The name's story
A build that took five years.
Prince Sugar Gyasi-Denteh — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joost Terrasson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joost Terrasson — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Loek Tangel — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Joost Terrasson — CC BY-SA 4.0
Fort Patience is a small Dutch-built fort in the township of Apam in Ghana's Central Region, on a craggy peninsula with a commanding view of the harbour and the Gulf of Guinea. It is among the forts and castles of Ghana on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and it takes its name from the long story of its building. It began in 1697 as a stone trading lodge, at the request of the King of Acron, who had a treaty with the Dutch. Company executives were wary of building a fort in an area with little trade and agreed only on condition of minimal cost. The Acron were unhappy and threatened to expel the Dutch unless they extended it. Building took five years, which is why it was named Fort Patience. By 1721 it had become a defensive fortification, and the British briefly captured it in 1782. It started as a small two-storey stone lodge, reinforced by the Dutch between 1701 and 1721 with two demi-bastions. Today you see weathered walls with dark wooden shutters, a rear yard and a reception room once called the Orange Hall. From the walls the view opens onto the harbour, fishing boats and coast. The fort lies about 60.8 km from Cape Coast, 69.5 km from Accra and 28.7 km from Fort Good Hope in a straight line. It once served as a police station and post office. The building is old, so take care on steps and edges. Check locally that it is open before you come.
A build that took five years.
Fishing boats and coast from the walls.
Weathered walls and dark shutters.
Apam, Central Region, Ghana
Because building took five years, amid disputes with the King of Acron over its size.
Not necessarily, so check locally before coming.