Star forts in Britain, Europe, America and Japan
What the people who look after or describe each place say.
Jump to: Berwick | Tilbury Fort | Fort George | Fort Charlotte | Vauban’s sites | Neuf-Brisach | Venetian works | Palmanova | Bourtange | Fort McHenry | Castillo de San Marcos | Goryokaku
Britain
Berwick-upon-Tweed ramparts, England
English Heritage says the ramparts make Berwick one of the most important fortified towns of Europe. English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts English Heritage calls Berwick’s defences the most complete bastioned town defences in England. English Heritage: Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
Berwick’s Elizabethan rampart walls stand about 6 metres (20 feet) high, with the earth rampart rising a further 5 metres (16 feet). English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
Outside Berwick’s ramparts was a broad, deep ditch, now dry. English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
Cumberland Bastion is one of the earliest and best-preserved bastions at Berwick. English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
Berwick’s Powder Magazine, a gunpowder store with its own walled enclosure, was built in 1749 to 1750. English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts Berwick’s Main Guard had a soldiers’ room, an officers’ room and a cell for drunken soldiers and deserters. English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
A walkway along Berwick’s ramparts was created in 1837. English Heritage: History of Berwick-upon-Tweed Castle and Ramparts
Tilbury Fort, Essex
English Heritage calls Tilbury England’s best example of a 17th-century bastioned fortress. English Heritage: Tilbury Fort Historic England says Tilbury’s bastions and outworks are “principally a Dutch design”, extremely rare in England. Historic England: Tilbury Fort, list entry 1021092
Tilbury Fort is five-sided, but has four bastions: the Thames tides stopped a fifth from being built out into the water. English Heritage: History of Tilbury Fort
Tilbury has two gates: the Water Gate from the river and the Landport Gate from the marsh. English Heritage: History of Tilbury Fort
In 1691 Tilbury had 272 heavy guns. English Heritage: History of Tilbury Fort In 1757 almost 8,500 barrels of gunpowder were stored at Tilbury, more than anywhere else in Britain. English Heritage: History of Tilbury Fort
Tilbury’s defences were never tested by any enemy. English Heritage: History of Tilbury Fort
Fort George, near Inverness
Historic Environment Scotland calls Fort George the finest example of 18th-century military engineering anywhere in the British Isles. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George, history
Lieutenant-General William Skinner designed Fort George and was its first governor. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George, history Fort George was built by the Adam family of architects. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George
Fort George’s strongest defences face the land, where a Jacobite attack was expected. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George, history
Fort George’s main rampart is more than 1 km long and encloses an area the size of five football pitches. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George
Today Fort George would cost nearly £1 billion to build and equip. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George, history
Fort George never fired a shot in anger. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George, history
Fort George has a dog cemetery, one of only two in Scotland, for regimental mascots and officers’ pets. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort George
Fort Charlotte, Lerwick, Shetland
Fort Charlotte in Lerwick, Shetland, is roughly pentagonal, with a battery for 12 guns facing Bressay Sound. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort Charlotte, history
The fort was re-established in 1781 and named after Queen Charlotte, wife of George III. Historic Environment Scotland: Fort Charlotte, history
Europe
Vauban’s fortifications, France
UNESCO’s Fortifications of Vauban site is made up of 12 groups of buildings and sites along France’s borders. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fortifications of Vauban The Fortifications of Vauban were added to the World Heritage List in 2008. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Fortifications of Vauban
Vauban built nine new towns; four are still almost intact: Longwy, Mont-Louis, Mont-Dauphin and Neuf-Brisach. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Bastioned fortifications
Louis XIV gave Vauban the job of building the citadel at Lille, known as “the Queen of Citadels”. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Vauban
At Briançon in the Alps the land forced Vauban to give up his standard designs. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Bastioned fortifications
Neuf-Brisach, Alsace
