Fort Burt, Road Town

Fort Burt stands on a hillside overlooking Road Town, offering a clear look into the area’s former defensive system. The exact date of its earliest construction is uncertain, though some accounts suggest that a fortification may have existed here before the British rebuilt it in 1776. At that time, it was renamed in honor of William Mathew Burt, the Governor of the Leeward Islands.

Despite its strategic position, Fort Burt never fired a shot under British command. Road Town’s defenses, combined with Tortola’s limited strategic and economic value, discouraged rival colonial powers as well as privateers and pirates from targeting the island. Over time, the fort again fell into disrepair. In 1953, Commander Christopher Hammersley and his wife purchased the property and developed what became Tortola’s first hotel.

To reach the site, climb the stairs from Sir Francis Drake Highway. At the top, the Fort Burt Hotel will be on your left. Look for the single surviving cannon displayed on the hotel veranda. The powder magazine is located near the hotel entrance, where original stonework is still visible. A few low walls and remnants of gun platforms can also be found around the hilltop.

Positioned above Road Harbour, the fort’s placement once offered a useful vantage point for observing ships approaching the bay. Today, the hotel and its restaurant allow guests to enjoy a meal on the terrace along with open views of the harbor and surrounding hills.