Following incursions by Boer forces (aided by Cape rebels) into the Cape Colony in late 1900, the British built a series of forts atop strategic mountain passes to block the movement of Boer commandos. The Montagu area was no exception; Fort Sidney is one of several fortifications built on high spots around the town to deter the Boers, who were mounting guerrilla raids on many small towns in the Cape Colony.
This fort, built in 1901, was named after Lt. Col. Sidney of the Royal Field Artillery, who was in charge of British forces stationed in the Montagu area at the time. The fort was garrisoned by a company of Gordon Highlanders, survivors of the famous battle fought a year earlier at Magersfontein near Kimberley. The soldiers were billeted in a camp at the foot of the Kalkoenkrantz on the other side of the tunnel, near the former road building camp of Thomas Bain.
Construction
Construction of the fort was supervised by a local stonemason, William Robertson. The mortared stonework formed a rectangular structure about 10m long and 4m wide. The 40cm thick walls are 2m high with a simple opening on the west end to serve as an entrance. There are 21 rifle ports built at intervals into the walls, with indications that the fort once had a roof that drained into an internal water tank.
National Monument
Because of its unique position and reasonable state of preservation, Fort Sidney was declared a national monument in 1999.
The Anglo‑Boer War
The Anglo‑Boer War broke out on October 11, 1899 and ended on May 31, 1902. It was fought between the British Empire and the independent Boer states of the Orange Free State and the Transvaal Republic.
Fort Sidney did not see any action during the war. Along with five other forts in the area, manned by members of the Montagu Town Guard, it appears to have made the Boer and rebel commandos cautious about venturing too close to the strongly defended town. Visit the Montagu museum for
more information.
