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Tortola was never again attacked during the turbulent colonial era, and it is reasonable to surmise that the combination of the relatively low economic value of the
Territory, and the relatively formidable defences, simply meant that it was an equally unattractive target for competing colonial powers
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Like many historical buildings in the
British Virgin Islands, Fort Charlotte sits on private land with (at present) no public right of way to the Fort; however, local landowners have (to date) been reasonably relaxed about the occasional tourists and students hiking across their land to find the
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located in between. Towering above was Fort
Charlotte, with the range and guns to fire on any ship entering the harbour without any fear of return fire. Accordingly, any ship seeking to attack the town would have to withstand fire from both Fort Charlotte and either Fort Burt or Fort George, but
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The fort is now a barely recognisable ruin. All that remains are a few crumbling walls, a cistern and an underground magazine. The area of the Fort is heavily overgrown, and for safety reasons the government has sealed off the cistern to avoid the possibility of tourists falling in.
110:(each of which at some point in the Territory's history acted as the centre of administration for the islands) largely because of its instrinsic defensiveness in a highly turbulent era. Tortola had been sacked by Spanish
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to act as a lookout post. The fort was not a walled fort in the traditional sense, but an earthen one; however, its elevation meant that there was absolutely no prospect of being fired upon by the
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The hike to Fort
Charlotte (there is no road) is considerably less arduous since the government cut a road from the top of Macnamara to the ridge, but it is still a good climb, and a
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of incoming ships. The only way in which the Fort could have been taken, had it ever fallen, would have been for troops to climb the hill while under heavy musket and cannon fire.
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in 1685 and
Tortola was actually occupied by pirates for several days in 1686, but was never attacked again subsequent to the construction of Fort Charlotte.
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would have to actually land and climb
Harrigan's Hill (with weaponry) to a height of nearly 900 feet before they could actually return fire on the garrison.
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remains of the Fort. The government has signaled its intent to make Fort
Charlotte more accessible, but no action has yet been taken.
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to clear the bush that frequently overgrows the donkey track leading to the fort is usually a necessity during the wet season.
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Road Town became the
Territory's capital instead of much better anchorages at Soper's Hole, Hodge's Creek and Spanish Town on
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Fort
Charlotte formed part of a triangular defensive formation around Road Harbour. On the south west side of the harbour lay
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on the one hand and privateers and pirates on the other.
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The commanding view over Road
Harbour from Fort Charlotte
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in 1794 at an elevation of approximately 947 feet over
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29:Part of the remains of the walls of Fort Charlotte
130:A survey plan of the remains of Fort Charlotte
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40:built on Harrigan's Hill (above Macnamara),
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801:Terrance B. Lettsome International Airport
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956:History of the British Virgin Islands
156:History of the British Virgin Islands
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966:Ruins in the British Virgin Islands
961:Forts in the British Virgin Islands
848:H. Lavity Stoutt Community College
60:The fort was built by the British
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90:was situated on the west with
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691:Financial Services Commission
746:Fort Purcell ("the Dungeon")
246:United States Virgin Islands
48:. The fort was named after
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168:The BVI's formidable forts
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473:Old Jerusalem Island
428:Little Jost Van Dyke
346:East Seal Dog Island
226:St. Phillip's Church
221:Dutch Virgin Islands
16:For other uses, see
932:18.4135°N 64.6233°W
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766:Johnson's Ghut ruin
761:Hunthum's Ghut ruin
393:Great Tobago Island
443:Little Wickams Cay
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937:18.4135; -64.6233
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833:Demographics
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621:Human rights
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518:Scrub Island
488:Prickly Pear
483:Peter Island
403:Guana Island
388:Great Thatch
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741:Fort George
726:Copper Mine
626:LGBT rights
533:Wickams Cay
513:Sandy Spit
503:Salt Island
408:The Indians
326:Dog Islands
321:Diamond Cay
306:Carvel Rock
301:Buck Island
296:Bellamy Cay
291:Beef Island
122:Present day
88:Fort George
950:Categories
923:64°37′24″W
920:18°24′49″N
650:Parliament
493:Round Rock
448:Marina Cay
423:Little Cay
838:Education
731:Fort Burt
709:Landmarks
696:Transport
611:Elections
565:Districts
543:Geography
508:Sandy Cay
498:Saba Rock
458:Nanny Cay
398:Green Cay
84:Fort Burt
70:privateer
66:Road Town
903:Category
865:Religion
645:Military
616:Governor
599:Politics
585:Wildlife
363:Eustatia
150:See also
971:Tortola
894:Outline
828:Culture
816:Society
674:Economy
660:Premier
570:Islands
560:Climate
523:Tortola
286:Anegada
279:Islands
231:Slavery
213:History
140:machete
112:pirates
56:History
42:Tortola
870:Sports
638:Police
236:Piracy
86:while
77:cannon
855:Music
580:Towns
575:Ruins
36:is a
38:fort
633:Law
952::
52:.
44:,
196:e
189:t
182:v
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