Fort Good Hope

About this place

Fort Good Hope, or Fort de Goede Hoop, is a Dutch fort in Senya Beraku in Ghana's Central Region. It was the last fort the Dutch built on the Gold Coast and played a role in the gold and slave trades. It is among the forts and castles of Ghana on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979. The Dutch set up a lodge here in the 1660s but abandoned it after the British built a fort at nearby Winneba. In 1704 they asked the Queen of Agona for permission to build a fort, mainly for the gold trade with Akim. It was triangular at first, then rebuilt in 1724 in its present rectangular shape because it could not cope with the number of enslaved people. The British held it briefly from 1782, the Akim controlled it from 1811 to 1816, and it was ceded to Britain in 1868. You enter a sandy courtyard ringed by buildings of reddish-brown stone with blue shutters, an outside stair to the upper floor and plants climbing the walls. On the white ramparts stand old cannons and arched gateways, with the sea and town beyond. The wings hold halls, male and female prisons and a powder magazine. The fort lies about 41.3 km from Accra and 28.7 km from Fort Patience in a straight line. It also serves as a rest house, so stay out of occupied rooms. Treat the prison rooms with respect, as this is a place of remembrance. Bring a hat and water, since the sun is strong on the ramparts.