Castle Hill, National historic site in Placentia, Canada
Castle Hill is a national historic site in Placentia, Newfoundland, featuring a starfort on a hilltop overlooking the bay. The site includes stone walls, cannon platforms, and buildings that showcase 17th-century military construction methods.
The French built the fortification in 1687 as part of their regional defense system. After the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, the site changed hands between French and British control before becoming permanently British.
The site bears traces of both French and British occupation visible in its structures and fortifications today. These layers tell the story of how different powers shaped the same place over time.
The hilltop is accessible by walking paths and stairs with viewpoints overlooking the bay and town below. Interpretive signs and reconstructed areas help you understand the original layout and purpose of the fortification.
The fortification was among the easternmost starforts built on the North American continent, with elements from the 1690s still preserved today. These early defenses reveal French engineering techniques that influenced military construction across the region.
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