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Being a Penangite, I seldom explore tourist attractions in Penang. However, one morning I decided to visit the Fort Cornwallis which is the largest standing fort in Malaysia. It is located near to the Esplanade and Victoria Memorial Clock. The admission fees are RM3 for adults and RM2 for children below 12 years old.

Some photos that I took :

Other photos are at http://www.flickr.com/photos/40458759@N07/sets/72157622821139904/

Some brief history from Virtual Malaysia website :

One of the earliest structures in Pulau Pinang, Fort Cornwallis was erected in 1786, not long after he acquired Pulau Pinang for the East India Company, from the Sultan of Kedah. The site where the fort was built is actually the first place where Light disembarked from his ship in 1768. Fort Cornwallis was originally built of nibong palms, but was replaced in 1804 with a sturdier stone and brick  structure.

Although built for defense by design, throughout its existence, Fort Cornwallis served more as an administrative centre for the British, having survived without much threat of enemy attacks. Fort Cornwallis was once surrounded with a moat roughly 9m wide and 2m deep. Along the perimeters of the fort’s wall, several canon bays were strategically placed overlooking the harbour in the north and the port activities along the eastern waterfront. In the 1920’s due to a malaria outbreak in the area, the moat surrounding Fort Cornwallis was filled in.

The chapel located on the south-west corner of the fort is the first chapel ever built on Penang island and was used by the British and Europeans living there. The first-ever recorded service, however was in 1799 when John Timmers wedded Martina Rozells, the widow of Francis Light.