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 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. The castles will be discussed by province.
Eastern Cape
| 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 | .jpg)
| |
| Fort White | King Williams Town | 1835 |
Free State
| 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
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Kwazulu-Natal
| 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
| 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 | .jpg)
|
| Schoemansdal Fort | Schoemandal |
Mpumalanga
| 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
| 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
Main article: Blockhouses of the Second Anglo-Boer War| 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 | .jpg)
| |
| Prieska Kopje Blockhouse | Prieska | 
|
Western Cape
| 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 | .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 | 
|
| 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 | 
|
| Sandenburg | Cape Town | 1640s | |
| 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 | .JPG)
|
| Villa Anna Katarina | Riebeek-Kasteel | ||
| Welgeluk Ostrich Palace | Oudtshoorn | 1910 | 
|
| West Fort | Hout Bay |
Townhouses in Cape Town
| 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 | .jpg)
|
| Welgemeend | Gardens | 
|
Blockhouses of the Second Anglo-Boer War
Main article: Blockhouses of the Second Anglo-Boer War
King's Blockhouse in Cape Town
- 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
- 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
- "Definition of fort | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- "Definition of castle | Dictionary.com". www.dictionary.com. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
- Wêreldspektrum (in Afrikaans) (10th ed.). Ensiklopedie Afrikana. 1984. p. 64.
- "South African Military History Society - Journal- BRITAin's LAST CASTLES Masonry Blockhouses of the South African War, 1899-1902".
| List of castles in Africa | |
|---|---|
| Sovereign states |
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| States with limited recognition | |
| Dependencies and other territories |
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