FARLEY HILL PLANTATION HOUSE
,
GEORGE WASHINGTON HOUSE
George Washington, later to become the 1st
President of the United States of America, visited Barbados in 1751 and
spent about two months. Barbados was the only country he ever visited
outside colonial America. This fact alone should make a tour of George
Washington House, the place where he stayed while in Barbados, a must-do
activity for all visitors from the USA.
The House, now appropriately under the control of the Barbados National
Trust, is also of interest to other visitors, including Barbadians, as it
gives useful insights into life as it was in the Barbados of 250 years ago.
The ground floor of the building is furnished in the manner in which it
might have been in 1751. On display are such basic items as a four poster
bed with a rather lumpy mattress surrounded with mosquito netting very much
needed then as protection against these little pests, a small face basin and
ewer in one corner and, under the bed, the very necessary chamber pot since
at that time there were no indoor bathroom facilities. Other rooms display
different requirements for “civilised” living – chairs of various kinds, a
marble table top on which to place hot dishes, and various items of crockery
and cutlery, some recovered from the nearby gully.
The House provides interesting insights into the ways in which people of
that day made the best of circumstances and were quite imaginative in
“making do”, as we today would think of it, with what was available. For
example ice was not available so wine bottles were kept reasonably cool in
two rooms so situated as to benefit from an almost steady breeze.
Interesting, as well, was the means used both to filter water and to keep it
cool. Water was poured into a stone jar and because of the vessel’s porosity
the water gradually dripped into another similar jar below it and from this
into yet a third jar below the second one. As a result, impurities in the
water were filtered out and as some of the water evaporated it absorbed
warmth (heat) from the containing vessels and thus cooled the main body of
water.
The second floor of the building is devoted entirely to displays of items
typical of life in the mid-eighteenth century, and the items are richly
described with both visual and audio aids. On display are some medical
appliances of the time – pharmaceutical bottles, thumb lancets and cupping
glasses which “were heated to create suction to draw blood to the skin’s
surface.” An interesting item is a reminder that Washington contracted small
pox, a deadly disease that was rampant at that time and quite frequently
resulted in death to those who contracted it, so Washington was fortunate in
having the doctor who tended to him and who helped restore him to health. According to the
record he was successfully treated by a Dr. Lanaham “a third-generation
Barbadian” who was “a practitioner of "physick and surgery,” and the note
adds the thought-provoking comment by historian Eustace Shilstone that “The
course of the nation and perhaps of the whole world may have been changed if
the doctor had been less skilful and attentive; a theme which needs no
elaboration.”
Other artifacts on display remind present day visitors of the existence of
slavery at the time Washington came to Barbados for on view are such
things as spiked manacles, manacle and chain and barbed-neck collars “used
as a form of restraint/punishment.” Also displayed are agricultural
implements like sickle, cane bill and hoe as well as other items found by
archaeologists in digs close to Bush House, as Washington House was
previously known. These include stoneware, porcelain bowl, buttons, buckle,
glass beads “probably used by slaves,” pipe bowls, grape shot (cannon
balls), gun flints, musket balls, bottle fragments and earthenware chamber
pots. All these constitute a treasure trove helping to shed light on the
Barbados which Washington visited.
George Washington did seek to free his own
slaves but, according to the information presented, he and his wife together
owned some 300 slaves and “It would have cost nearly £6,000 to free them
all. However, his plantations made only £900 a year.” So, as the display
puts it, “the question of slavery was left to another generation to
resolve.”
George Washington House is most certainly worth a visit by all, Barbadians
included. Check
Website
for admission costs.
MORGAN LEWIS WINDMILL MOUNT GAY DISTILLERY
For a small fee, visitors can view the Morgan Lewis Windmill, which is the only functional sugar cane windmill in the Caribbean used in the manufacture of sugar many years ago. There are only two working wind mills in the whole Caribbean; this one and one in Antigua. The mill is the property of the Barbados National Trust.
Mount Gay Distillery,
with over 300 years of history to it, is the oldest rum-tasting
distillery on the island.
Upon arrival at the center, visitors are welcomed
in a very attractive chattel house reception area. The tour begins
as guests are escorted into an air-conditioned theatre, cleverly designed to
resemble a traditional Barbadian rum shop. There, you discover the colorful
history of Mount Gay Rum with a spectacular audiovisual show. This twelve
minute presentation is followed by an informative explanation and tour which
covers all the different processes and stages of making rum, including
refining, aging, blending and bottling. Production at Mount Gay is
particularly interesting, because Mount Gay Distilleries has adhered to many
of the old, traditional methods of making rum.
Regular guided tours with tastings are
offered every half-hour, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday
(US$7 adults).
The regular tour lasts between thirty and forty minutes, depending on the curiosity
of visitors, and concludes at the coral-stone centre situated in a beautiful
garden setting. There, one of the friendly barmen will invite you to indulge
in a "tasting"-- (a couple shots of rum) sharing tips on how to fully appreciate the superior quality
of the rum. On completing the tour, many guest choose to linger for
cocktails and tasty Bajan cuisine on the airy verandah restaurant.
