Fort Anne at Annapolis Royal

We spent a couple of days in the Annapolis Royal area exploring the sights.  Annapolis Royal was first known as Port Royal and was renamed in honor of Queen Anne after the Siege of Port Royal in 1710 by the British.  It was the capital of Acadia (later Nova Scotia) until the city of Halifax was founded in 1749.  Fort Anne was built to protect Annapolis Royal.  One evening, after dinner at a quaint little German restaurant, Jeff and I wandered thru this historic area.

Officers’ Quarters

The most preserved building on the site was the officers’ quarters.  This would have been the sleeping and living quarters for the officers who manned the fort back during its active days.  Unfortunately, it was too late in the day for us to take a look around inside.

Black Powder Storage

Located a safe distance away from the officers’ quarters was a building used to store the black powder used in the weaponry of the day.  It is the only building to survive from the original time when the French ruled this area.  

Inside the Black Powder Storage

This building was open and Jeff and I couldn’t help but explore it.  As we entered the one room building, there were barrels on the one wall, representing the manner in which the black powder had been stored.  In order to keep the powder dry enough to be used, there were vents located throughout the walls of the building.  On the other wall, it is left open to allow people to see them.  You can see one of them on the far right in the image on the right.  Another type of vent is the long narrow one that runs from ceiling to floor.  These are also located behind the barrels, but aren’t able to be seen.

Outside Black Powder Storage

There was also a small walkway that ran around the building.  This covered open area allowed for the air circulation to enter and leave the vents in the walls.  You can also see the door to the building.  It was interesting how most of the building was below ground.  I’m supposing that was for a couple of reasons – to maintain a constant temperature and to have a lower profile to make it a more difficult target for enemies.

Cemetery at Fort Anne

Located to one side was a cemetery where the remains of those who fought at the Fort were laid to rest.  It was an area that was quite pretty and peaceful.  Altho in one of the images, the headstones are all lined up in an organized manner.  However, this organization was always applied, as you can see in the second image where someone was laid to rest at the foot of a very lovely tree.

Enjoy!