It is located near Jufureh in the North Bank Division and an arch stands on the beach connecting the two places.

The French exclave was never very large (never more than one factory) but its location was inconvenient for the British, who otherwise had a monopoly on trade on the Gambia River.

There was constant tension and occasional skirmishes between the two powers, with Fort James changing hands between them several times.

[3] In 1816, however, the British returned, establishing Bathurst on St Mary's island at the mouth of the river.

[5] There is a family in the town who claim to be descendants of Kunta Kinte and oral historian Kebba Kanji Fofana, the man who was supposed to have told the Roots story to author Alex Haley, although the home of Kunta Kinte was the neighbouring village of Juffure.