Fort Selwyn
Photo: Pat Irwin
Location
Grahamstown, Eastern Cape Province, South Africa
Adjacent to the 1820 Settlers National Monument
GPS: 33 deg 19 min 6.6 sec S, 26 deg 31 min 6.5 sec E
Photo: Pat Irwin
Significance
Fort Selwyn was built during the Governorship of Sir Benjamin D'Urban (1834-1838) to protect Grahamstown and its water supply.
The Fort was designed and constructed by Major Jasper Selwyn of the Royal Engineers and was completed by 1836.
The Fort was occupied by infantry until 1841 when it was transferred to the Royal Artillery and served as their barracks until 1868. It was then used as a magazine and as a guardhouse.
It was manned during the Anglo-Boer War (1899-1902) after which it fell into disrepair.
After being used as a domestic residence and a tea garden, it was declared a National Monument in 1936.
It was restored in the 1970s and placed under the custodianship of the Albany Museum in 1977.
The Officers' Quarters
Photo: Pat Irwin
The Magazine (the 1820 Settlers National Monument is in the background of the photo)
Photo: Pat Irwin
Photo: Pat Irwin
The three 18-pdr muzzle loaders in the Fort are on reconstructed naval carriages. This type of gun could be used either as ship's guns or as garrison guns, in which case the carriages would have been of cast iron.
Photo: Pat Irwin
Fort Selwyn was the focal point of the semaphore signalling system between Grahamstown, Fort Beaufort and Fort Peddie developed in the early 1840s. The semaphore mast is still in the Fort.
Photo: Pat Irwin
Photo: Pat Irwin
Photo: Pat Irwin
Further information
East Cape Frontier Wars Signal Towers by Pat Irwin