Fortifications of the Cape Peninsula

Dozens of fortifications were built in Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula between the 1650s and the 1940s. Most have gone, but a few still stand.

List of fortifications

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

Dutch colonial period (1652–1795)

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Model of Amsterdam Battery

17th century

18th century

  • Chavonnes Battery (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)
  • 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
  • Zoutman Battery (later East Fort) (1781–1827 – Hout Bay
  • 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
  • Zoutman Battery (later Lower North Battery) (1793–) – Simon's Town
  • Klein Gibraltar (1794–1827) – Hout Bay
  • Kyk in de Pot (1795–) – Table Bay (rebuilt as Fort Wynyard 1862)

British colonial period (1795–1910)

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King's Blockhouse on Devil's Peak

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) – Simon's Town

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 beachfront
  • Three Anchor Bay Battery (1880s–1920s) – Three Anchor Bay beachfront
  • Cemetery Battery (later Queen's Battery) (1889–1943) – Simon's Town
  • Noah's Ark Battery (1890–1940s) – Simon's Town
  • Sea Point Battery (1891–1928) – present Sea Point Junior School site
  • Lion Battery (born 1891) – Signal Hill
  • Middle North Battery (born 1892) – Simon's Town
  • Upper North Battery (1895–?) – Simon's Town
 
De Waal Battery, Robben Island

20th century

Union/Republic of South Africa (1910–)

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20th century

  • King George V Battery (1914–1928) – Milnerton
  • Duiker Battery (later Apostle Battery) (1940–) – Llandudno
  • Cornelia Battery (1940–1944) – Robben Island (north)
  • Robben Eiland Battery (later De Waal Battery) (1941–1944) – Robben Island (south)
  • Docks Battery (later Duncan Battery) (1940–1946) – Table Bay

References

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  • 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.

See also

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