This is a list of former and current castles and fortifications in South Africa and contains historical fortifications, military instillations, mock castles and Manor Houses, that may be referred to as "castles".
A fortification or Fort[1] is easily identifiable as a structure built purely for defensive purposes, however a castle is slightly more subjective. The historical term castle refers to a Fortification that was also a seat of power and governance over the local area, the modern term might refer to a Manor House, a Châteaux or a Mansion and is more a matter of semantics.[2] The castles will be discussed by province.
Eastern Cape
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Fort Armstrong | Kat River | 1836 | |
Fort Beaufort | Fort Beaufort | 1839 | ![]() |
Cock's Castle | Port Alfred | About 1840 | ![]() |
Fort Cox | Middledrift | 1835 | |
Fort Frederick | Gqeberha | 1799 | ![]() |
Fort Glamorgan | East London | 1848 | |
Fort Hare | Alice | 1835 | |
Fort Murray | King Williams Town | 1835 | |
Fort Peddie | Peddie | 1835 | ![]() |
Fort Selwyn | Grahamstown | 1836 | |
Soffiantini's Castle | East London | ![]() | |
Fort White | King Williams Town | 1835 |
Free State
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Fort Bloemfontein | Bloemfontein | 1848 | ![]() |
Camelot Castle | Clarens | ||
Clarens Castle | Clarens | ||
Destiny Castle | Fouriesburg | ||
Deneysville Castle | Deneysville | ||
Fort Drury | Bloemfontein | 1846 | |
Harrismith Blockhouse | Harrismith | ||
Jacobsdal Blockhouse | Jacobsdal | ||
Naval Hill | Bloemfontein | ||
Riverford Blockhouse | Bloemfontein | ||
Old Presidency | Bloemfontein | 1860 | |
Oliewen House | Bloemfontein | 1941 | |
Castle of Philippolis | Philippolis | 1800s |
Gauteng
[edit]Kwazulu-Natal
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Fort Amiel | Newcastle | 1896 | ![]() |
Coedmore Castle | Durban | 1875 | |
Castle Hotel | Howick | Before 1900 | ![]() |
Botha House | Pennington | ||
Fort Durnford | Estcourt | 1875 | ![]() |
King's House | Durban | 1904 | |
Fort Mistake | Dundee | ||
Fort Nongqayi | Eshowe | 1883 | ![]() |
Fort Nottingham | Nottingham | 1856 | |
Stratford Castle | Durban | ||
Stonehaven Castle | Hillcrest | before 1923 |
Limpopo
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Fort Botha | Louis Trichardt | 19th Century | |
Fort Edward | Makhado | 19th Century | |
Castle de Wildt | Modimolle | ![]() | |
Fort Hendrina | Louis Trichardt | Made in 1888 | |
Fort Louis Campbell | Polokwane | 19th Century | |
Mapungubwe | Musina | 10th Century | ![]() |
Schoemansdal Fort | Schoemandal |
Mpumalanga
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Fort Burger | Burgersfort | 1876 | |
Flycatcher Castle | Graskop | ||
Fort Merensky | Middelburg | 1865 | ![]() |
Voortrekker Fort | Ohrigstad | 1847 | |
Fort Weeber | Sekhukhune |
North West
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Boekenhoutfontein | Rustenburg | 1860s | ![]() |
Camelotte Castle | Hartebeestpoort | ||
Excalibur Castle | Rustenburg | ||
Fountain Villa | Klerksdorp | ![]() | |
Potchefstroom Fort | Potchefstroom | ||
Rectors Residence | Potchefstroom | 19th century | ![]() |
Voortrekker Fort | Potchefstroom | ||
Cannon Kopje Fort | Mafikeng |
Northern Cape
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Carnarvon Blockhouse | Carnarvon | ||
Daniëlskuil Blockhouse | Daniëlskuil | ||
Die Kasteel | Hartswater | ||
Hospital Hill Blockhouse | Noupoort | ![]() | |
Leeu-Gamka Blockhouse | Leeu-Gamka | ||
Letterklip | Namaqualand | 1901 | |
McGregor House | Kimberley | ![]() | |
Prieska Kopje Blockhouse | Prieska |
Western Cape
