Fort Rodney - Pigeon Island, Saint Lucia
N 14° 05.484 W 060° 57.980
20P E 719571 N 1558783
Fort Rodney was built between 1779 and 1782 on Pigeon Island in the northern part of Saint Lucia by Admiral George Rodney, a British naval officer.
Waymark Code: WM181EN
Location: Saint Lucia
Date Posted: 05/09/2023
Views: 0
From the historical marker at the fort:
Fort Rodney1778
Pigeon Island, only some 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of the French base at Fort Royal, Martinique, had long been recognized by the British Admiral Rodney as an important observation and defensive site. In 1780 he wrote
”…this is the post the Governor of Martinique had set his eye on and if possessed by the enemy would deprive us of the best anchorage place in these islands and from which Martinique is always attackable…”
Fort Rodney was built in 1778 with an armament of three 24-pounders and two eleven and a half inch mortars. The cannons sat on timbers on the cobblestone platform, and the platform also served as a water catchment as you can see by the little drain around the walls that runs into the well. Water was used on the gun platform to swab the hot cannons and to remove gunpowder that did not ignite. For drinking, the water was filtered through a 3-gallon limestone filter. Next to the well you can see the powder magazine, a cool underground chamber where the gunpowder was kept.
Look for St. Lucia and the Pitons to the south-east, and on a clear day, Martinique to the north.
Pigeon Island is one of the Caribbeans most historic landmarks and certainly one of the most beautiful spots in St. Lucia. While Pigeon Islands rich history dates back to pre Columbian times, it is most famous for its role in the 1782 Battle of the Saints. For it was from Pigeon Island that Admiral Rodney monitored Fort Royal in Martinique and set sail to intercept the French troops; fortuitously preventing their rendezvous with the Spanish and saving Jamaica for the British Empire. Pigeon Island is 44 acres of sloping grasslands, dry tropical forests, beaches and twin peaks. It is connected to the mainland by a causeway and is surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. It has been restored by the St. Lucia National Trust as a National Landmark, encompassing all aspects of its rich heritage, for the educational, cultural and recreational needs of all. Pigeon Island is eight hundred and fifty meters long and about four hundred meters wide, with an area just over forty acres. The predominantly features are the twp peaks, joined by a saddle, with a spur to the North East running into the sea. The French declare war on the English in 1778 as their part in assisting the cause of America War of Independence. The English then attack St. Lucia in one of the most successful Naval and Military engagements in December 1778, at the Battle of Cul-de Sac. The English, having captured St. Lucia from the French, established a Naval base at Gros-Islet Bay and heavily fortified Pigeon Island. After the Spanish fleet sailed for Havana, and the French for France, Rodney took the English fleet to the coast of North America leaving Commodore Hothom with a small squadron at Pigeon Island. On the 11th and 12th of October, the most destructive hurricane ever recorded in the West Indies crippled the English fleet at Pigeon Island and Carenage Bay. The H.M.S. Thunder (74 guns) and Beavers Prize (18 guns) were lost with all hands, the H.M.S. Vengeance (74 guns), the St.Vincent Snow (14 guns), the Blache (32 guns), the Chamelions (14 guns) and the Brune (32 guns), were all badly damaged at Carenage or Gros-Islet. In December, however Rodney arrived with re-enforcements.-
Fort Rodney