Types of Blockhouses

What defines a Blockhouse

A Blockhouse stands as a compact fortress strategically positioned to safeguard vital assets from potential enemy attacks. It serves as a stronghold from which residing soldiers can engage in defensive combat, protecting both the location they guard and themselves from potential harm.

During the Anglo-Boer War, the British constructed “The Blockhouses” with the primary mission of safeguarding critical military structures, including railway lines, bridges, military bases, and essential supply routes.

Elliot Wood Pattern

In the early stages of the conflict, when Boer Forces possessed artillery, stone blockhouses emerged as imposing structures. Crafted from quarried and carved stone, these large and relatively costly fortresses were named after Major General Elliot Wood, the Commanding Royal Engineer in South Africa. Taking approximately three months to build and costing around 1,000 pounds each, these blockhouses were a formidable defensive force. The initial 18 were erected between Wellington and Merriman in the former Cape Colony, with 15 still standing today, a testament to their defensive strength.

Brackport-Elliot — Brackport Station in the Karoo, an Elliot Wood pattern blockhouse, one of only three constructed from concrete, and lasting better than any others. (Photo: Simon Green)

Stormberg-Elliot — Another Elliot Wood pattern blockhouse on the railway line in the Eastern Cape at Stormberg Junction.

Rice Pattern

With the British occupation of Johannesburg and Pretoria, a shift in tactics occurred as the war continued with a mobile guerrilla campaign. Major Spring Rice, a British engineer officer based in Middelburg, designed a new blockhouse made from veld stone and curved corrugated iron sheeting. This cost-effective design, known as the Rice Pattern, allowed for quicker construction and easier transport. These smaller blockhouses, costing approximately 60 pounds each, housed a garrison of 7 soldiers, supplemented by 2-4 African guards for night sentry duty. Mass-produced in Royal Engineer factories across South Africa, these blockhouses were sent as ‘flat-pack’ kits for on-site assembly.

There was supposed to be an agreement to “not arm natives” in the conflict, however both sides did. Here we see a contingent of night guards or a Rice Pattern blockhouse entirely manned by armed “native troops” (Photo: The National Army Museum)

Varied Designs

As the war progressed, varied blockhouse designs emerged based on the availability of materials and the creativity of designers and builders. Some took on unconventional shapes, including a ‘windmill-style’ blockhouse in Noupoort, a small Medieval-like castle at Hekpoort in the Magaliesberg, and a solid square stockade in Bela-Bela. Surviving the harsh South African climate, over 100 blockhouses, each with unique designs, have endured the test of time. Some resemble old British castles with crenelated battlements, while others exhibit round, octagonal, and hexagonal structures.

By the war’s end in 1902, over 9,500 blockhouses had been constructed, showcasing the diversity in design and construction methods. Sadly, approximately 100 blockhouses have survived, withstanding the challenges of weather, repurposing, and vandalism.