Fort William

Fort William stands on the shore at Anomabo, built by the British between 1753 and 1760 on the site of earlier Dutch and English posts, and it is among the most substantial of the smaller coastal forts, with thick walls, corner bastions and a courtyard. Anomabo was one of the busiest points on this coast for the trade in enslaved people during the eighteenth century, and the fort was built to hold that trade against European rivals. After abolition it was used as a rest house and then, for much of the twentieth century, as a prison, which is why its interior was altered and why public access came late. It is one of the components of the World Heritage inscription covering the Ghanaian forts and castles.

What you actually see

• The bastioned walls - the 1750s British structure facing the sea.
• The courtyard - the enclosure at the centre of the fort.
• Holding cells - the rooms used in the trade and later as prison cells.
• The Anomabo shore - the fishing beach the fort was built above.

When to go

November to March in the dry season for the easiest travel on the coast road. Mornings are cooler. The fort keeps daytime hours and visits are guided.

Honest expectations

Conservation is partial and parts of the structure are unstable or closed. The subject matter is the transatlantic slave trade and guides address it directly. Interpretation depends heavily on the individual guide. Facilities at the site are minimal.

Nearby

Cape Coast Castle lies west; Fort Amsterdam is east at Abandze.