The special lunch tours are by reservation on
Tuesdays and Thursdays; Bajan buffet (US$40)
If you are available for the "Cocktail Tour," (US$25) Wednesdays only at 2:30 pm -- you might want to sign up for this this one as it is more lively. After the regular group tour and rum tasting, those who are on the "regular" tour continue off to the gift shop while the Cocktail Tour folks stick around. Each couple of this group is then given two cocktail recipes, and one-by-one, are invited to go behind the bar and start mixing. Needless to say, each couple tries to out-do each other with stronger and stronger cocktails, and by the end .. everybody's having a lot of fun. The staff is entertaining and are good sports. Check their Website for update on admission and costs.
"On Your Own"- you can take a taxi - or some tour companies will do regular/scheduled tours to specific points of interest--for additional fees.
A ship's excursion will usually include regular tour stops at both Mt Gay Distillery and Banks Beer with tastings. (Approx. $39 includes transportation)
For those of you who want to taxi to a wonderful beach instead and have a romantic place to have lunch see the next page on Beaches. '
A visit to Welchman's Hall Gully in the interior
of the island is a great place to learn about the local Bajan plants and is
a good place to see the Local Green Monkey's.
Welchman Hall Gully, located in the parish of St.Thomas, is a three-quarter
mile long gully which is home to a number of tropical plants and trees,
including nutmeg, bamboo, clove and palms. The enchanted feel of Welchman
Hall Gully will instantly strike you. It is a touch of tropical forest mixed
with native and other exotic plants.
What makes the gully even more spectacular is that it was formed by the
collapsed roofs of caves, which is still evident. It is in fact, still
geologically connected to Harrison’s Cave. If you decide to visit,
come in the mornings, a troop of Green Monkeys are fed daily in the gully.
Gullies provide food, shelter, and gateways between other gullies for the
monkeys. The majority of Green Monkeys live in gullies.
The tour
is self-guided and takes about 30 to 45 minutes to walk, depending on your
level of interest in the flora.
There is a guidebook on sale for a very small fee that highlights over 50
plants and features in the gully. There are also 11 descriptive signs
throughout the gully. Tour guides can be provided with a minimum of 24 hours
notice. The guides are trained and from the community.
Entrance Adult US$ 12.00 (booklet included)
Children US$ 6.00 (5 to 12 years old)
Under 5 years old free
Group rates are available on request.
Times Daily from 9 am to 4 30 pm, last tour at 4 00 pm
Closed on December 25 and the first Monday in August.
Closed on Sundays in the months of September and October.
Website:
Welchman Hall Gully
Ocean Park Entrance
Ticket US$ BD$
Adults
$17.50 $35.00
Children 4-12
$10.00 $20.00
Children 0-3 Free
Opens Daily 10am - 5pm
(Go at feeding time (2pm ) and you will see
the green monkeys up close and personal.)
This small free-range zoo is great for kids! It is about 16 miles north of Bridgetown,
across the road from the Farley Hill National Park in the parish of St.
Peter. It has shady,
meandering paths through mahogany woods. Visitors are offered a unique
opportunity to stroll freely through the Reserve with the animals, which is
primarily a monkey sanctuary for the Green Monkey of Barbados. See
them up close and in their own natural environment. There are few caged
animals can be observed as they eat, play and interact with the other
animals. Other animals that can be found at the Reserve are ducks, turtles,
tortoises, birds, peacocks, otters, raccoons, agouti, deer and snakes.
Handicap
accessible pavilion and bathroom. Pathways are smooth but there are areas
where help may be required for wheelchairs to ascend and descend gradients.
There are no steps on the 2 main paths.
Barbados, the most easterly
island in the Caribbean, is the home of Harrison’s Cave. The existence of a
cave network was known in 1796 and is believed to have served as a hiding
place for runaway slaves. This magnificent,
crystallized limestone cavern is said to be one of the wonders of the world.
Its pure clear water and flowing streams helped to create the beautiful
stalactites and stalagmites which propagate the cave. You will be amazed by
nature’s mastery as you journey through this living cave. A phenomenon of
nature with hanging stalactites, emerging stalactites, breathtaking
waterfalls and deep emerald pools. Harrison's Cave is officially open to
business from Wednesday through Sunday. First tour starts at 9.00am and last
tour is at 3:45pm. Guests should arrive at least twenty minutes before each
tour and tours are every twenty minutes.
A battery-powered tram enters the cave,
stopping en route to let passengers examine the more impressive sites, such
as the huge domed cavern known as the Great Hall
NOTE: The Cave will be closed on Kadooment Day (August) and Christmas
Day (December) only.
Website and Prices:
Harrison's Cave Barbados - Schedules & Rates
Sunbury Plantation House is located in the
parish of St. Phillip on the southeast coast of Barbados. The museum
is over 300 years old with artifacts, carriages, carts, antiques. This
atmospheric 17th-century plantation house is the only one on Barbados that
can be explored in its entirety. The house has thick stonewalls built of
local coral blocks and ballast stones from the English sailing ships that
picked up shipments of Barbadian sugar. The interior retains its colonial
ambiance and is furnished with antiques, many made from Barbadian mahogany.
The articulate guides are well versed in local history, making this the
finest plantation tour on the island Open 7 days a week 9 a.m. - 5
p.m. (last tour at 4:30 p.m.) Admission BD$15 (US$7.50/£3.90) adults, BD$7.50
(US$3.75/£1.95) children 5-12 E-mail:
sunbury@caribsurf.com
Farley Hill National Park is located in the parish of St. Andrew, on the east coast of Barbados. The park is a forest of Mahogany Trees, which sits high up on a hill overlooking The Atlantic Ocean. Admission is free but parking is $3.45
