Fort Frederick in Gqeberha, South Africa

Fort Frederick in Gqeberha, South Africa, was built in 1799 to stop the French from conquering the Cape Colony during the Napoleonic Wars. It played a vital role in establishing British rule in South Africa in combination with the Battle of Blaauwberg. The fort has never fired a shot from its guns.

Named after Frederick, Duke of York and Albany, commander-in-chief of the British Army, the fort was built on a natural vantage point overlooking the strategic Algoa Bay. Troops were sent to the area to prevent a possible landing of French troops under Napoleon to assist the Graaff-Reinet rebels. By the time the 1820 Settlers arrived in Port Elizabeth, the fort was already well-established.

The fort consists of a powder magazine and a blockhouse that has lost its timber upper storey. Its original armaments included two 8-pounder guns and one 5.5 inch Howitzer, while the museum now contains a selection of muzzle-loaders from the late eighteenth century. Captain Francis Evatt, Commandant of Fort Frederick between 1817 and 1847, is buried next to the fort and played an important role in overseeing the arrivals of the Settlers in 1820.

Today, the fort is open daily from sunrise to sunset with free admission. It is reportedly haunted by the ghosts of a Shakespeare play.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons