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. Although the dockyard
was greatly expanded at that time by Admiral Nelson, it was gradually
abandoned in the nineteenth century and was closed in 1889. Today Nelson's
Dockyard has been completely restored, and it is now the only Georgian
dockyard in the world.
The Dockyard Museum was badly damaged by Hurricane Georges in 1998 and the
resulting renovations were quickly completed, but building works continue.
The main Museum building used to be the Naval Officers' House. The inside
walls have been stripped to reveal the original beams of the building built
back in 1855 and the decor is light and unpretentious. Chronologically
ordered exhibits and artefacts (such as ancient tools and period navigation
instruments) illustrate the history of English Harbour from the time of the
Arawak Indian settlers up to the present day. There is plenty of fascinating
information on the buildings in the area, old wooden ship maintenance
procedures (such as 'careening') and information on the lives of the people
who lived and worked there. I wondered what future generations would think
of our remains.