A Guided Walking Tour of Historic Speightstown and its Museum
Description
Brief History
Speightstown, the second largest town in Barbados, is located along the north-west coastline and prides itself with a long standing and fascinating history. The town, which started as a settlement around 1630, is named after William Speight who owned the land the town was built on. Speightstown stood as the main and busiest Barbados port that was serving England, “the motherland”. The town earned itself the name Little Bristol due to the strong British presence on the island.
In 1652, there was disquiet in Barbados and Admiral George Ayscue, under the command of Oliver Cromwell, tried to reclaim the port of Speightstown. The Barbadians, being loyal to Charles I, refused to recognize Cromwell as their protector and for six months, Ayscue was unable to land on Speightstown. Ayscue eventually landed on the island with the help of a defector and met with representatives of Barbados at Oistins Town.
In 1652, the "Charter of Barbados" agreement was signed and Barbados became the first island to attain previously unheard of rights and privileges, in particular, tax regulation by their own, a Barbados General Assembly. This town should definitely be in your list of places to visit while on a trip to Barbados.
Tour Description
Are you craving a historical adventure in Barbados? Look no further! This tour takes you for a relaxing and informative stroll through the quaint town of Speightstown which is always awash with activity but somehow maintains its British colonial charm. Our tour package, which is tailored for small groups, is aimed at maximizing the authentic experience of a Speightstown tour through the eyes of an informed local.
You will get to learn the stories behind the 17th century architecture historic buildings as you experience the sense of development which is evident by the integration of modern architecture. To top it up, you will go on a complete tour of the Arlington House Museum and learn much more about the cultural history of Speightstown and Barbados as a whole. You will visit the forts that Little Bristol used for protection.
Get to easily interact with the people of Speightstown as the wayside hawkers and rum shops are still very much a part of this town, and on our tours, you are sure to encounter one or two such characteristics of this unique town. After you have experienced one of our tours to this forgotten town – Speightstown will never be the same for you!
This tour is ideal for;
- Locals
- Cruise passengers
- Long stay passengers in local hotels, vocation rentals or home shares.
- As an addition to any Barbados vacation packages
- Solo Travellers
- Couples and groups
- You
What to expect;
- Be transposed back in time.
- Hear intriguing stories of Speightstown.
- Hear about the Doctor who always went to Belleplaine
- See the canons that protected Little Bristol.
- Meet the street vendors.
- Have snack at a Rum shop.
- Experience comfort and leisure of all this with the aid of Orpheo Audio Tour (OTG) equipment.
Things to note
- Light snack will be provided.
- You may bring your own headphones however earpieces will be available.
- Comfortable walking shoes,
- As this is an outdoor activity, weather gear, just in case of a few drops of rain, is encouraged.
- Starting Point: Roundabout at the entrance of Speightstown
- Assembly Time: 15 minutes before departure time
- COVIC-19 - Please note that Barbados has its own Covid-19 directives that we are required to follow. These include:-
- The wearing of face masks that cover both nose and chin,
- 3ft physical distancing from persons not in your party.
- We further recommend that you have additional masks in the event that their is damage.
- We also recommend personal hand sanitizer for you and your tour party.