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Top Attractions in British Virgin Islands

Fort George

Fort George is a colonial fort which was erected on the northeast edge of Road Town, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands above Baughers Bay. The site is now a ruin. The original structure is believed by some to have been built at an unascertained date by the original Dutch settlers of the islands to protect slave pens that were built in Port Purcell below. It is likely that the initial structure was built in response to a massacre of the inhabitants of the original settlement in Baughers Bay in 1625. However, the main fortification was built by the British in the late 18th century around the outbreak of the American war of independence as part of the general upgrade of the fortifications of Road Town. The fort was named after King George III. Fort George formed part of a formidable defensive network of forts around Road Town at this time, including the eponymous Road Town Fort, Fort Burt above Road Reef on the south west side of the harbour, and Fort Charlotte set high above on Harrigans Hill. Fort George never actually engaged in combat after restoration by the British. The combination of the formidable martial defences of Road Town, and relatively small strategic and economic importance of Tortola persuaded both foreign colonial powers and privateers and pirates alike to focus on other targets within the region. Today the remains of the fort are barely recognisable. Despite being featured in the British Virgin Island governments promotional website the remains of the Fort are on private land, to which there is no public access. The property has a house on it, which is rented, and access to the site depends upon the goodwill of the incumbent tenants. As of 2007 the remains are predominantly used as storage.

A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground

The A. O. Shirley Recreation Ground is a multi-use stadium in Road Town, British Virgin Islands. It is currently used mostly for football matches and usually hosts the British Virgin Islands national football teams games. The stadium holds 3,000 people. The ground has also been used as a venue for cricket matches, with the first recorded cricket match played there in 1988 between a Combined Virgin Islands and Nevis. Three years later, the British Virgin Islands cricket team first played there against Anguilla in the 1991 Leeward Islands Tournament. Just over a decade later, the Leeward Islands played a first-class match there against the Windward Islands in the 2001/02 Busta Cup. This is the only first-class match to be played at the ground. The last recorded cricket match played there was in 2005. The grounds end names are the Police Station End and the Super Value End.

Fort Burt

Fort Burt is a colonial fort that was erected on the southwest edge of Road Town, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands above Road Reef Marina. The site is now a hotel and restaurant of the same name, and relatively little of the original structure remains. However, one of the original cannons has survived and stands on the veranda of the hotel, vigilantly looking over the harbour. The original structure is believed by some to have been built at an unascertained date by the original Dutch settlers of the islands, although this is not certain as Spanish documents from this time refer to other forts on Tortola and they make no mention of a defensive fortification at Fort Burt although the route of their attack by the British in 1776 at the outbreak of the American war of independence. The fort was named after William Mathew Burt, Governor of the Leeward Islands from 1776 to 1781 . Descendants of this family now live in Western Australia. Fort Burt formed part of a formidable defensive network of forts around Road Town at this time, including Fort Road Town, Fort George on Fort Hill on the north east side of the harbour, and Fort Charlotte set high above on Harrigans Hill. Fort Burt never actually fired a shot in anger under British command. The combination of the formidable martial defences of Road Town, and relatively small strategic and economic importance of Tortola persuaded both foreign colonial powers and privateers and pirates alike to focus on other targets within the region. The fort later fell again into disrepair, and it was acquired in 1953 by Commander Christopher Hammersley and his socialite wife, who built what was then the only hotel on Tortola. The hotel has changed hands several times since, and is now in the ownership of the Pussers chain.

Road Town Fort

Road Town Fort is a colonial fort which was erected on Russell Hill in Road Town, Tortola in the British Virgin Islands above the towns main wharf. In historical records it is sometimes referred to as Fort Road Town. The fort subsequently fell into ruin, and in the 1960s the Bougainvillea clinic was built on top of the old structure. The strong room of the original fort, which was once the Territorys treasury, still survives today, and is now used as a storeroom by the clinic. However, the main fortification was built by the British in the late 18th century around the outbreak of the American war of independence as part of the general upgrade of the fortifications of Road Town, and it was garrisoned throughout the Napoleonic Wars. After the end of the Napoleonic Wars, and the abolition of slavery the fort was eventually abandoned as the Territory sank into economic decline, and the expense of its upkeep could no longer be justified. Road Town Fort formed part of a formidable defensive network of forts around Road Town erected at this time. Road Town itself was triangulated with Fort Burt in the western entrance to the harbour, Fort George at the eastern entrance, Road Town Fort in the middle above the main jetty, and Fort Charlotte set high above on Harrigans Hill. It is possible that the Road Town Fort was built on the remains of an earlier Dutch stockade; it is known that two forts erected by the British in Road Town were built on what were thought to be earlier Dutch sites, but they are believed to be Fort Burt and Fort George. However, some historians are less sure about Fort Burt and it may be that one of the former Dutch stockades lies under Road Town Fort. Fort Charlotte was built on an earlier Dutch look-out post. Road Town Fort never actually engaged in combat. The combination of the formidable martial defences of Road Town, and relatively small strategic and economic importance of Tortola persuaded both foreign colonial powers and privateers and pirates alike to focus on other targets within the region. Given the prevalence of the attacks on Road Town by Spanish privateers prior to the re-fortification of Road Town, the Road Town Fort could be said to have fulfilled its role it was intended for despite the absence of battle. The clinic is a private clinic, and there is no general public access to the remains of the structure. However, from Main Street below, looking up, one can still see some of the remains of the outer wall.

Whelk Point Fort

The Whelk Point Fort was a colonial fort erected on the southeast part of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The fort fell into disrepair and ruin, and relatively little of the original structure remains. In 1992 a house was built over the original foundations of the fort, but the remains of the barracks can still be seen on the land behind the house. The ruins are on private property and are not generally accessible to the public. The main fortification was built by the British at the outbreak of the American war of independence. The fort guarded two strategic locations. Primarily, the fort overlooks the narrow passage entering Paraquita Bay to the west one of the largest natural harbours in the British Virgin Islands and the natural gateway to one of the relatively few large agricultural areas on Tortola. The passage into Paraquita Bay is extremely narrow to navigate in any event with the wind and waves surging directly into the gap, and it would be almost impossible to make the entrance in an eighteenth-century sailboat under immediate fire from the fort only 100 meters away. Secondly, the fort formed part of a twin fortification around the settlement which was based in what is now known as Hodges Creek. Although that settlement declined in importance, for a considerable part of the Territorys history, that was the most significant settlement on Tortola. The fort never actually fired a shot in anger under British command. The fort later fell again into disrepair, and it was acquired in 1966 by Neville Westwood and his wife, who built their home on the adjacent land. That house was subsequently torn down and a new house erected over the foundations of the fort in 1992.
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