Walking_History_in_Barbados

By Brian Ramsey

In the introduction to each episode of the Star Trek series, there is the phrase "To boldly go where no man has gone before" and indeed sometimes when you are trying to find a particular place it seems that is what you are doing. At other times you want to go where other people have gone before and experience the history of the place. In Barbados there is a particular place where it is very easy to view and experience the history of this island. You can literally walk through history and on a quiet afternoon be transported back in time. This location is known as the Garrison Historic Area and it surrounds the Garrison Savannah.

The Garrison Savannah is the center of much of the sporting and recreational activity in Barbados. The island’s horse racing track is located in the Savannah and horse racing has been taking place since the middle of the 1800’s. There is a rugby field, basketball court and jogging track, all of which are extensively used on afternoons. The Savannah however is a historic location for much more than sport. On November 30th 1966, in the Garrison Savannah, the ceremony was held for the lowering of the Union Jack (British flag), and the raising of the Barbados flag, thus signaling full independence for the country of Barbados. The historical significance of the Garrison Savannah goes even further back. In 1650 Charles Fort was erected in the area and then in 1705, St. Ann’s Fort was added. The arrival of British troops in 1780 led to the establishment of the Garrison. From 1796, the Garrison area became the headquarters of the British West India Regiment and the large grassy area in the center, which is now the Garrison Savannah, was the regiment’s parade grounds. The British West India Regiment was the first British Regiment of black soldiers, and provided 132 years of service both in the British West Indies and worldwide. Being the site of a military complex, numerous buildings were constructed from the 1660’s to the 1800’s. These buildings today give the Garrison area much of its historical and architectural interest.

On any walk around the Garrison area you cannot miss seeing the numerous cannons that are located in the area. These form part of the National Cannon Collection, which constitutes the largest cluster of 17th Century English cannons in the world. Within the Barbados National Cannon Collection is an Elizabethan cannon cast in 1600, the only one known to exist. The Collection also contains one of only two cannons in existence from 1652 with Oliver Cromwell's crest.

Some of the cannons can be seen in front of the Main Guard building facing the racetrack. This elegant Georgian building from 1802 with its handsome clock tower and wide verandah is now an information centre and houses exhibits about the West Indian Regiment.

As you continue around the Savannah there are numerous 17th- to 19th-century military buildings constructed from brick brought as ballast on ships from England. There are also several memorials. One of the memorials commemorates the death of 15 persons and the destruction of the barracks and hospital in a hurricane on 18 August 1831. Another memorial outside the Barbados Museum in the northeast corner is in honour of the men of the Royal York Rangers who fell in action against the French in Martinique, Les Saintes and Guadeloupe in the 1809-10 campaign.

The Barbados Museum is housed in a compound that was formerly a military prison, and centered around a large airy courtyard with trees and flowering shrubs. The museum houses a Natural History gallery, a History Gallery with sections devoted to Amerindian artifacts, Colonial Years, Emancipation, the period leading to Independence, two small but very interesting sections on Education and Religion, Agriculture, Road making, Electricity and Bajan Architecture. Each little cubicle tells a complete story with actual implements shown and Photos from the period. There is the Warmington Gallery which is a recreation of a house interior and where you stay from outside and look through the windows. The Africa gallery which has a bright fresh clean look is not what you would expect. This gallery shows some African kingdoms and shows many of the links between Africa and our Caribbean traditions and habits. The Children Gallery is highly fascinating and even adults will enjoy it. Some parts of this gallery take you down memory lane (depending on your age).

Completing the circle of historic buildings in the Garrison Historic district is St Ann’s Fort which is still used by the Barbados Defence Force. Although you cannot enter the compound you can still observe the old drill hall and other military buildings. The outline of the original stone fort with its cannons pointing outwards cab be seen both from the Garrison side and the nearby Drill Hall Beach. The crenellated signal tower with its flag pole on top that formed the high command of a chain of signal posts around the island is also visible. .

So when next you are in Barbados, visit the Garrison Historic District and be transported back in time.

Barbados_Jewish_Museum

Barbados is not a location that one generally associates with Jews but yet in Bridgetown there is the Nidhei Israel Synagogue and Nidhei Israel Museum located appropriately on Synagogue Lane, very near the main shopping streets of James Street and Swan Street. While one may not associate Jews with Barbados, the island has a Jewish history that goes back to 1654, when Sephardic Jews came as refugees from religious persecution in Dutch Brazil. It is the arrival of these refugees that really spurred the development of the sugarcane industry in Barbados as they brought with them their knowledge of the cultivation and production of sugarcane.

While some of the Jews settled in Speightstown, most settled in Bridgetown as merchants and constructed their synagogue in 1654. The cemetery that lies just outside and almost surrounds the synagogue with its raised graves is believed to be the oldest graveyard in the Western Hemisphere with graves dating back to 1660. Some of the grave stones are inscribed in Hebrew, English and Ladino, a blend of Spanish and Hebrew spoken in the Sephardic community. The synagogue was destroyed in a hurricane in 1831 and then rebuilt, however with outward migration of the Jewish community the building fell into disrepair and eventually was sold in 1929. After multiple owners the building again fell into disrepair and in 1983 it was seized by the Barbados Government. After two years of petitioning by the small local Jewish community, the Government turned the building over to the Barbados National Trust. 

