Golden Hill Fort

Golden Hill Fort is a former military fort, now a museum and shops, constructed between 1863 and 1872. It served as a fortified barracks, housing the garrisons of four nearby coastal batteries and providing defensive cover for them, with guns mounted on the roof. The building has a hexagonal plan and is accessed via a brick-lined tunnel and bridge spanning a ditch. It is built of red brick in English bond, with stone coping and brick dressings. The internal facades on three sides feature first-floor cambered arches containing sash windows, and ground-floor doorcases with fanlights and sash windows. Two-storey cast iron balconies are present. The remaining three sides have sash windows, some with round-headed arches. Originally, the fort accommodated 8 officers and 128 men, including a hospital. Six guns were mounted on the roof, with 40-pounder breech loaders located at each angle on iron traversing platforms, and the roof included ammunition recesses.