Dry Moat

"Just as the English troops landed, a fast-riding Spanish patrol stampeded 163 head of cattle through the English lines and in a spectacular show drove the animals into the fort moat." - Governor Zúñiga, November 9, 1702

 

Artist rendering of the Castillo de San Marcos in 1695.  During times of attack, the residents of Saint Augustine often placed their livestock in the dry moat for protection from the enemy.

NPS

Why is there no water in the Moat?

When most people hear the word "Moat," they are thinking of castles of Europe. Many imagine tall, imposing stone structures with battlements, towers, and a drawbridge needed to cross a wide, water-filled ditch.

Well, Castillo de San Marcos has all of those features, except the water. Our moat was originally designed by the Spanish engineers to serve as a deep, wide ditch, and yes, not just one but two drawbridges were needed to enter the fortress. However, designers of the fortress chose to keep this moat dry. During times of attack, not only the townspeople but also the livestock evacuated to the fortress for protection. Townspeople sheltered inside the fortress while the lifestock grazed within the dry moat. The combination of the tall fortress walls and glacis hillside surrounding the exterior protected these animals from enemy attack, thus allowing the food supply for the residents of Saint Augustine to stay safe.

 

Aerial photo of the fortress with water in the moat

NPS

Yes, the National Park Service did allow water in the moat for a time.

If you visited the Castillo between 1938 and 1996, you would have seen a water-filled moat surrounding the fortress. For many years, modifications were made to the fortress seawall and grounds to allow the moat to stay filled with water. Modifying floodgates built by the U.S. Army meant for temporary flooding, the National Park Service filled the moat for nearly 60 years. However, maintaining the wet moat and the fragile coquina foundations became a challenge. Masonry repair projects were frequently required, as the water was causing constant erosion to the historic structure. By 1996, the National Park Service chose to remove the water to better focus on the preservation of the historic structure and to represent the dry moat as it was originally intended.

 

Workers are shoveling dirt into the back of a pickup truck

NPS

In the 1930s, workers removed several feet of dirt from the dry moat to allow the area to hold water. This project also exposed the fort's foundations, which led to later erosion problems

 

Workers are installing a drainpipe around the fortress to help keep standing water away from the historic coquina walls

NPS

In the 1990s, the moat was drained and fill dirt was added to protect the historic foundations. A drainage system was also installed to more quickly direct accumulated rain water away from the fortress.