BARBADOS & BRITISH AIRWAYS CULTURE & HERITAGE


Barbados, and the island’s influence can still be seen there, including in the architecture and street design. When Britain abolished slavery in 1838,


non-whites quickly began to play a role in the island’s government. Today, The Rock Hall Freedom Monument in St Thomas commemorates the island’s very first free village built and inhabited by former slaves.


IMMERSIVE ACTIVITIES Visiting the monument and the wealth of world heritage sites is a fascinating way to learn more about Barbados’s history and culture. The port town of Bridgetown is the capital of Barbados and in 2011 Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison joined the Unesco World Heritage List, thanks to the historical sites, architecture and unique town planning. Key attractions in the area include the fascinating Barbados Museum & Historical Society, where visitors can learn more about the island’s history and culture. The nearby George Washington House is


a historic plantation house where a young Washington and his ailing brother Lawrence resided for two months in 1751. While George would later become the first president of the US, Barbados was the only country he visited outside of his own. Another key cultural landmark is the Nidhe


Israel Synagogue in Bridgetown. Built in 1700, it is Barbados’s only synagogue, and the oldest in the western hemisphere. The Jewish community was key to making the island’s sugar industry hugely profitable, as they brought windmill technology when they immigrated to Barbados to escape religious persecution in Europe and Brazil. Visitors can chart the story of the Barbados Jewish community in a museum adjacent to the synagogue.


BAJAN IDENTITY In 1966, Barbados gained full political independence from Britain, but chose to retain its traditional parliamentary democracy and governmental style. The country’s British roots are still evident across the island, and it is aptly known as “Little England”. Visitors can expect to see red postboxes in Bridgetown and cricket being played across the isle. Locals refer to themselves as Bajans, and while


English is the official language, the Bajan dialect is widely spoken. Bajans are known for their courteous, thoughtful and generous attitudes, and entertaining and socialising are cornerstones of island life.


JULY 2019 BARBADOS & BRITISH AIRWAYS 7


“Bajans are known for their courteous, thoughtful and generous attitudes”


NEW CULTURAL ATTRACTION


Launched in late 2018, the St Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway is one of Barbados’s newest visitor attractions, so agents checked it out on the recent mega-fam


Suggest families visit the St Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway to ride the new steam locomotive through the plantation fields and mahogany woods, before admiring expansive views of the east coast. The neighbouring property was built in 1660 and is one of only three genuine Jacobean mansions in the Western Hemisphere. Visitors shouldn’t miss out on a stop at the gift shop, which is the only place on the island to buy St Nicholas Abbey rum, made at the on-site distillery.


LEFT: Bridgetown has been named a Unesco World Heritage Site


BELOW: Sugar production has transformed Barbados


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