HOUTBAY

Inlet on the west coast of the Cape Peninsula. Derived from the Dutch “Hout Baaij”, the name means “wood bay” because of the forests encountered there. Although said by some authorities to have been named on 11 July 1653, it was mentioned as ‘t Hout-Baijken’, ‘little wood bay’ in Van Riebeeck’s diary on 31 December 1652.  Now an important fishing centre. The form Houtbaai is preferred for official purposes.
Eastern Battery and Blockhouse
Eastern Battery and Blockhouse, Chapman’s Peak Drive – Also known as Sluysken as the Dutch named it in 1793. It was originally constructed between 1782-1783 by the French Pondicherry Regiment. In 1796 after the British took over, Craig had a blockhouse built. Included are a barracks built in 1797 and cannon. In 1827 all fortifications were dismantled.  Declared a national monument on 17 April 1936. It received Provincial Heritage site status in April 2000.
Western battery
Western battery, foot of Hangberg near harbour– in 1780 the Netherlands declared war against England. The French in alliance with Netherlands landed a garrison at the Cape. A French regiment, the Pondicherry regiment was to lay down a battery of 20 pieces of cannon on the western side of Hout Bay in May 1781. Most of the cannon were taken from ships. By 1804 this battery was named Zoutman. In 1827 all fortifications were dismantled. Some of the trunnions of the original canon bear dates between 1756 and 1759. Declared a national monument on 31 March 1939