Fort Knokke (Fort De Knokke ) formed one of the original fortifications on the Lines running from Cape Town Castle up to the foothills of Table Mountain. Fort Knokke was the point at which the defence line turned inland from the coastal batteries.
Construction of Fort Knokke commenced in 1743, and it was a square fortification with four bastions. Initially armed with by the Dutch with three 18-pdr SB guns to cover the anchorage. The French had three 36-pdr guns here in 1782 and the British mounted two 24-pdr guns in 1796.
In 1883 Fort Knokke mounted one 7-inch RML gun and one 64-pdr RML gun. Between 1888 and 1889 the British revised the old masonry and earthwork Fort Knokke. Two gun pits for 7-inch RML guns were completed by 1889 or 1890. A photograph held by the Cape Archives shows the two gun pits with a Battery Command Post between then and expense magazines in the traverses.
By 1891 the two 7-inch RML guns had been moved to Lion Battery. The Fort then became part of the stores depot for Cape Town. The fort partially demolished and the surround land used for military barracks and administrative buildings.
Plans from 1901 shown the inside of the Fort is used for the storage of shells, fuze tubes and items for the Quick Fire guns. Use is made of the expenses magazine for the two remaining gun emplacements. The wall of the Fort facing the harbour has been demolished. (TNA WO 78/2719).
By 1926 Fort Knokke was completely demolished.
The image shows one of the 7-inch RML guns at Lion Battery that was originally in Fort Knokke.