List of castles and fortifications in South Africa

Last updated

Castle of Good Hope, the first permanent building in South Africa. Cape Town Castle courtyard view 3.JPG
Castle of Good Hope, the first permanent building in South Africa.

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".

Contents

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

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Fort Armstrong Kat River 1836
Fort Beaufort Fort Beaufort 1839 9 2 028 0012-Martello Tower Fort-Beaufort-s.jpg
Cock's Castle Port Alfred About 1840 000000Richmond House Cock's Castle Wesley Hill Port Alfred-s.jpg
Fort Cox Middledrift 1835
Fort Frederick Gqeberha 1799 Fort Frederick Port Elizabeth-002.jpg
Fort Glamorgan East London 1848
Fort Hare Alice 1835
Fort Murray King Williams Town 1835
Fort Peddie Peddie 1835 Fort Peddie , outside Peddie.jpg
Fort Selwyn Grahamstown 1836 Grahamstown Fort.JPG
Soffiantini's Castle East London 1951 Soffiantini's Castle, Bonnie Doon, East London (9261415486).jpg
Fort White King Williams Town 1835

Free State

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Fort Bloemfontein Bloemfontein 1848 Military Museum Bloemfontein.jpeg
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 Old Presidency.JPG
Oliewen House Bloemfontein 1941
Castle of Philippolis Philippolis 1800s

Gauteng

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Arkleton House Pretoria Arkleton, 852 Schoeman Street Arcadia Pretoria 002.jpg
Barton Keep Pretoria 1886 Postcard of Barton Keep 1906 - Published by WE Burmester.jpg
Bronberg Castle Pretoria
Brooks House Brooklyn 1925 Brooks House, Pretoria.JPG
Castle da Angelo Western Pretoria
Castle Inn Resort Cullinan
Erasmus Castle Pretoria 1892 The Erasmus House.JPG
Foxwood House Johannesburg
Gothic Castle Pretoria East
Government House Pretoria 1906
Johannesburg Fort Johannesburg 1899 Old Fort Entrance (from the inside).jpg
Kensington Castle Kensington 1911
Fort Klapperkop Pretoria 1898 Fort Klapperkop Main.jpg
Castle Kyalami Johannesburg 1992 Castle Kyalami.jpg
Mahlamba Ndlopfu Pretoria 1940 Libertas, since 1994 known as Mahlamba Ndlopfu, in 1934 by Gerard Moerdijk designed as official residence in Pretoria for the state of the Union of South Africa. - panoramio.jpg
Melrose House Pretoria 1886 Melrose House Museum.JPG
The Moors Castle Krugersdorp
Ou Raadsaal Pretoria 1891 Old Raadsaal, Church Square Pretoria 004.jpg
Palace of Justice Pretoria 1897 Pretoria, Church Square .- le Palais de justice seigneuriale.jpg
Parktown Manions Johannesburg After 1894 Northwards002.jpg
Parkview Castle Johannesburg 1907
Royal Jontica Pretoria
Fort Schanskop Pretoria 1897 Fort Schanskop wide.jpg
Smuts House Irene 1909 Jan Smuts House.jpg
Sorex Estate Centurion
Stone Castle Johannesburg
The Cullinan Johannesburg 1910 The Cullinan, 3 Ash Street, Houghton Estate, Johannesburg 2012-09-19 18-09-43.jpg
Three Castles Building Johannesburg 1899 00000-Castle Cigarette Factory-Johannesburg-s.jpg
Villa D'Este Saxonwold
Westfort Pretoria 1898 Westfort pta.jpg
Witkop Blockhouse Johannesburg 1900 Witkop Blockhouse.jpg
Fort Wonderboompoort Pretoria 1897 Fort Wonderboompoort.JPG
Yadah Castle Centurion
Yukon House Johannesburg 1911 Yukon through the trees.jpg
Zwartkoppies Hall Pretoria 1886 Sammy Marks Museum in 2014.jpg

Kwazulu-Natal

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Fort Amiel Newcastle 1896 Fort Amiel Museum - 2.jpg
Coedmore Castle Durban 1875
Castle Hotel Howick Before 1900 Photograph album of Boer War 1899-1900. Wellcome L0026834.jpg
Botha House Pennington
Fort Durnford Estcourt 1875 9 2 409 0004-Fort Durnford-Estcourt-s.jpg
King's House Durban 1904
Fort Mistake Dundee
Fort Nongqayi Eshowe 1883 Fort Nonquai Eshowe.jpg
Fort Nottingham Nottingham 1856
Stratford Castle Durban
Stonehaven Castle Hillcrest before 1923

Limpopo

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Fort Botha Louis Trichardt 19th Century
Fort Edward Makhado 19th Century
Castle de Wildt Modimolle Castle de Wildt, buite Nylstroom, a.jpg
Fort Hendrina Louis Trichardt Made in 1888
Fort Louis Campbell Polokwane 19th Century
Mapungubwe Musina 10th Century Mapungubwe, Limpopo, South Africa (20356165510).jpg
Schoemansdal Fort Schoemandal

Mpumalanga

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Fort Burger Burgersfort 1876
Flycatcher Castle Graskop
Fort Merensky Middelburg 1865 9 2 242 0002-Fort Merensky-Middelburg-Mpumalanga-s.jpg
Voortrekker Fort Ohrigstad 1847
Fort Weeber Sekhukhune

