Fort Frederick

Fort Frederick in Port Elizabeth (Gqeberha), South Africa, holds the distinction of being the first stone structure built by the British in southern Africa. Constructed in 1799 on a strategic bluff above the Baakens River mouth, the fort was built in response to fears of a French naval attack in the aftermath of the Cape Colony's first British occupation — fears that proved entirely unfounded.

The fort was never attacked, never fired a shot in anger, and was quietly decommissioned as a military installation by 1812. It served subsequently as a prison, a weather station, and a storage depot before being declared a national monument in 1936.

The fort's preservation is now managed by South African National Parks, and its commanding position offers one of the finest views over Algoa Bay.