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Forts & Tunnels of St Vincent & the Grenadines

Fort Charlotte

Fort Charlotte is the largest fortification in the State. It is a smaller version of Brimstone Hill in St. Kitts and construction began soon after St. Vincent was ceded to the British by the 1763 Treat of Paris. Completed in 1806, the Fort stands on a ridge 600 feet above see level, giving a magnificent and unobstructed view across Kingstown and down the Grenadines. After the concrete parts of the Fort were completed, the hill surrounding the Fort was tapered down so as to make human approach to the walls difficult. The cells of the Fort display an interesting collection of Lindsay Prescott paintings, which depict various aspects of Black Carib History. Fort Charlotte, named after the Inner Consort of King George III, is a good example of the fortification throughout the Caribbean erected by the European powers. A particularly enjoyable time to visit the Fort is at dusk, when the setting sun paints the sky with shades of orange, red and yellow. The question is often asked why the guns are pointed inland, and why is the moat located between the hill and the rest of the island. The answer for both questions is the same... the Fort was never used against naval attacks; rather it was used to protect the English from the inland forays of the Caribs and their allies -the French.

Fort Charlotte was garrisoned until 1873 when the troops were withdrawn from the island. Originally, the Fort had 34 guns. Today only five guns remain, all directed inland. The citadel is used as a signal station. The distance to the Fort from Kingstown is approximately 2 miles and driving time should be about 20 minutes.

Fort Duvernette

Approximately 50 yards off Young Island Resort is the sugar-loaf shaped Fort Duvernette (also known as Rock Fort). The fort was built around 1800 on a rock islet, 200 ft above the sea to protect the original chief town of Calliaqua and its important anchorage. The fort has a spiral stairway, partly cut into the rock and partly built of masonry, which leads to the batteries. There are two batteries; the lower one is about 40 feet from the top of the rock and faces the sea. The guns, placed in pairs, guard the approaches to the bays on either side of the Fort. There is also a guardhouse/magazine and cistern. The upper battery is on the summit and guards the land. Both batteries contain 20 four-pound guns and an eight-inch mortar. The entire armament, which dates from the days of King George III, is still complete. This fort has more authentic cannons, more intact as an actual battery than those found at Fort Charlotte and some of them are in what appears to be their original strategic position. Admission to the fort can be arranged withYoung Island Hotel.

Black Point Tunnel

This tunnel is about 300 feet long and links Grand Sable with Byera Bay. The tunnel was constructed by the British, using slave labour, around 181 5 to provide an access

Fort Murray

Between 1777 and I779, French raiders and American Privateers (allies of France) raided the Grenadine islands, carrying off slaves and burning houses. Small batteries were therefore erected on the larger Grenadine islands so that the people could defend themselves. Fort Murray on Union Island was one of these.

Also please visit our other directories:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Barbados, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Caribbean YP, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & the Grenadines, and Turks & Caicos