Upper Fort  (British c. 1796 - 1826)
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EAST FORT GATE PROJECT
Chapman's Peak Drive Tourism Development

Following the first British occupation of S.A., Major General James Craig embarked on a program of upgrading the defences of the Peninsula, as they feared an attempt  by either France or the Netherlands to re-take the Cape. East and West Fort had successfully deterred an attack by the British in 1795 but it was doubtful that the defences, as they stood, could withstand a determined attack from a belligerent well equipped force.  Inadequately protected, the Bay  could provide a safe anchorage and fresh water for an invading fleet, thus at the time when Napoleon's power was on the ascendance, Hout Bay was seen as the "soft underbelly" of Cape Town. Craig's decision to strengthen the Peninsula's defences was therefore timely and understandable. It is likely that Craig was also directly responsible for the construction c.1796 of the King's, York, Queen's and Prince of Wales Block Houses. In addition he built the "Martello Tower" in Simonstown.

British Blockhouse as it stands today Aug 2001.
There may seem to be something wrong with the Union Flag (above top left) but in fact that is how it looked in 1795. Today the Irish Cross of Saint Patrick is included.

This picture above, of the top of Hout Bay's Military Road, (now incorporated into Chapman's Peak Drive), was painted by Thomas Baines c.1850 and shows the three storey blockhouse built by General James Craig in 1796 following the first British occupation of the Cape. In the middle foreground right can be seen the old magazine where now stands the WW2 Pill Box.

This photograph ,taken from lower down the hill, has the same aspect as the painting left. It shows the remains of the blockhouse (Cntr Rt ) and the sentry box and officers quarters (Cntr). The proposed National Park "East Fort Gate" could be roughly at this point with a large signboard on the left announcing the entrance and a stone pillar or "sentry box" on the right, in sympathy with the military design of the historic buildings nearby.

July 2001. The remains of the Blockhouse. The magazine can be clearly seen in the centre of the ground floor.

DWG 1

DWG 1 Opposite: The two elevations opposite clearly show the three stories of the Block House as it was originally designed by the military architects of the Royal Engineers, though it was actually built by a local contractor. The upper story had wooden balconies which were cantilevered outwards such that they could fire muskets directly below them should attackers manage to reach the fort. The lower floor contained the magazine for the storage of gunpowder and on the left of the LH elevation a water cistern. The middle floor would appear to have had a fireplace and chimney for the chilly winter nights when the North Wester chilled the soldiers on guard to the bone.

DWG2 Opposite: The plans on the left show the layout of  each floor, the left most one showing the ground floor more or less as it is today, the upper stories having been destroyed intentionally or suffered the ravages of time. The structure would have depended to some extent for its stability on wooden joists between the floors which would have had a relatively short lifetime. The stonework was not "dressed" as would have been done by experienced stone masons and the mortar of the time would have had limited strength as it was built almost 100 years before portland cement was first used in the Colony.

DWG2

(Source Hout Bay Museum).

What other evidence is available to help reconstruct the Blockhouse?

There are several 19th century paintings and drawings which depict the British Blockhouse and its environs to support any restoration process. Perhaps the greatest loss occurred when Chapmans Peak Drive was built as it was necessary to effectively bisect the fort precincts into two. The construction of the drive also required that substantial "filling" was done and today the ravine which ran along the South side has been filled and is supported by a massive retaining wall. The ravine has carried floodwaters for centuries and a recent flood has caused considerable damage. Fortunately none of the buildings have been affected.

The "Battle of Hout Bay".
The Hout Bay Heritage Trust's logo depicts the battery of cannons at East Fort which were last fired in anger on Sept 15th 1795.
In 1995, on the 200th anniversary of the incident, the Heritage Trust re-enacted the events of the day when the 16 gun Frigate HMS Echo, under the command of Capt Todd, entered the bay on a reconnaissance mission to establish whether or not the Bay was fortified. The Echo drew fire from both East and West batteries but rapidly withdrew without loss, but also took with her reliable intelligence for the British  fleet. Admiral Elphinstone, who suspected that Hout Bay could be the soft underbelly of Cape Town was proved wrong and Hout Bays Gunners won the day.

 The view of Hout Bay from the officers quarters.
The scenery has changed somewhat but the view is still breathtaking.