Temporary Closure Notice – Fort Duvernette
The St. Vincent and the Grenadines National Trust wishes to inform the public that Fort Duvernette is currently closed to the public due to safety concerns. After a thorough assessment, the site has been determined to present hazards to its users.
We urge everyone to adhere to this closure and avoid attempting to visit the fort during this period.
Persons choosing to conduct business with unauthorized operators will do so at their own risk. The National Trust continues to be committed to preserving the safety of our national heritage sites.
Also known as Rock Fort, this site towers over Calliaqua Bay and Indian Bay. Its guns sit on a 190ft volcanic plug which sticks out of the sea on the Windward side of St Vincent. The fort was built to protect the colonial hub of Calliaqua where sugar was loaded onto ships bound for English ports.
There is a staircase which snakes up the rocky outcrop to two gun decks, with original cannon from the reigns of George II and George III. The site has a rich natural heritage too, with lush flora clinging to Fort Duvernette. The Royal Marines who might have once been seen guarding Fort Duvernette wore red coats which earned them the nickname ‘lobsters’.
Today the lobsters have been replaced by beautiful sea birds such as Ramie Pigeons, Blue Herons and Sea Hawks. The waters surrounding the fort are home to White Sea-Orchids and seagrass.
