Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua

If you like this piece you can buy a kindle version of the book Julian’s Journeys, which contains this story.

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Next to the Inn is the most unusual sight in the dockyard – looking like a more orderly version of Stonehenge a dozen stone pillars are all that’s left of a boathouse that was used to repair the sails of ships. The boathouse was very tall, hence the need for the sturdy stone pillars, and the ships would sail into the dock the boathouse was built over. The boathouse had an upper floor where the sail repairers would be able to make repairs quickly and easily without having to climb up the mast on the open sea.

Not to be confused with the Admiral’s Inn is the Admiral’s House on the opposite side of the road. This house is a misnomer as no Admiral has ever been based here and certainly not Nelson as the place was built 50 years after his death at Trafalgar. This building is now the dockyard museum, a charming collection that covers Antigua’s sailing past and the history of the dockyard.

Further along are the Officer’s Quarters built over a large freshwater cistern. On the upper floor are some interesting souvenir shops and small businesses. By the turning circle are some restored capstans and this is where boats were hauled ashore so they could be careened.

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