Fort Metal Cross

Fort Metal Cross was built by the English between 1683 and 1692 above the natural harbour at Dixcove, one of the better anchorages on this stretch of coast, and it was first called Fort Dixcove. It passed to the Dutch in 1868 in an exchange of coastal possessions, and they renamed it Fort Metalen Kruis; it returned to Britain four years later, but the name stuck as Fort Metal Cross. The structure survives well: whitewashed walls, corner bastions, cannon on the platforms and rooms around a courtyard, restored in part by a private lease arrangement in the 2000s. From the walls the view runs down over the fishing harbour where boats are built and beached. It is one of the components of the World Heritage inscription on Ghana's forts and castles.

History

The fort, originally Fort Dixcove, stands on a promontory at Infuma in Dixcove, and in 1712 John Kanu, a local ally of the Prussians at nearby Groß Friedrichsburg, besieged it twice without taking it. It served as a station for timber from the nearby forest and for repairing ships, and as a slave prison during the slave trade. In the great exchange of forts of 1868 it passed to the Dutch, who renamed it Fort Metalen Kruis, and on 6 April 1872 it returned to Britain with the whole Dutch Gold Coast, keeping the translated name Fort Metal Cross; in 1979 it became part of the World Heritage Site of Ghana's forts and castles (Wikipedia, Fort Metal Cross).

The main sights

• The whitewashed walls - the restored bastioned structure above the bay.
• Cannon platforms - the gun positions facing the anchorage.
• The courtyard rooms - the chambers around the interior.
• Dixcove harbour - the fishing bay and boatbuilding below.

When to go

November to March in the dry season. Mornings are best for light and heat. Visits are guided and the fort keeps daytime hours.

What to expect

The restoration has been partial and its history contested locally. Guiding varies in quality and depth. The road to Dixcove is rough in places. Fees and photography charges are sometimes negotiated on arrival.

Nearby

Busua beach lies a short distance east; Butre is beyond it.

Key facts