Imagine being transported back to the 17th century. You are standing before a formidable structure. This is the Castle of Good Hope.
Known locally as The Castle, it stands as South Africa’s oldest colonial building. Its Dutch name is Kasteel de Goede Hoop. It is a bastion fort constructed by the Dutch East India Company.
The Castle of Good Hope replaced an older fort. That fort was made of clay and timber. Jan van Riebeeck built it. He was the first Commander of the Cape.
Tensions rose between Britain and the Netherlands in 1664. Commander Zacharias Wagenaer received instructions to build a pentagonal fortress out of stone. The first stone was laid on January 2 1666. The DEIC delayed work often. They did not want to spend money on the project.
The five bastions were named after William III of Orange-Nassau in 1679. Leerdam is to the west. Buuren, Katzenellenbogen, Nassau, and Oranje follow clockwise.
The gated entry replaced the old entrance in 1682. The old entrance faced the sea. A bell tower was built over the main entrance in 1684. The bell was cast in Amsterdam in 1697. It weighs over 300 kilograms. The bell announced the time. It warned citizens of danger. It summoned residents for important announcements. It could be heard 10 kilometers away.
The fortress housed a church. It had a bakery and workshops. There were living quarters and cells. Yellow paint was chosen for the walls. It lessened the effect of heat and sun. A wall divides the inner courtyard. It protected citizens in case of attack. The De Kat Balcony is in the courtyard. It was rebuilt between 1786 and 1790. Announcements were made from the balcony. They were for soldiers, slaves, and town inhabitants.
Part of the Castle of Good Hope was used as a prison during the Second Boer War. The former cells remain today.
The Castle acted as local headquarters for the South African Army. Today, it houses the Castle Military Museum. It also provides ceremonial facilities for Cape Regiments. The Castle is home to the Cape Town Highlanders Regiment. This is a mechanised infantry unit.
The Castle of Good Hope represents 17th-century DEIC architecture. Restorations enhance its appeal. They position it well for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
Inside the Castle walls, there were many facilities. You could find a church and a bakery. Workshops, living quarters, and offices were available. Cells and other facilities met the needs of the community.
The slate used for paving came from Robben Island. Wood came from Hout Bay. Cement was made by burning shells in lime kilns on Robben Island. The Castle is linked to Table Mountain and Robben Island. These are both UNESCO World Heritage sites.
The Main Gateway offers a window on the past. The coat-of-arms of the United Netherlands is above the entrance. It portrays a crowned lion. The arms of Dutch cities are carved below. The company’s monogram, VOC, flanks the carvings.
The Captain’s Tower was the tallest building in Cape Town for 150 years.
Sections of the moat around the Castle have been restored. The original moat was 25 metres wide. It was filled with water from Table Mountain streams. The moat became foul-smelling. Residents used it as a rubbish dump.
From the Buuren bastion, the pentagonal shape is evident. The cannons overlapped. They provided an impenetrable wall of fire. The Castle formed a formidable defensive system. It has never been attacked.
The bastions were named after the titles of Willem, the Prince of Orange. The walls on the sea side were 10 metres high. The walls on the land side were even higher. This allowed cannons to fire across the seaward bastions.
From Catzenellenbogen bastion, imagine how close the sea came. Land was reclaimed between 1930 and 1945.
The Garrison jail was built in 1786. Inscriptions made by prisoners are on the doors. The cells were last used during the Second World War.
The second courtyard is Het Wapenplaatz. Weapon inspections and drills took place here. The well was the centre of the Castle.
The lawn on Het Wapenplaatz has a Dutch garden design.
The granary is one of the driest rooms. It was the governor’s granary. Later, it was a gunpowder magazine. Today, it houses an archaeological museum.
The Castle of Good Hope stands as a bastion of our colonial past. It is a beacon of our future. The Castle is positioning itself for survival over the next 350 years.