UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Antigua and Barbuda

By the late 1700s, the British saw the Caribbean as a battlefield. European nations were fighting for control of sugar-rich islands, and protecting trade routes was a priority. The natural shape of Antigua’s coastline, with its deep bays and surrounding hills, provided the perfect place to shelter and repair naval ships.

The British navy began constructing the dockyard to secure its influence in the Eastern Caribbean. Large stone buildings, designed in the Georgian style, were built to store supplies, house officers, and support ship repairs. Fortifications lined the coast, ready to defend against attacks. This dockyard became the heart of Britain’s naval presence in the region.

The dockyard did not rise from the ground on its own. It was built through the forced labor of enslaved Africans, who worked under harsh conditions to quarry stone, haul materials, and construct the buildings that still stand today. Their contributions are part of the Cultural Heritage of Antigua and Barbuda, yet for years, their stories were overshadowed by tales of military strength and colonial power.

Many of those who built the dockyard were also forced to work in the sugar cane plantations that fueled the Caribbean economy. The dockyard was not just a military base, it was part of a system designed to protect the wealth of plantation owners. The same ships that anchored here transported sugar, rum, and other goods back to Europe, while enslaved individuals endured lives of hardship.

After slavery ended and the British naval presence declined, the dockyard lost its importance. The buildings remained, but the docks became quieter. For years, the site sat unused, its history slowly fading. It wasn’t until the mid-20th century that efforts began to restore and preserve this part of Antigua’s past.