Places of Interest

BRIDGETOWN
is the capital and principal commercial centre. Founded in 1628, it has a population of approximately 80,000 and is Barbados’ largest and liveliest city.

Lord Nelson's Bronze Statue

• In Bridgetown one would find Lord Nelson’s Bronze Statue - at Trafalgar Square erected in 1813, 27 years before Nelson’s column in London’s Trafalgar Square was erected.

The Public Buildings

• which house the third oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth.

The Fountain

• in Trafalgar Square - was erected to celebrate the start of piped water in Bridgetown.

The Jewish Synagogue

• located about 200 yards from Broad Street. It is believed to have been in existence since the 17th century.

Barbados Museum

• The repository of the island’s history, the Barbados Museum houses an excellent collection of furniture, glassware, birds, fish, books and other records of the island.
• The Museum is located at the Garrison in the old military detention barracks, erected in 1853. It is maintained by the Barbados Museum and Historical Society established by an Act of Parliament in 1933.

Queen's Park

• This was the residence of the General commanding the British Troops in the WestIndies. Prior to the succession of Queen Victoria it was known as “King’s House”. On the withdrawal of the British Regiment from this island during the early years of this century, it was taken over by Government and the control was vested in the then Vestry of St. Michael, and turned into a park. It was opened on the 10th June 1909. It now falls under the National Conservation Commission. In the grounds of the Park there is one of the largest trees, if not the largest in Barbados. This is a “Baobab” and is 611/2 feet - approximately 18m. - in circumference, and is estimated to be over one thousand years old. The “Baobab” is a native tree of Africa; no one knows how it ever got to Barbados.

HOLETOWN
Originally called “James Town” this is the site of the first landing made in 1625 by the crew of the ship “Olive Blossom”. A monument commemorates the landing.

Folkestone Park
An underwater park where marine life can be viewed from glass bottom boats. At the park there is also a small marine museum of photographs, artifacts and specimens of marine life.

ST. JOHN

Codrington College
An Anglican Theological College, first opened in 1745. It was bequeathed by Christopher Codrington III to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel. Students come from all over the West Indies to study in the peace and tranquility of this lovely old place. It is an architectural and historical gem.

St. John's Church
The Church stands on the edge of a cliff which affords a magnificent view of the island’s east coast. The present building is 150 years old, although there has been a church on this site from the 17th century. The tomb of Ferdinando Paellologus, a descendant of the last Greek Emperor, is situated in the graveyard.

ST. GEORGE

Gun Hill Signal Station
This is the best preserved of the signal stations. Any signal going from Cotton Tower to St. Ann’s Fort in Bridgetown had to be relayed via Gun Hill.

The Lion (Gun Hill)
       - Measuring 10 feet tall and 16 feet long, the lion was sculptured from a          single piece of rock in 1868 by a British Soldier.

CHRIST CHURCH

Oistins
On the South Coast was once the major seaport. It was here that Royalist Barbadians grudgingly pledged their allegiance to Oliver Cromwell and his Government in 1652. It is our principal fishing port and the site of a major fish festival.

ST. PHILIP

Sam Lord's Castle
25km from Bridgetown, the Castle was built by Sam Hall Lord, one of the island’s most colourful characters. It is reputed that Sam Lord placed lanterns in coconut trees to lure passing ships onto nearby reefs. The ships were then looted and the booty stored in tunnels under the Castle. Now a luxury hotel, it features beautiful grounds and carefully restored furniture and paintings.

Sunbury House
Sunbury Plantation House, which is over 300 years old, creates a vivid impression of life on a Sugar estate in the 18th and 19th centuries. The history of Sunbury Plantation House, sited in the east coast St. Philip countryside, goes back to Matthew Chapman, an Irishman, one of the first settlers in Barbados. The estate was known as Chapman's Plantation and is shown on several early maps of the island. It was eventually bought by two brothers, John Henry and George Barrow, who greatly enlarged the plantation and changed the name of the estate to Sunbury, the name of their home in England. Several decades and numerous owners later, Sunbury House was opened to the public in January, 1984. After a disastrous fire on July 24, 1995, the house was meticulously restored and re-opened to the public in August, 1996.

ST. THOMAS

Ayshford Ratiti Gardens
This small park has a fine collection of tropical birds, including macaws, and some animals including monkeys and ponies.

Harrison's Cave
Located near Welchman Hall Gully, was opened in November 1981 by the Government of Barbados. It is believed that Harrison’s Cave is the only cave in the world where running water is found along with colour crystal-like formations. The cave has large chambers, stalagmites, stalactites, lakes, streams and waterfalls.

Welchman Hall Gully
A botanical garden, owned by the National Trust. The gully is a garden of fruit, spice-bearing trees and natural caves. In one of the caves a huge pillar formed from the joining of a stalactite and stalagmite appears to hold up a rock cliff, and with a diameter of 1.2m. is among the largest in the world.

ST. PETER
Farley Hill National Park
was once the site of a beautiful mansion built by Sir Graham Briggs for the entertainment of his guest Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, when the latter visited Barbados in 1861. Other Royal visitors including Princes Albert, Victor and George, later King George V of England, were entertained there when they visited the island in 1879.

Because of its picturesque setting, Farley Hill Mansion was used in the filming of the motion picture "Island in the Sun". After its destruction by fire in 1965 the site was converted into a national park.

The gutted remains of the mansion still stand.

SPEIGHTSTOWN
the second largest town in the island. Formerly known as “Little Bristol”, because of the heavy sugar traffic with that English town. It was eventually renamed after William Speight, a member of Governor Hawley’s Parliament in 1639, on whose land it was built.

Nicholas Abbey
at Cherry Tree Hill is a fine example of Jacobean styling and is thought to be one of the only three such Plantation Great Houses of that period still standing in the Americas. Built in 1650, it is believed to be the oldest house in Barbados.

Wildlife Reserve
- opposite Farley Hill National Park, highlights Barbadian Fauna.

ST. ANDREW
Chalky Mount
(Potteries) - An old village situated on the slopes of Chalky Mount, where pottery has been made for about 300 years. The skill has been passed on from father to son.

Morgan Lewis Mill
is the last remaining windmill on the island. It still has the roundhouse, tail tree and points.

For a small fee, visitors can view the mill and its display of implements used in the manufacture of sugar many years ago. The mill is the property of the Barbados National Trust.

ST. JOSEPH
Cotton Tower
A 19th century signalling station now maintained by the Barbados National Trust as a historic site. It was one in a chain of stations set up by the British Army as part of its security system.