Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison, World Heritage Site in Barbados

Barbados is the easternmost island nation of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. The capital, Bridgetown, has an old town built between the 17th and 19th centuries. This is appreciated for its British colonial architecture and its irregularly lined streets, which are unique in that they are not found in the Spanish and Dutch colonial cities.

Here, a World Heritage enthusiast explains why the Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison is a World Heritage Site in an easy-to-understand manner.Read this and you will definitely learn more about Bridgetown!

What is Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison?

Bridgetown, the capital of the small Caribbean island nation of Barbados, was founded in the 17th century as a British stronghold in the Americas, and a stone garrison was built at the end of the 18th century.

Historic District

The Old Town was fortified in the 17th century and developed into a trading city where the sugar trade was particularly active and many black slaves were traded. Unlike other Caribbean colonial cities such as Spain and the Netherlands, the Old Town has irregular city blocks and many winding streets.

However, a major hurricane in the early 19th century caused most of the buildings to collapse.The buildings that were rebuilt afterwards also show a Creolized (unique Caribbean style) architectural style, which developed at the time of Germany.

Garrison

A garrison is a garrison, a base where troops stay at all times. Bridgetown has an old town in the north, and Garrison is located on the south side of the city, just past Gulf Street. It was the first port of call for ships coming across the Atlantic from England and was also a key point of trade for the British Empire in the Americas. Therefore, the garrison of the Caribbean headquarters of the British Army and Navy was built here.

Among the fortifications, Fort St. Ann is particularly famous, and part of the Garrison has now been converted into a hotel and other facilities.

For what reason is the Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison on the World Heritage List?

Bridgetown was recognized for

Registration Criteria (ii)
As a colonial city of the British Empire, it attracted many people from Europe and Africa, creating a Creole culture that mixed those cultures and can still be seen today in various parts of the city.

Registration Criteria (iii)
The city was built as a British colony, and its urban landscape remains, which means that the old town still shows the former domination of the British Empire.

Registration Criteria (iv)
Garrison is the Caribbean’s earliest fortified structure, in that it shows the development of architectural styles and other features, such as 18th and 19th century warehouses built to withstand hurricanes.

World Heritage Mania Conclusions and Impressions

Bridgetown, the Caribbean trading center of the British Empire, has a unique urban plan, with streets that are more winding than those of other colonial cities.As a fortified city, it was the garrison of the British Empire’s military forces, and its fortified architecture is superb, but it was also built to suit the climate and culture of the Caribbean Sea, creating a unique landscape.

Incidentally, Barbados is a fairly minor country, so you may not have a strong image of it, but it is a powerful country that has produced many great cricket players and is known for its legendary class.

*The content here is a discussion derived from research conducted by World Heritage enthusiasts.As for the data, interpretation differs depending on the medium.