Nelson's Dockyard in English Harbour - Abandoned by the Royal Navy in 1889 and restored in 1961, Nelson's Dockyard is a conglomeration of old stone warehouses, workshops and quarters now filled with souvenir shops, hotels, restaurants and a museum. With the yachts out in the harbour it still retains a nautical charm. Today Nelson's Dockyard has been completely restored, and it is now the only Georgian dockyard in the world. Underwater archaeology of the Harbour    Dockyard Museum

English Harbour, Antigua's graceful and evocative historic district, is focused on the fifteen square miles of Nelson's Dockyard National Park. Developed as a base for the British Navy in the great age of sail, the harbour served as the headquarters of the fleet of the Leeward Islands during the turbulent years of the late 18th century. 

Shirley Heights - Situated high above English Harbour and fortified to defend Antigua from invaders, it now provides a look out point with great views. Named after General Shirley, Governor of the Leeward Islands when the area was fortified in the late eighteenth century. Close by is the cemetery, in which stands an obelisk erected in honour of the soldiers of the 54th regiment. On Sundays it is also a regular venue for free afternoon/evening concerts by reggae or steel bands, popular with locals and visitors alike. We were particularly impressed with the steel band who played a variety of classical as well as modern pieces

St. John's - the capital and largest city of Antigua and Barbuda, is  dominated by the magnificently evocative white baroque towers of St. John's Cathedral. Built in 1845, the church is now in its third re-generation, as earthquakes in 1683 and in 1745 destroyed the previous structures. The towers are the first sight of Antigua for about half of the island's visitors each year, many of whom arrive by boat. With its recently completed cruise ship dock and several hotels, St. John's is a lively hub for shopping and dining.
For those interested in the early history of the island, there is the Museum of Antigua and Barbuda, housed in the colonial Court House (1750). The museum displays both Arawak and colonial artefacts recovered on archaeological digs on the islands. It also features a life-size replica of an Arawak house, models of sugar plantations and other exhibits.
On Friday and Saturday mornings, be sure to visit the vibrant farmers market on the southern edge of the city. Folk crafts, colourful tropical fruits, and a buzzing crowd make for a lively morning

Betty's Hope was the first large sugar plantation on Antigua, and its success led to the island's rapid development of large-scale sugar production. Although the only surviving structures are two stone sugar mills and the remains of the stillhouse, the site's importance in Antiguan history has prompted the government to begin developing it as an open air museum. About a hundred stone windmill towers dot the Antiguan landscape, and the two restored examples at Betty's Hope provide a dramatic sense of the way these mills must have dominated the island during the hundreds of years that sugar production was the dominant industry.
		Betty's Hope Sugar Plantation

In 1674 Sir Christopher Codrington was granted this estate by the English Crown . Arriving from Barbados, convinced that sugar would be the most important crop in the future, he named the estate after his daughter Betty, and his "hope" was that he had made the right decision. Today, the mill has been restored. The cane-crushing machinery is in working order, and new wings and sails have been reconstructed to the original specifications. A visitor centre has been created by converting a former cotton house storeroom into a museum. This includes various aspects of the plantation's history and shows early estate plans, pictures and maps, artefacts and a model of the central site to giving an overview of the of "Betty's Hope".. Other insights include how sugar and rum were produced long ago. Admission is by a USD2 per person. Like other large plantations, Betty's Hope was an agricultural as well as an industrial enterprise, and employed a large number of people. Supervised by a handful of European managers, hundreds of Africans lived out their lives on this and similar plantations, first as slaves, then as labourers after emancipation in 1834. Enduring the hardship of cultivating and processing the sugar under exhausting conditions, they developed great skills as craftsmen, boilers and distillers which gave Betty's Hope its reputation for excellence lasting to this day
Address: Between Pares and Newfield streets St John's   Telephone/Fax: 268 462 1469

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