Neuf-Brisach, on the Alsace plain, is described as “a perfect star” and the culmination of Vauban’s work. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Neuf-Brisach
The king chose the most complete and expensive of Vauban’s plans for Neuf-Brisach. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Neuf-Brisach
Neuf-Brisach has an octagonal (eight-sided) layout. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Neuf-Brisach The town was divided into 48 blocks around a central parade ground; 34 were for the 4,000 people who lived there. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: Neuf-Brisach
Neuf-Brisach is the only example of Vauban’s “third system”. Network of Vauban’s Major Sites: glossary, Third system
Venetian Works of Defence
UNESCO’s Venetian Works of Defence site has 6 parts in Italy, Croatia and Montenegro, spread over more than 1,000 km. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries The Venetian Works of Defence were added to the World Heritage List in 2017. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Venetian Works of Defence between the 16th and 17th Centuries
Palmanova, Italy
Palmanova is known as the “star city” because of its nine-pointed star plan. italia.it: Palmanova Palmanova is described as the only planned town still intact in its nine-pointed star shape. Visit Palmanova: The Fortress City
Palmanova has three rings of walls: two built by Venice, with nine bastions and nine ravelins, and an outer ring of nine “lunettes” added by Napoleon in the early 19th century. Visit Palmanova: The Fortress City italia.it says the third ring was built in 1805 by the French. italia.it: Palmanova
Palmanova’s central square, Piazza Grande, is hexagonal (six-sided). Visit Palmanova: The Fortress City There are three gates into Palmanova. Visit Palmanova: The Fortress City
Palmanova’s walls run for more than four kilometres; the Ring of Fortifications route is 4.3 km. Visit Palmanova: The Fortress City
Palmanova’s historical re-enactment, held in the first week of September, has over a thousand people in historical dress. Visit Palmanova: The Fortress City
Bourtange, the Netherlands
Bourtange is known as the fort that was never taken. Visit Groningen: Fort Bourtange
The road ran over a sandy ridge, called a “tange”. Fortress Bourtange: History of Bourtange
By 1681 the marsh around Bourtange had been completely dried out by farmers. Fortress Bourtange: History of Bourtange
Bourtange was reconstructed between 1967 and 1992. Fortress Bourtange: History of Bourtange
The United States
Fort McHenry, Baltimore
Fort McHenry in Baltimore is shaped like a five-pointed star. US National Park Service: The Star Fort (Fort McHenry) The Star Fort had five bastions and, with three guns in the ravelin, 23 guns in all. US National Park Service: The Bombardment of Fort McHenry, part 1
One NPS page says Fort McHenry was built between 1799 and 1802. US National Park Service: The Star Fort (Fort McHenry) Another NPS page says building began in 1798 and the fort was completed in 1803. US National Park Service: History of Fort McHenry
Major George Armistead had a 30 by 42 foot garrison flag raised over the fort. US National Park Service: The Bombardment of Fort McHenry, part 1
Fort McHenry is the only National Park Service site called a “Historic Shrine”. US National Park Service: History of Fort McHenry
Castillo de San Marcos, St Augustine, Florida
Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States. US National Park Service: Castillo de San Marcos National Monument The NPS calls the Castillo a prime example of the Vauban style of fortification. US National Park Service: Castillo de San Marcos, construction
The Castillo is one of only two forts in the world built of coquina, a limestone made of shells; the other is Fort Matanzas. US National Park Service: Castillo de San Marcos, construction
During an English siege the Castillo once sheltered over 1,500 people for 51 days. US National Park Service: Castillo de San Marcos, construction
Castillo de San Marcos was never captured in battle. US National Park Service: Castillo de San Marcos (article)
Japan
Goryokaku, Hakodate
Goryokaku was the first Western-style fort in Japan, completed in 1864. Japan National Tourism Organization: Goryokaku Fort Visit Hokkaido says Goryokaku was modelled on 16th-century European citadels. Visit Hokkaido: Goryokaku Fort
Visit Hokkaido calls it the 1868 Battle of Hakodate. Visit Hokkaido: Goryokaku Fort
The Hakodate Magistrate’s Office in the middle of the fort was destroyed in 1871 and reconstructed, reopening in 2010. Japan National Tourism Organization: Goryokaku Fort
Goryokaku covers about 125,500 square metres and is surrounded by a moat up to 30 metres wide and 5 metres deep. Visit Hokkaido: Goryokaku Fort
Goryokaku is famous for its cherry blossom; Visit Hokkaido says 1,600 cherry trees frame the fort. Visit Hokkaido: Goryokaku Fort
Some of these places are dated differently by different sources. More on when sources disagree.
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