and Elizabeth River (Virginia), Elizabeth rivers between Old Point Comfort and Sewell's Point near whe ...

, in

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 ...

, and

Lahaina Roads Lahaina Roads, also called the Lahaina Roadstead, is an anchorage in the ʻAuʻau Channel lying off the town of Lahaina on the island of Maui in the Hawaiian archipelago and U.S. state of Hawaii. It lies in the lee of the West Maui Mountains, ...

, in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. There is a string of islands and rocks across the South mouth of Castle Harbour, and Castle Roads is the largest channel through these, and the only one suitable as a channel for larger vessels. Historically, Castle Roads was defended by four 17th-century forts, King's Castle, Devonshire Redoubt, Charles Fort, and Southampton Fort. These were most of the forts arrayed across the islands of Castle Harbour (though not all on

Castle Island, Bermuda Castle Island is part of the chain which makes up Bermuda. It is located in St. George's Parish, in the northeast of the territory. The island is situated close to the entrance to Castle Harbour, to the north of the Tucker's Town Peninsul ...

, known collectively as the Castle Islands Fortifications. Together with St. George's Town, on neighbouring St. George's Harbour, and other nearby 17th-century fortifications, the Castle Islands fortifications are 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 ...

.Historic Town of St George and Related Fortifications, Bermuda - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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References

External links

Aerial view of the Castle Islands.
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UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum The UK Overseas Territories Conservation Forum (UKOTCF), also known as Overseas Territories Conservation, is a UK-based non-governmental organisation which promotes coordinated conservation in the UK Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies ( ...

Castle Roads Castle Roads is the primary channel by which vessels enter Castle Harbour, Bermuda, Castle Harbour, Bermuda, from the Atlantic Ocean. Although little used today, except by pleasure boats, Castle Harbour was once an important anchorage, and an a ...

St. George's Parish, Bermuda Roadsteads {{Bermuda-geo-stub