[edit]Castle or Fortification | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Bygracealone Manor | George | ||
Cape Town City Hall | Cape Town | 1905 | ![]() |
Casa Labia | Muizenberg | 1930 | ![]() |
Castle of Good Hoope | Cape Town | 1670s | ![]() |
Castle on the Cliff | Plettenberg Bay | ||
Castle on the Hill | Bainskloof Pass | About 1941 | |
Celtic Castle | Gordon's Bay | ||
Colona Castle | Muizenberg | ||
Devon Castle | Stellenbosch | ||
Dunn's Castle | Piketberg | 1890s | |
East Fort | Hout Bay | 1782 | ![]() |
Elsenburg House | Stellenbosch | 1754 | |
English Fort | Montagu | 1875-1877 | |
Fort de Goede Hoop | Cape Town | 1652 | ![]() |
Redoubt Duijnhoop | Cape Town | 1654 | |
George Victorian Hotel | George | 1815 | ![]() |
Greylands Ostrich Palace | Oudtshoorn | ||
Gottland Palace | Oudtshoorn | ||
Grosvenor House | Stellenbosch | 1803 | ![]() |
Hawthorndon House | Wynberg | 1683 | ![]() |
Herstein Castle | Stellenbosch | 1980s | |
Het Vlock Kasteel | Riebeek-Kasteel | ||
Lanserac House | Stellenbosch | 1830 | ![]() |
Le Roux Townhouse | Oudtshoorn | 1909 | |
Lichtenstein Castle | Hout Bay | 1986-1998 | ![]() |
Lord Milner Hotel | Matjiesfontein | 1884 | ![]() |
Noetzie Castles | Knysna | After 1930 | ![]() |
Pinehurst Mansion | Oudtshoorn | 1911 | |
Robben Island Forts | Robben Island | 1940s | ![]() |
Rus in Urbe Mansion | Oudtshoorn | 1902 | |
Fort Simon | Stellenbosch | 1997 | |
Somerset Hospital | Cape Town | 1864 | ![]() |
Stone Castle | Saldanha | ||
Knysna Fort | Knysna | 1899 | ![]() |
Veretti Castle | Mossel Bay | 2004 | |
Vergelegen Estate | Somerset West | 1700 | |
Villa Anna Katarina | Riebeek-Kasteel | ||
Welgeluk Ostrich Palace | Oudtshoorn | 1910 | ![]() |
West Fort | Hout Bay |
Townhouses in Cape Town
[edit]Building | Location | Date | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Bertram House | Gardens | 1854 | ![]() |
Genadendal Residence | Rondebosch | 18th Century | |
Groot Constantia | Constantia | 17th Century | ![]() |
Groote Schuur | Rondebosch | 18th Century | ![]() |
Jan de Waal House | City Bowl | ![]() | |
Koopmans-de Wet House | City Bowl | 1701 | ![]() |
Leeuwenhof | Gardens | 1788 | ![]() |
Leinster Hall | Gardens | ||
Martin Melck House | City Bowl | 1781 | ![]() |
Ravenswood House | City Bowl | ![]() | |
Rust en Vreugd | City Bowl | 18th Century | ![]() |
Saasveld House | Gardens | ![]() | |
Tuynhuys | City Bowl | 1682 | ![]() |
Welgemeend | Gardens | ![]() |
Blockhouses of the Second Anglo-Boer War
[edit]- Aliwal North Blockhouses (2)
- Broederstroom Blockhouse
- Burgersdorp Blockhouse
- Dewetsville Blockhouse
- Fort Harlech, Krugersdorp
- Hekpoort Blockhouse
- Hopetown Blockhouse
- Kaalfontein/Zuurfontein Blockhouse
- Modder River Blockhouse
- Noupoort Blockhouse
- Orange River Station
- Pampoennek Blockhouse
- Prieska Blockhouse
- Riversford Blockhouse
- The Reservoir Blockhouse
- The Stormberg Junction South Blockhouse
- Timeball Hill Blockhouse
- The Warrenton Railway Bridge Blockhouse
- Warmbaths Blockhouse
- Witkop Blockhouse
See also
[edit]- South African Heritage Resources Agency
- South African National Museum of Military History
- Provincial heritage site (South Africa)
- Military history of South Africa
- Fortifications of the Cape Peninsula
- List of castles in Africa
- History of South Africa
- List of castles
- List of forts
References
[edit]- ^ "Definition of fort | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "Definition of castle | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- ^ "South African Military History Society - Journal- BRITAin's LAST CASTLES Masonry Blockhouses of the South African War, 1899-1902".