Fort Patience

Fort Patience, Lijdzaamheid in Dutch, was begun at Apam in 1697 as a stone trading lodge, and the Dutch, building it at minimal cost while the local king pressed them for stronger walls, took five years to finish it, which is how it got its name. It stands on the headland above the town looking down on one of the busier fishing harbours on the Central Region coast, where large numbers of painted canoes work from the beach. The fort is a simple square with bastions and a courtyard, and like the others in the group it served the gold trade and then the trade in enslaved people before passing to Britain in 1868. It was later used as a rest house. It is part of the World Heritage inscription covering the forts and castles of the Ghanaian coast.

History

The Dutch first built a stone trading lodge at Apam in 1697 at the request of the King of Acron, their treaty partner between the Fante and Agona, who were allied with the British; the Dutch West India Company agreed only if it cost little, the Acron kept threatening to expel them unless they strengthened it, and it took five years to finish, hence the name Fort Patience, Lijdzaamheid. By 1721 the lodge had become a defensive fort on a craggy peninsula overlooking Apam's harbour and the Gulf of Guinea, and early in 1782, in the Fourth Anglo-Dutch War, the British captain Thomas Shirley captured it with other Dutch forts on the coast (Wikipedia, Fort Patience).

What to look for

• The hilltop fort - the square Dutch structure above the town.
• Apam harbour - the canoe fleet and beach below the headland.
• Bastions and courtyard - the surviving defensive layout.
• The coastal view - the shoreline from the fort walls.

When to go

November to March for the dry season. Early morning is when the fishing fleet lands and the harbour below is at its most active. Visits are guided by a caretaker.

Practical notes

The fort is in modest condition with limited conservation. Interpretation depends on the caretaker being present. The climb up from the town is steep. Facilities are minimal.

Nearby

Senya Beraku lies east; Winneba is northeast along the coast.

Key facts