Antigua and Barbuda / Special Interests / Historical Sites

Antigua has some of the best visible history of the Caribbean islands. Its rich past as a key maritime power has left the island with a legacy of forts and, most notably, Nelson’s Dockyard – the world’s only working Georgian dockyard. Ruined sugar mills across the island are testament to the sugar cane plantations that once covered the land, and now best displayed at the island’s only working plantation Betty’s Hope, a partially restored facility that is now a tourist attraction.
As a former British colony, there are many historic churches and places of worship - the most notable of which is St John’s Cathedral, dating from 1702, which stands proudly overlooking the capital. St John’s itself still contains some of the older traditional “shirt and skirt” buildings, while a number of excellently conserved buildings, now shops and restaurants, can be found at Redcliffe Quay.

St John's

St John's Cathedral – Cathedral of St John the Divine, Newgate Street - Antigua’s cathedral stands high above the city, an imposing stone building with twin silvery towers. The first church on the site of the cathedral was built in 1683, a wooden building, but this stone structure was erected in 1745 shortly before it was given the status of cathedral. It was then rebuilt in 1847 and consecrated as a Cathedral and Parish Church of St John on 25 July 1848. Both times the destruction was caused by earthquakes and so after the last rebuild the interior of the cathedral was clad in pitch pine in order to make it safer for the parishioners. The organ, which is encased in beautifully carved mahogany, was built in 1848 by JW Walker & Sons from England, and is the oldest remaining example of their early three-manual organs. The High Altar, also built of mahogany, was built in 1926 and features a pair of silver candlesticks dating back to 1704.

Around the Island

St Peter’s Anglican Church, Parham - Located in the island’s earliest British settlement, this striking looking church is said to be one of the finest of its kind. It was built in the 1840s and has an unusual octagonal shape and was designed by the British architect Thomas Weekes. The original wooden church dates back to 1711 and was destroyed by fire, and its replacement taken down in 1754.

Betty’s Hope (Sugar Plantation), Pares - Betty’s Hope is a former sugar plantation which has been partly restored. The former cotton house of the estate has been converted into a museum, where you can see the story of the estate and some old estate plans and maps. Once Antigua was dotted with windmills. As the last of them are steadily disappearing and falling into disrepair, one of the two at Betty’s Hope is being restored. Sails have been added and its crushing gear brought to working order.

St George’s Anglican Church, Fitches Creek - A lovely setting with sweeping views over Fitches Creek Bay. Originating in 1687 it was rebuilt in 1735.

English Harbour

This is the area of the island that was the seat of British naval power in the region in the 1700s and the area is dotted with fortresses, barracks and other military buildings, from small redoubts and embrasures to massive deodands (fortified villages) of land ditch defence. Above English Harbour, a superb, secluded and once highly-fortified twisting inlet is Shirley Heights, a huge number of impressive stone Georgian barrack buildings. Once so functional, their hefty square columns topped by chunky curved arches seem beautiful now. Some of the buildings have been restored but others are still in disrepair.

Falmouth Harbour  - This is a huge stretch of water to the west of English Harbour, which over the past few years has gradually taken over from English Harbour as the centre of sailing, with facilities including marinas and chandlers, as well as the spectacular sailing and mega yachts that they serve. Thought to have been the site of the first town in Antigua, its shores are now quite developed with places to stay and marine businesses. On the hilltop above the town you will see the massive Monks Hill Fort, to which livestock and people could withdraw in times of attack.

Shirley Heights - A whole complex of Georgian military buildings above English Harbour, is named after Sir Thomas Shirley, the governor of the Leeward Islands in the early 1780s who commissioned them. They were so formidable that once they were built there was no point attacking the island again. As you head up the hill the first buildings you come to, Dow’s Hill, contain an interpretation centre that explains the history of both Antigua and of course Shirley Heights itself. There is a 15-minute film in addition to the signboards and descriptions.

Continue on a curved ridge, off which there are many different barracks and military buildings including the Royal Artillery Quarters and the Blockhouse, where there are the remains of barracks and stables, plus cisterns for water-collection. Fort Shirley is farther along the ridge, overlooking the Dockyard and naval buildings in English Harbour. The last of the fortifications, once a gun emplacement, is the Lookout, which hangs 500 feet above the harbour and has a fantastic view over its harbour entrance, the hotels, the Dockyard and beyond it Falmouth Harbour. It was also from here that communications for the region were centred, by mirror flashing during the day and by coloured lanterns at night. But for all their strategic importance and Georgian grandeur, it is for a different reason that the Lookout is the area’s most famous building. It is the site of the famous weekly party held here on Sunday afternoons, an afternoon jamboree that runs to sunset and beyond.

Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour - The heartland of the whole naval and military area is Nelson’s Dockyard, a ship-repair and refitting station from 250 years ago. Set on a point in a deep, tight harbour, it is a small cluster of Georgian wooden or brick and stone buildings, Nelson’s Dockyard is the only restored naval dockyard of its era in the world. Although there is an atmosphere of a former age, it is still a working sailing base, so it has a living feel as well as a historical one. In some cases the buildings even have quite similar uses to their original use, though the two hotels are considerably more comfortable than the original dormitories. The restoration was undertaken by the Friends of English Harbour starting in 1951. It is now administered by the National Parks Authority of Antigua.

The Dockyard takes its name from Britain’s most famous admiral, Lord Horatio Nelson, who was stationed here as a young captain. The West Indies was a hardship posting at that time (there was certainly no ice for your drink, and naval life was a pretty brutal affair altogether). His job was a thankless one too. The American colonies had recently won their independence, which meant that traditional trading routes between the Caribbean islands and the former American colonies had been declared illegal. As captain of HMS Boreas, it was Nelson’s job to enforce the Navigation Act, which banned the trade, much to the annoyance of the islanders.

Other buildings within Nelson’s Dockyard include the Galley, now the Galley Bar, the Pay Office, now a small store, the Officer’s Quarters, shops and a restaurant, the Copper and Lumber Store, a hotel, the capstan house (now uncovered, though the huge capstans are still there) and other store houses that still function as working buildings and storehouses for the yachting industry.

If you would like to stay within the historic area of the Dockyard, try the Admiral's Inn, the former engineer’s office and storerooms (now fitted out rather more comfortably!).

Clarence House, English Harbour - Clarence House sits on the hillside across the water from the Dockyard. It was built in 1806, a beautiful Georgian Caribbean house with stone walls (the intended wood didn’t arrive to build it), verandas, wooden interior floors and antique furniture. It is currently closed to the public as it has not been restored since it was damaged during a hurricane.

Forts around Antigua

At one point there was a fort or redoubt every mile-and-a-half around the shores of Antigua. A cannon shot could carry about half that distance and so every inch of the coastline was covered. And then there were all the barrack buildings, storehouses and administrative offices. Many of them are in disrepair, but in some ways this makes it all the more interesting. Antigua is a fantastic place for an amateur (or professional) historian.

In addition to those mentioned above, forts that you can visit include Fort James, at the northern mouth of St John’s Harbour on the west coast; Fort Barrington on the southern side; Fort Berkeley at the mouth of English Harbour; Fort Charles, which is located on an island in Falmouth Harbour; and Fort George, otherwise known as Monk’s Hill, above Falmouth Harbour.
 
Non-profit organisations and Government links:

Nelson’s Dockyard, Dows Hill and Shirley Heights, c/o National Parks Authority, Nelson's Dockyard National Parks, Nelson’s Dockyard, English Harbour, St Paul, t 481 5021 | natpark@candw.ag | www.nationalparksantigua.com

Contributions: Deana Bellamy