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

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

Dutch colonial period (1652–1795)

Model of Amsterdam Battery

17th century

Fort de Goede Hoop (1652–1674) – Table Bay (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 (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)

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

Scala Battery (1906–1947) – Simon's Town

Union/Republic of South Africa (1910–)

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

gollark: They're both terrible.

gollark: So maybe the police should avoid doing things which cause people to lose respect for them constantly!

gollark: Maybe it's some philosophical thing on the purpose and effect of punishment.

gollark: Or he's just talking about a slightly different thing. Hopefully?

gollark: ... punishing someone who killed someone is *bad*?

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.