Tucked away in a small hamlet in St Thomas, the little publicised Rock Hall Freedom Monument commemorates the first recorded post-Emancipation community. It was established by some of the former enslaved population in 1841, five years after Emancipation.

The centrepiece is a poignant, slender 20-foot bronze sculpture of a free family of three, created by Barbadian artist Stanton Haynes and erected in 2005.

Plans to develop the area into a heritage centre have only just been resuscitated, after years of neglect, including the accidental demolition of the last original slave hut that had been earmarked for renovation and conversion into an interpretive centre. An open-air theatre and freedom park are under construction, but there’s some way to go.

Practical Info

By car: Head 6.6miles (10.6km) N from Bridgetown, along Highway 2, then 2A.

By bus: Buses #1D and #2 from Princess Alice Bus Terminal in Bridgetown run regularly to Rock Hall (35min). Check the bus timetable.