In 1986, the renovation of the building began and eventually the building was reconsecrated as a synagogue and called the Nidhei Israel Synagogue which means Synagogue of the Scattered of Israel. In 2008, the Nidhei Israel Museum was opened on the same compound. This museum depicts the history of the Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews in Barbados.

Barbados_Wildlife_Reserve_and_Grenade Hall

By Brian Ramsey

Almost every Caribbean child knows the story of the tortoise and the hare, however many have never seen a tortoise and even less have seen a hare. Well at the Barbados Wildlife Reserve you can actually see the tortoise and the hare.

 This wildlife reserve is located along the route to the east coast of Barbados in the northern parish of St Peter. It is in a natural mahogany forest across the road from the Farley Hill National Park. Here the animals are in the open in a natural environment, allowing you the opportunity to stroll through the reserve and observe them in their natural habitat. There are cages for some animals, reptiles and birds but these are few with the majority being able to roam freely. The Reserve has over 100 mammals, more than 10 different species of reptiles, and over 470 birds. Among the birds are parrots, macaws, flamingoes, peacocks, brown pelicans and sparrows. Many of these birds are in a large walk-through aviary allowing you to wander among them. In another section of the property there are collections of budgerigars and love birds. Throughout the grounds, guinea fowl wander freely. There is also a salt-water aquarium built in to the snack bar, housing an assortment of tropical fish.

Among the animals and reptiles to be seen at the wildlife reserve are Green Monkey, Red Brocket Deer, Cuban Iguanas and Red-footed Tortoise. The green monkeys found in Barbados originally came from Senegal and the Gambia in West Africa approximately 350 years ago. These are a species of the vervet monkey and it is believed that they came as pets onboard the slave ships. About 75 generations have occurred since these monkeys arrived in Barbados and, as a result of environmental differences and evolution, the Barbados monkeys today have different characteristics than those in West Africa. There are now between five thousand and seven thousand monkeys in Barbados. The top side of the fur of the vervet monkeys varies from pale yellow through grey-green brown to dark brown, while the lower portion and the hair ring around the face is whitish yellow. The face, hands, and feet are hairless and black. The fur has specks of yellow and olive green, which in some lights, give the fur an overall green appearance ... hence, the name the "Green Monkey". The monkeys at the reserve live freely, wandering through the grounds and in the adjoining Grenade Hall Forest plus among nearby plantations. They are semi-arboreal and semi-terrestrial, spending most of the day on the ground feeding but also spending time in the trees playing, feeding and grooming, and then sleeping at night in the trees. A good time for seeing these monkeys is at 2pm daily when food is laid out in the reserve and the troop converges at the feeding trays. There are however a few monkeys kept in cages so that visitors can be assured of seeing them.

Brocket Deer are a group of deer species of the Mazama genus found in South America and the Yucat?Peninsula. They are small in size and dwell primarily in forests. They have small rounded bodies, ranging from 70 to 140 cm in length, and usually have a light or dark brown coloration. Weight ranges from 8 to 30 kg. The antlers are short and are shed very infrequently. The species seen at the Barbados Wild Life Reserve are the Red Brocket (M. americana) which is the largest species of Brocket Deer, weighing up to 30 kg. It has a reddish-brown coat.

The opening hours for the reserve are 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. daily with the last admission at 4:00 p.m. A refreshment bar is open daily and a restaurant/snack bar is open Tuesday to Thursday. Your entrance fee to the Barbados Wildlife Reserve also gives you admission to the adjoining Grenade Hall Forest and Signal Station which are within walking distance of the reserve.

Within the Grenade Hall Forest there is a pathway that winds down a slight incline and through the forest. The path allows visitors to explore the diversity of trees and plants and throughout there are signs that explain the origins and medicinal properties. As you wander along the green monkeys may be seen moving overhead on the branches. If at the conclusion of your walk you are in need of refreshment, there is a snack bar at the entrance to the forest and benches for your rest before you proceed to the signal station.

The Grenade Hall signal station was originally constructed in 1819 as one of a group of signal stations used for communication across the island. These towers were constructed in strategic locations around the island on high ground and that now provides amazing views making them the perfect vantage points for appreciating the natural beauty of the island. In addition to the view however the Grenade Hall signal station provides a brief history of the military units that were stationed in Barbados.

Barbados_Lighthouses

Barbados has four lighthouses, literally on the four corners of the island and they are an interesting addition to the places to visit in Barbados. Each of these lighthouses is fairly easy to get to and each provides a magnificent view.