North West

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Boekenhoutfontein Rustenburg 1860s 9 2 263 0007-Boekenhoutfontein-Rustenburg-s.jpg
Camelotte Castle Hartebeestpoort
Excalibur Castle Rustenburg
Fountain Villa Klerksdorp Fountain Villa Klerksdorp-002.jpg
Potchefstroom Fort Potchefstroom
Rectors Residence Potchefstroom 19th century 9 2 256 0008-Old Fort and Cemetery-Potchefstroom-s.jpg
Voortrekker Fort Potchefstroom
Cannon Kopje Fort Mafikeng

Northern Cape

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Carnarvon Blockhouse Carnarvon
Daniëlskuil Blockhouse Daniëlskuil Blockhouse, Danielskuil.JPG
Die Kasteel Hartswater
Hospital Hill Blockhouse Noupoort Anglo-Boer War Blockhouse Noupoort -001.jpg
Leeu-Gamka Blockhouse Leeu-Gamka
Letterklip Namaqualand 1901 Letterklip, Garies02.JPG
McGregor House Kimberley McGregor Museum, Kimberley (4527868638).jpg
Prieska Kopje Blockhouse Prieska Blockhouse, Prieska.JPG

Western Cape

Castle or FortificationLocationDateImage
Bygracealone Manor George
Cape Town City Hall Cape Town 1905 CT City Hall Before the Sun.jpg
Casa Labia Muizenberg 1930 Casa Labia.jpg
Castle of Good Hoope Cape Town 1670s Castle of Good Hope Entrance (1682).jpg
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 East Fort Hout Bay RSA.jpg
Elsenburg House Stellenbosch 1754 Manor House, Elsenburg 04.JPG
English Fort Montagu 1875-1877 Cogmanskloof Pass with old English Fort. Montagu, Western Cape. Pass built 1875-1877. 04.JPG
Fort de Goede Hoop Cape Town 1652 Castle of Good Hope - model.jpg
Redoubt Duijnhoop Cape Town 1654
George Victorian Hotel George 1815 George - Western Cape 06 - Museum.jpg
Greylands Ostrich Palace Oudtshoorn
Gottland Palace Oudtshoorn
Grosvenor House Stellenbosch 1803 9 2 084 0051-Grosvenor House-Stellenbosch-s.jpg
Hawthorndon House Wynberg 1683 9 2 111 0107-Hawthornden-Herschell Walk-Wynberg-s.jpg
Herstein Castle Stellenbosch 1980s
Het Vlock Kasteel Riebeek-Kasteel
Lanserac House Stellenbosch 1830 Lanzerac.jpg
Le Roux Townhouse Oudtshoorn 1909 Le Roux Town House.JPG
Lichtenstein Castle Hout Bay 1986-1998 HoutBayLichtenstein2.jpg
Lord Milner Hotel Matjiesfontein 1884 The Lord Milner hotel in South Africa.png
Noetzie Castles Knysna After 1930 Noetzie castle.jpg
Pinehurst Mansion Oudtshoorn 1911
Robben Island Forts Robben Island 1940s World War II Guard Pillbox, Robben Island.jpg
Rus in Urbe Mansion Oudtshoorn 1902 Rus-in-Urbe behind trees.JPG
Sandenburg [3] Cape Town 1640s
Fort Simon Stellenbosch 1997
Somerset Hospital Cape Town 1864 Somerset Hospital Cape Town.jpg
Stone Castle Saldanha
Knysna Fort Knysna 1899 The Old Fort, Knysna.jpg
Veretti Castle Mossel Bay 2004
Vergelegen Estate Somerset West 1700 Vergelegen (rear).JPG
Villa Anna Katarina Riebeek-Kasteel
Welgeluk Ostrich Palace Oudtshoorn 1910 ZA-WC-Oudtshoorn-str-farm.jpg
West Fort Hout Bay

Townhouses in Cape Town

BuildingLocationDateImage
Bertram House Gardens 1854 9 2 018 0190-Bertram House-Cape Town-s.jpg
Genadendal Residence Rondebosch 18th Century
Groot Constantia Constantia 17th Century Groot Constantia - 2.jpg
Groote Schuur Rondebosch 18th Century 9 2 111 0072 001-Groote Schuur01-Wynberg-s.jpg
Jan de Waal House City Bowl Bree St 93 Jan de Waal House.jpg
Koopmans-de Wet House City Bowl 1701 Koopmans-de Wet House 2015.jpg
Leeuwenhof Gardens 1788 9 2 018 0127 001-Leeuwenhof-The Cape-s.jpg
Leinster Hall Gardens
Martin Melck House City Bowl 1781 Martin Melck House, Strand Street.jpg
Ravenswood House City Bowl Ravenswood, Hatfield Street, Cape Town.jpg
Rust en Vreugd City Bowl 18th Century Rust en Vreugd.jpg
Saasveld House Gardens Franschhoek Huguenot Museum.jpg
Tuynhuys City Bowl 1682 Tuynhuys (detail).jpg
Welgemeend Gardens 9 2 018 0032-Welgemeend Stoep-Cape Town-s.jpg

Blockhouses of the Second Anglo-Boer War

[4]

Table Mountain-Kings Blockhouse-001.jpg
King's Blockhouse in Cape Town

See also

References

  1. "Definition of fort | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  2. "Definition of castle | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
  3. Wêreldspektrum (in Afrikaans) (10th ed.). Ensiklopedie Afrikana. 1984. p. 64.
  4. "South African Military History Society - Journal- BRITAin's LAST CASTLES Masonry Blockhouses of the South African War, 1899-1902".