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St Kitts Overview
St. Kitts Brief History
St Kitts Cruise Port
St Kitts Cruise Ships
St Kitts Links 
St Kitts Attractions: St Kitts Caribbean Scenic Railway
St Kitts Attractions: Brimstone Hill
​St Kitts Attractions: Exploring Basseterre
St Kitts Attractions: Beaches
St Kitts Attractions: Romney Manor
St Kitts Attractions: Clay Villa Plantation
Caribbean cruise destinations

CRUISING TO THE CARIBBEAN:

ST. KITTS
ATTRACTIONS:
BRIMSTONE HILL

St Kitts Brimstone Hill

Introduction

St Kitts Brimstone HillThe gate.
Brimstone Hill Fortress is a UNESCO World 
Heritage Site and a national park.  Leaving aside its 
historical and architectural significance, it is worth a 
visit just for its spectacular views.

    The fortress sits atop a 6,000 year old volcanic done that rises 800 feet above sea level.  Its sides are steep, almost vertical in places, and alternate between bare rock and lush tropical cover.

    Seen from the sea, it is immediately apparent that 
this is an important strategic location commanding all 
that surrounds it.  Accordingly, the British first began 
to fortify the hill in 1690 and construction continued 
intermittently for nearly a century.

    Construction of the fortress was facilitated by the 
proximity of useful building materials.  The stone 
walls were cut from the volcanic dome itself.  The 
mortar that holds the stones together came from 
limestone that was displaced when the dome emerged 
from the sea.

    Nonetheless, given its height and the steepness of 
the hill, designing and building the fort must have been 
a Herculean task.  The design was done by British 
military engineers while the bulk of the construction 
labor was done by African slaves.


St Kitts Brimstone Hill
   In 1782, the fortress was besieged by 8,000 French 
troops.  Although the site seems as if it would be 
naturally impregnable, the 1,000 defenders 
surrendered after a month of siege.

    When the British regained St. Kitts by treaty in 
1783, they set to work strengthening and enhancing the 
fortress.  It came to be known as “the Gibraltar of the 
West Indies” and was never captured again.

    In the mid-19th Century, the British no longer 
perceived a threat to St. Kitts and determined that its 
troops would be better deployed elsewhere.  As a 
result, the fortress was abandoned and left to 
deteriorate.

    By the 1960s, residents of St. Kitts had become 
concerned about the state of the site and efforts were 
begun to preserve and restore it.  These efforts 
eventually led to it being declared a national park and 
a World Heritage site.

    The fort is open every day except Christmas and 
Good Friday from 9:30 to 5:30.  There is a nominal 
admission charge.
St Kitts Brimstone Hill

The Citadel

St Kitts Brimstone Hill
At the very top of the hill is the fortresses' ultimate defense position,  The Citadel  A polygonal shaped structure, its massive walls are surrounded by a dry moat dug into the peek.

On top of the battlements are numerous antique cannons. While inside the walls are administrative and storage facilities.

    But what really makes the climb worthwhile are the views from the battlements.  Not only are the views across St. Kitts coastal plain and the 
sea to the nearby island of St. Eustatius and beyond spectacular, but the view from the back of the Citadel up the mountain valley isquite scenic.   

St Kitts Brimstone Hill
St Kitts Brimstone Hill
St Kitts Brimstone Hill
St Kitts Brimstone Hill
Picture

The Bastions

The Citadel is not the only defensive position.  Immediately below it is the Prince of Wales artillery bastion.  Still further below that is yet another bastion.
St Kitts Brimstone Hill
St Kitts Brimstone Hill

Other areas

St Kitts Brimstone Hill
Left:  The Parade grounds.

Right: The Infantry Officers' Quarters.

Below and right:  The ruins of the Artillery Officers Quarters.

St Kitts Brimstone Hill
St Kitts Brimstone Hill
St Kitts Brimstone Hill
For more about cruising to St. Kitts:

Click here for our overview of St Kitts
Click here for information on the St Kitts cruise port
Click here for photos of cruise ships in St Kitts
Click here for our review of the St Kitts Scenic Railway
Click here for St Kitts beaches
Click here for Romney Manor
Click here for our page on Clay Villa Plantation
Click here for a brief history of St. Kitts
Cruise destination travel guide - St. Kitts - St. Kitts attractions - Brimstone Hill
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