Fort St George

The East India Company bought a strip of coast in 1639 and completed a fort here in 1644, the first English fortress in India, and the settlement that grew around it became Madras and then Chennai, so the city dates its founding from this. St Mary's Church inside, consecrated in 1680, is the oldest surviving Anglican church east of Suez, with tombstones older than the building set into its floors and walls; Robert Clive was married in it. The fort museum holds Company-period portraits, weapons, coins and uniforms. Much of the compound is now the Tamil Nadu secretariat and legislative assembly, so access is limited.

History

The East India Company, which had begun trading at Surat, wanted a port closer to the Strait of Malacca, and in 1639 Francis Day negotiated with the ruler of Chandragiri for land on this coast. The fort was completed on 23 April 1644, St George's Day, at a cost of £3,000, and it soon became a hub of trade, with George Town growing beside it; the French held it from 1746 to 1749, before it was returned to Britain under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (Wikipedia, Fort St. George).

The main sights

• St Mary's Church - the 1680 church with older tombstones in its floors.
• The fort museum - Company-era portraits, coins, weapons and uniforms.
• The ramparts - surviving walls and the flagstaff on the seaward side.
• The working government buildings - the state secretariat inside the compound.

When to go

November to February for the coolest weather; the museum closes on Fridays. Security at the gates can be slow as the compound houses government offices.

What to expect

Much of the fort is a working government complex and closed to visitors, with photography restricted in parts. The museum is small. Security checks are required at entry.

Nearby

Marina Beach lies south; the high court is nearby.

Key facts