It’s one of several fortifications given a new lease of life by the St. George’s Foundation
A lesser-known fort in the east end of the island, once full of overgrowth, is now accessible to the public again thanks to a mighty team of volunteers and inmates.
“When we first arrived, this fort was covered in trees and Mexican peppers and casuarina’s coming out of all areas of the fort,” explained Chairman of the St. George’s Foundation, Stuart Smith.
“The bridge was an old rotten wooden bridge, which is quite dangerous. We’ve now replaced all of those, we’ve cleared everything out. We cleaned out all the moat. We’ve taken all the casuarinas out of the front, so we have our view and we’re making it accessible to the public.”
The repairs began in 2023 and were carried out by a team of volunteers, known as the ‘Weekday Warriors’.
Led by Mr Smith, the group has given several forts a new lease of life, including Fort Victoria, Fort Cunningham, Fort William and most recently Fort Albert.
“They are the backbone of this whole endeavour, and they are dedicated people who come and help with this whole thing – cutting down trees, manicuring and weeding,” said Mr Smith.
He further explained that they have a memorandum of understanding with the Government that enables them to care for the forts, including Fort Albert which is part of the property leased to the St. Regis Bermuda Resort.
Built to protect the island’s north-eastern coastline, the fort was completed in 1842 and named after Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert.
It has been inaccessible for quite some time, but with its restoration and ongoing maintenance, Mr Smith hopes the public will be reminded of its significance and encouraged to visit.
“I think many people don’t even know this fort exists and a lot of our forts, actually,” he acknowledged. “We’re hoping to open them up a little bit more to the general public so they can adventure down the tunnels and see the views etc.”
The St. George’s Foundation’s mission is “to support Bermuda’s UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Historic Town of St. George and its Related Fortifications, through Collaboration, Education, and Awareness.”
This restoration project has even involved help from inmates at the Prison Farm.
Mr Smith added, “we’ve had probably about 6 of them in different stages – they’ve been good guys, and they work diligently. We pay them a minimum wage so that they can have some money when they leave the prison and it’s been very productive.”
Looking ahead, he said the charity is always looking for volunteers and support to continue to preserve Bermuda’s historic sites.
“I think it would be great if the whole community banded together and supported these endeavours. We don’t get a whole lot. We get good corporate support but not necessarily. We could get more support from the local population to assist with our endeavours of preserving and enhancing our forts and then maintaining them as well for future generations.”
