Military History on St. Kitts

Not far from Belle Mont Farm, Brimstone Hill Fortress is considered an important example of military engineering and one of the best-preserved fortifications in the Americas. The central structure, known as Fort George, or the Citadel, is the earliest surviving example of a type of military construction called the “polygonal system.” Made from local basalt, the fortress dates to 1690, when the British drove the French from the island and set up cannon to prevent their return. In its heyday, Brimstone Hill was known as “the Gibraltar of the West Indies.” In 1985, Brimstone Hill became a national park. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The views from the battlements are exceptional — some of the best in the Caribbean — and on a clear day, you will have no trouble spotting St. Barths, St. Martin and Anguilla to the north; Saba and St. Eustatius to the northwest; and Montserrat and Nevis to the southeast.