Castle of Good Hope

The Castle of Good Hope was built between 1666 and 1679, replacing an earlier mud and timber fort built in 1652 by Commander Jan van Riebeeck, the Dutch merchant who landed in Table Bay in 1652, together with 72 men and 8 women. On instruction by the Dutch-East India Trading Company or VOC (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie), the pioneers set up a port of call for their ships to stock up on provisions.In 1664 there were renewed rumours of war between Britain and the Netherlands and they feared a British attack on the Cape. During that same year Commander Zacharius Wagenaer was instructed to build a five-pointed stone castle.

The castle was built for the protection of the early settlers against marauding Hottentots and as the residence of the Governor. The castle is a pentagonal fortification with a moat and five bastions.

This is the oldest remaining building in South Africa. The walls are made of stones from a quarry near Lion's head. The clinkers are directly imported from the Netherlands. The five Bastions are named after the five titles of the Prince of Orania or after the names of the five provinces of the Dutch motherland (Buuren, Catzenellenbogen, Nassau, Oranje and Leerdam).

Situated adjacent to a parking lot and bus station in Buitenkant Street, its walls mark the original boundary of the seashore where the waves washed up against the fortifications.

Its outside aspect is somewhat foreboding, but inside are some interesting features and collections that have been restored, offering a good insight into the early days of the Cape when it was the centre of social and economic life.

The entrance is a good example of 17th century Dutch Classicism. In 1682 the gateway replaced the old entrance, which faced the sea. The bell tower, situated above the main entrance was built in 1684. The original bell - the oldest in South Africa - was cast in Amsterdam in 1697 by Claude Frémy and weighs 670 lbs. It still hangs from the original wood beams in the tower above the entrance. It was used to tell the hours and warn citizens of danger and it could be heard about 10 km away. It was also rung to call residents and soldiers to the Castle for important announcements.

Inside the walls of the Castle there was a church, bakery, workshops, living quarters, offices, cells and numerous other facilities. The yellow paint on the walls was chosen because of its ability to reduce heat and glare from sunlight.

A wall divides the inner courtyard of the Castle. The division was initially intended to provide protection to the inhabitants of the Castle in the event of an attack. The well-known Kat Balcony is an outstanding feature of the dividing wall. The original balcony was built in 1695, then rebuilt in its present form by the VOC between 1786 and 1790. From this balcony proclamations and announcements were made to the soldiers, slaves and civilians at the Cape.

The Kat balcony leads to the famous William Fehr Collection of historical paintings and period furniture, which have a special relevance to the Cape of Good Hope.

The Castle of Good Hope was the regional headquarters of the South African Army in the Western Cape and also contains a Military Museum which houses the ceremonial facilities for the traditional Cape Regiments. The museum depicts the conflicts that arose during the Cape's early settlement. Of interest are the dungeons, which bear the graffiti carved by prisoners incarcerated here centuries ago.

In 1936 the Castle of Good Hope was declared a national monument. As a result of an extensive, ongoing restoration programme launched in the 1980s, the Castle of Good Hope remains the best preserved fortification of its kind built by the VOC in regions where it had interests.

The Castle of Good Hope was not built in consecutive order, so you will jump around from one time in history to another as you explore the Castle, but this adds to its charm.

Traditional ceremonies take place during weekdays.

The Key Ceremony was performed in the Castle from its earliest days and depicts the unlocking of the Castle of Good Hope. This ceremony takes place at 10:00 and 12:00 during weekdays.

The firing of the signal cannon directly after the Key Ceremony is symbolic to indicate the significance of cannons at the Castle of Good Hope.

The Castle Guard performs both these ceremonies.

Guided tours are conducted by Castle guides from Monday to Saturday at 11:00, 12:00 and 14:00.

Also offered are self-guided tours by means of a map in seven (7) different languages. Braille text is also available.

The famous Noonday gun, which is fired every day, failed to go off on Friday, despite having a back-up.

The Noonday Gun, fired every day except Sundays, was introduced to give ships in Table Bay an accurate time signal by which to set their clocks. The two guns in use are among the oldest in the world and were originally at the Castle in the city centre.

To find out all about the Castle and its history go to www.magical-cape-town-vacations.com/castle.html. It's facinating to think that the walls of the Castle were once lapped by the tides, but are now based rather more inland!

In 1902, the sound of the gun was deemed too loud and the cannons were moved to Lion Battery on Signal Hill, where they stand today.

One of the magical things to hear when you're down in the Waterfront at midday, is to hear that boom, but it must have been very disconcerting for one Hout Bay resident to have climbed Signal Hill to witness the gun being fired, only to hear a click!

The SA Navy, responsible for the firing of the cannon, reported that it was a technical difficulty. Let's hope all is well from now on.

The above passage is taken from an article in our blog, which is written each weekday and posted online at www.magical-cape-town-vacations.blogspot.com.

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