Bridgetown and its Garrison: the UNESCO story

About Bridgetown and its Garrison: the UNESCO story

By the ULTIMATE Barbados Editorial Team

Bridgetown is one of the oldest fortified port towns of the British Atlantic world, and its old streets and military Garrison were inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. Here is the story, and a walk to follow.

Why it matters

UNESCO inscribed Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison in 2011. As one of the earliest towns with a fortified port in the Caribbean network of British military and trading outposts, it was the focus of English expansion in the Americas, and by the 17th century it had become an entrepôt for goods, especially sugar, and for enslaved people destined for Barbados and the rest of the Americas. The listed property covers 187 hectares.

The old town

Bridgetown keeps its irregular 17th-century street plan. Start at National Heroes Square and the Parliament Buildings, where the Museum of Parliament traces Barbadian democracy from 1629 to today and the National Heroes Gallery tells the stories of the national heroes. The Chamberlain Bridge crosses the Careenage, the old inner harbour, beside them.

An entrepôt for sugar, and for enslaved people destined for Barbados and the Americas.

The Synagogue district

A few streets away, the Synagogue Historic District covers a whole city block of heritage buildings around the Nidhe Israel Synagogue, with roots in 1654, its ancient mikvah, a museum and the old cemetery. It opened as a heritage attraction in April 2017.

The Garrison

South of the city lies the Garrison. The Barbados Museum & Historical Society fills its 19th-century military prison buildings, George Washington House recalls the young Washington’s two months here in 1751, and the Garrison Savannah, once a parade ground, has been a racecourse since the 19th century.

A walk to follow

Begin at Parliament and National Heroes Square, cross the Chamberlain Bridge for a view of the Careenage, walk to the Synagogue district, then take a taxi to the Garrison for the museum and George Washington House. Finish with a swim at Carlisle Bay.

Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Bridgetown and its Garrison: the UNESCO story before you go.