Harrison Point Lighthouse has been in existence since 1925 and is located at Harrison Point the most north-westerly point of Barbados in the parish of St Lucy, about 8 km (5 mi) north of Speightstown. The lighthouse rises to a height of 193 feet (59m) and stands alone on the edge of a flat plain overlooking the blue Caribbean Sea. Looking inland you see the sugar cane fields and then in the distance the land rises in a line of low hills. The road as you get close to the lighthouse has been worn with age and in parts the scrub has grown tall on the sides of the road but the road is still navigable. Close to the Harrison Point lighthouse is a compound that has gone through several uses. It has been used as temporary housing for the prison inmates who burnt down the Glendairy prison, as a base for the Barbados Youth Service and as a Police training facility. The original use of this compound however was as a United States Naval Facility. Commissioned on 1 October 1957, with a complement of about 12 officers and about 88 enlisted personnel the Naval Facility (NAVFAC) Barbados was operated by the United States Navy for twenty-two years and was officially decommissioned on 31 March 1979. On 6 July 1962, NAVFAC Barbados made the first detection of a Soviet Nuclear submarine as it crossed over the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.

Needham's Point Lighthouse is located at the south end of Carlisle Bay, southwest of the capital, Bridgetown. Built in 1855, this lighthouse is 13 m (43 ft) in height with an octagonal masonry tower with a lantern and gallery. Needham's Point Lighthouse is probably the easiest lighthouse in Barbados to visit as it is on the grounds of the Hilton Hotel directly on the beach front. The hotel has restored the lighthouse and painted its exterior.

South Point Lighthouse was the first lighthouse to be constructed in Barbados. In 1851 this lighthouse was exhibited at Londons Great Exhibition, then taken apart and transported to Barbados where it was reassembled and installed in 1852. South Point Lighthouse rises to a height of 189 feet and is a landmark, with its red and white horizontal bands, that is easily spotted from many points along the south coast of the island. Located in the residential district of Atlantic Shores, just to the east of Miami Beach in Oistins.

The East Point Lighthouse is located at Ragged Point which is about 2 km (1.2 miles) northwest of East Point, the easternmost point of Barbados. Built in 1875 to a height of 213 feet (65 meters) it is situated on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic ocean. From the grounds around the East Point lighthouse there is a magnificent view of the Atlantic ocean and the cliffs of the east coast.

One of the nice aspects of Barbados lighthouses is that it is easy to combine a visit to the South Point and Ragged Point lighthouses, in fact you can visit all four in one day.

Welchman_Hall_Gully

Welchman Hall Gully is one of the interesting attractions in Barbados and provides an opportunity to take a walk through nature while learning about the flora and geology of Barbados. Welchman Hall Gully was once part of a plantation owned by a Welshman called General William Asygell Williams over 200 years ago. Hence the name Welchman Hall gully. It was General Williams who first developed the gully with exotic trees and an orchard. In 1962, the Barbados National Trust bought the gully as their first property purchase.

Welchman Hall Gully is located 885 feet (270 meters) above sea level and is 3/4 mile long, divided into 6 sections. The walkway through the gully is paved and shaded by the many trees that grow in the area. There is a small fee for entry into the gully and a guidebook can be purchased at the entrance that highlights over 50 plants and features in the gully. As you walk through the area you will observe that there are signs on many of the trees making them easy to identify and the guidebook has good descriptions of the plants and their uses. One section in the gully is called Nutmeg Walk and is the only nutmeg grove is Barbados with many of the trees believed to be over 100 years old. The Gully has specimens of the three species of palms that are native to Barbados plus other palms that were introduced to the island.

Welchman Hall Gully is believed to have originally been an underground cave and the roof of the cave collapsed creating the gully. It is thought to have once been part of the Harrison's Cave complex before the roof collapse. While strolling through the gully you can still see many interesting stalactites and stalagmites. Two troupes of Green Monkeys inhabit the area around the gully and at feeding time descend to a feeding station that has been created so that visitors can view them.

Welchman Hall Gully is located near the centre of Barbados, in the parish of St. Thomas and is a ten-minute drive along Highway 2 going north from Everton Weeks Roundabout located on the ABC Highway in Warrens. Once on Highway 2 it is fairly easy to find the Gully as you simply have to follow the signs along the road pointing to either Harrison's Cave or Welchman Hall Gully as the gully is close to Harrison's Cave. This route will bring you to the southern end of the gully.

Dover Beach is on the south coast of Barbados at the eastern end of St Lawrence Gap. The Gap as it is simply called is an entertainment hot spot that comes alive at night. There are Bars, restaurants, roadside food stalls, hotels and convenience stores. Lower down the Gap is the quieter side of St Lawrence Gap. There are still bars along this eastern side but they are interspersed among hotels, condominiums and other businesses and these bars tend to have smaller less noisy crowds. The quieter side begins at the football field opposite which is a public beach facility. At the beach there are water sports, beach chair rentals, toilets, showers, concessionaires selling drinks, snacks and food.

To learn about the other islands in the Caribbean, visit our Island Adventures Page