Fort Albert is one of the least known – and perhaps least findable – Forts in Bermuda.
Perched on top of a hill in St. George’s Parish, Fort Albert is only seen from the ocean. Granted it was situated there to protect the North Channel, so being seen from the landside is probably unnecessary. In other words, place a map in front of most people and they would be hard-pressed to pinpoint it.
The Fort was built in 1842-3 and named after Prince Albert (1819-1861), known to his friends as Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (one of the famous Royal Houses of Europe). Prince Albert, however, was better known as husband to Queen Victoria (1819-1901) and referred to as Consort of the Queen. They married in 1840.
The Fort’s location was to protect Fort St. Catherine a few hundred yards to the west. Originally the Fort had 7 guns facing out to sea – 32-pounders – with a range of some 1.5 miles, later replaced with 24-pounders – more than enough to protect the waters inside the coral reef.
The Fort was manned by various British Army regiments over the years.
The Royal Artillery handled the operations of the guns and ammunition, while the Royal Engineers built and maintained the Fort. Various regiments served as defensive ground troops -such as the Royal Marines.
One of the intriguing features of the Fort is the complexity of its underground tunnels.
The labyrinth of tunnels protected the Fort’s troops when on duty. Incoming gunfire could have been devastating at such close range, so taking cover was critical.
The tunnels allowed the troops to move from one gun placement to another easily and safely – and to communicate with each other.
The gunpowder and shells of the Fort were kept underground – allowing easy access from storage to usage up top. They were raised to the surface through “tubes” inside the concrete walls in a pulley system. The security and protection of the ammunition were tightly controlled, including removing heavy boots and loose clothing, before entering the shell storage rooms. Any slip-up below ground could easily cause a devastating blow-up above ground.
The tunnels also provided escape routes from an incoming attack, through a maze of underground-to-surface tunnels, allowing the troops to depart the Fort safely.
On a hot and humid day on the surface, meandering through the underground tunnels was very comfortable due to adequate ventilation. Hence, living underground for several days would not have been a serious issue, even in thick, heavy soldier uniforms.
Due to the twists and turns of the tunnels, when you visit Fort Albert nowadays, it would be advisable to take a flashlight and a long rope. Getting lost inside the tunnels is almost inevitable. The further you go, the more rope you need.
Around the base of the Fort is a moat (or “trench” – more commonly used because it was never filled with water) that encircles the entire structure and is over 30 feet deep.
Most of the stone carved out of the moat was used to build the Fort itself. While it is not easily accessible, it is an amazing feature of the Fort to look down upon.
Over the last few years, the St. George’s Foundation has done significant restoration work, through commendable leadership and volunteer efforts. As part of the UNESCO World Heritage site of St. George’s, Fort Albert is a wonderful example of times past.
And in case, it’s still hard to figure out where Fort Albert is located, stand at the front of the St. Regis Hotel looking out to sea, and look up to the right. Albert will be looking down on you.
