Saint Ann's Fort is a historic military fort in

Barbados Barbados, officially the Republic of Barbados, is an island country in the Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies and the easternmost island of the Caribbean region. It lies on the boundary of the South American ...

. It is located in the

Garrison Historic Area St. Ann's Garrison, or more commonly known as "The Garrison", is a small district located in the country of Barbados. This Garrison Historic Area is situated about south of National Heroes Square, Heroes Square in the capital-city Bridgetown, ...

(also known as St. Ann's Garrison or, more commonly, The Garrison). It was built by the British in 1705, and named for

Queen Anne of Great Britain Queen most commonly refers to: * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen (band), a British rock band Queen or QUEEN may also refer to: Monarchy * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * ...

. Today, Saint Ann's Fort houses the Headquarters of the

Barbados Defence Force The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) is the name given to the combined armed forces of Barbados. The BDF was established 15 August 1979, and has responsibility for the territorial defence and internal security of the island. The Headquarters for the ...

and the

Barbados Regiment The Barbados Regiment is the land force component of the Barbados Defence Force. Its main tasks are the defence of Barbados from external threats, internal security and assisting the local police in maintaining law and order. The regiment also pr ...

, as well as the Barbados National Armoury Museum.

History

Construction of the fort began around 1705, after the start of the

War of Spanish Succession The War of the Spanish Succession was a European great power conflict fought between 1701 and 1714. The immediate cause was the death of the childless Charles II of Spain in November 1700, which led to a struggle for control of the Spanish ...

. It was originally called Saint Ann’s Castle, and was named for the queen of Great Britain at that time, Queen Anne. Unlike other forts on the island located on the coast, Saint Ann's Fort was built inland for back-up protection. The fort was built hexagonal in shape. It enclosed an acre and a half, with walls more than fifty yards long. The fort was built in the Georgian style, and its construction included vaulted underground

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. Its

barracks Barracks are buildings used to accommodate military personnel and quasi-military personnel such as police. The English word originates from the 17th century via French and Italian from an old Spanish word 'soldier's tent', but today barracks ar ...

could house 4,000 soldiers. In 1780, Saint Ann's Fort became the headquarters for British troops stationed in Barbados. Troops were stationed there from 1780 until 1905. In 1933, the fort's former British Military Prison became the headquarters of the Barbados Museum & Historical Society. In 1979, the

was established. Saint Ann's Fort is their headquarters. In 2004, the Barbados National Armoury Museum opened at St Ann’s Fort in a historic naval powder magazine located on the fort's grounds. This museum has the world’s largest collection of 17th century English iron cannons, including a Commonwealth Cannon from 1652. In 2011, The Garrison, of which Saint Ann's Fort is a part, was made a

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Gallery

File:Main Guard House (46875941734).jpg, Main guard house File:THE STONE BARRACKS IN GARRISON HISTORIC DISTRICT - BARBADOS.jpg, Stone barracks File:BB Garrison Area 1010 (21) (17026608349).jpg, Canons File:SOLDIERS' BARRACKS - GARRISON HISTORIC DISTRICT - BARBADOS.jpg, Barracks, drill house File:Pg236 StAnns Garrison in Barbados.jpg, Drawing of Saint Ann's Garrison, 1848

References

{{Reflist Forts in Barbados 18th-century fortifications Georgian architecture