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carries the nickname “Little Bristol” because of the historic shipping
route directly from Speightstown to Bristol, England.
Yet none of Speightstown’s historic buildings can hold a candle
to the elegant circa-1650 St. Nicholas Abbey, also in St. Peter
Parish. One of only three remaining Jacobean mansions in the
Western Hemisphere, the Abbey sits atop Cherry Tree Hill, the
second-highest point on the island. The Great House and grounds
are a majestic showcase of Jacobean, Tudor, and Georgian archi-
tectural styles. The first floor of the Great House is filled with period
furnishings and family portraits, and is open to the public for guided
tours. Once a massive sugar plantation, the property includes a
rum distillery and steam press; visitors can purchase the planta-
tion’s signature rum at the on-site gift shop.
HISTORIC BRIDGETOWN, PARLIAMENT, AND
TRAFALGAR SQUARE
With a population of about 110,000, Bridgetown
is a bustling little city with an energy that outpaces
its size. Street vendors peddling fresh produce
and snow cones blend with tourists shopping duty
free and downtown employees working to keep a
country moving.
Take plenty of time to roam the streets of Bridgetown,
particularly Broad Street, where goods that appeal to the
islanders’ British heritage are tucked away in any number of grocery
and department stores. You might discover a fine selection of English
teas and jams for your afternoon indulgence, as well as other imported
British goods.
But don’t spend all your time shopping: Tucked in alongside mul-
tistory office buildings and commercial centers are historic buildings
that date to the island’s earliest inhabitants. The military garrison and
much of Bridgetown, including the Parliament, were named a
UNESCO World Heritage site in 2012. A fun time to visit the garrison
is on Thursday for the weekly noontime changing of the sentry. A
drum corps, clothed in colorful uniforms originally decreed by Queen
Victoria for the West India Regiments in 1858, leads the procession
and keeps time during the high-stepping ceremony. Buckingham
Palace it’s not, but it’s still an impressive event.
Stroll along the banks of the Constitution River until you reach
Upper Broad Street and National Heroes Square, formerly known
as Trafalgar Square. Among the many heroes immortalized here is
Admiral Lord Nelson, who also has a statue in his name at
London’s Trafalgar Square. However, the Bajans quietly point out
that this particular statue was unveiled in 1813, just eight years
after the 1805 Battle of Trafalgar, a good 30 years before the similar
honor in London.
On the other side of Broad Street you’ll find Parliament, a series
of buildings that showcase neo-Gothic architecture and the gov-
erning influence of Great Britain over modern-day Barbados. To
learn more about how a parliamentary form of government oper-
ates, visit the Parliament Museum and National Heroes Gallery in
the West Wing for a surprisingly interesting presentation.
AFTERNOON TEA AND OTHER BRITISH FARE
Few experiences for an Anglophile on holiday are as immersive as
the food and drink native to the U.K. And on Barbados, traditional
afternoon tea is as common and popular as rum punch on the
beach. Finding a place to enjoy your cup of Earl Grey and scones
with clotted cream is not at all trying.
To sip tea in a picturesque historic setting, visit St. Philip
parish’s Sunbury Plantation House, a more than 300-year-old
grandly furnished great house that is open for touring. A lovely
courtyard is the setting for afternoon tea, complete with freshly
baked scones, mini sandwiches, and sliced cake.
Another excellent choice is Bajan Blue, the restaurant inside
St. James parish’s Sandy Lane Hotel, which serves a classic English
tea on an elegant terrace shaded by mahogany trees. Although the
56 INTERVAL WORLD Summer 2016 IntervalWorld.com
SIME/eStock Photo; visitbarbados.org
Completed in 1874, Barbados’ historic
Parliament buildings continue to
function as the island’s legislative hub.
Bajan Retreat
o
at IntervalWorld.com.
Getaways start at $269.
The Getaway price is valid
October 1 through December 31, 2016.