High Knoll Fort
Encyclopedia
High Knoll Fort is a redoubt
-style fort of the English
East India Company
on Saint Helena
, an island and British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. High Knoll is 584 metres (1,916 ft) above sea level and is approximately one mile (1.6km) south of historic/Lower Jamestown.
It looms over Jamestown
, and was built to assist in defending the island against potential French
invaders, being a redoubt
for the islanders. The original fort was built in 1790 and the present structure dates from 1874, when it was rebuilt by the Royal Engineers
. It is also known as the Citadel.
It is the largest, most prominent and most complete of the forts and military installations on the island. The Saint Helena National Trust have begun a project to restore the fort. It is designated as a Grade I listed building.
Redoubt
A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort, usually relying on earthworks, though others are constructed of stone or brick. It is meant to protect soldiers outside the main defensive line and can be a permanent structure or a...
-style fort of the English
Kingdom of England
The Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England...
East India Company
East India Company
The East India Company was an early English joint-stock company that was formed initially for pursuing trade with the East Indies, but that ended up trading mainly with the Indian subcontinent and China...
on Saint Helena
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
, an island and British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean. High Knoll is 584 metres (1,916 ft) above sea level and is approximately one mile (1.6km) south of historic/Lower Jamestown.
It looms over Jamestown
Jamestown, Saint Helena
Jamestown is the capital and historic chief settlement of the island of Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean. Located on the island's north-western coast, it is the island's port, with facilities for unloading goods delivered to the island, and the centre of the island's road and...
, and was built to assist in defending the island against potential French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
invaders, being a redoubt
National Redoubt
A national redoubt is a general term for an area to which the forces of a nation can be withdrawn if the main battle has been lost—or even beforehand if defeat is considered inevitable...
for the islanders. The original fort was built in 1790 and the present structure dates from 1874, when it was rebuilt by the Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
. It is also known as the Citadel.
It is the largest, most prominent and most complete of the forts and military installations on the island. The Saint Helena National Trust have begun a project to restore the fort. It is designated as a Grade I listed building.
External Links
- St Helena Tourism
- Flickr View from inside the redoubt