Why Does Bermuda Have So Many Forts?

Bermuda has so many forts because its strategic position in the Atlantic made the island important to British defence for centuries. From the earliest years of English settlement in the 1600s, colonists feared attack by rival European powers, particularly Spain, and built coastal fortifications to protect St. George’s and the approaches to the island.

Bermuda’s military importance increased dramatically after the American Revolution, when Britain lost its mainland colonies and developed Bermuda as a major Royal Navy base between North America and the Caribbean. Over the centuries, more than 90 forts, batteries and other defensive positions were constructed across the island, earning Bermuda the nickname “Gibraltar of the West.”

The largest and most impressive surviving fort is Fort St. Catherine in St. George’s, overlooking the site where the survivors of the Sea Venture came ashore in 1609. First fortified in 1614 and repeatedly rebuilt and expanded, it is one of the best places to explore Bermuda’s centuries of military history.