I Love Antiguan Radio

I had to stop the car and write this one down. A man being interviewed on radio today said, “As my mother used to say, your brains are born in your bottom and has to be beaten up to da top.”

Fort James

Some of the ruins at Fort James

Today I went to Fort James which is just north of St. John’s Harbour. Fort James was built by the British in 1706 to guard the entrance to the harbour. At that time St. John’s was becoming a large city and there were fears of a French invasion, so the fort was built.

The fort area is quite lovely.   It overlooks the entrance to St. John’s Harbour.  The area is a wonderful place for picnicking and relaxing in a beautiful park.

According to one internet source, that every ship that passed the fort had to pay a fee of 18 shillings to the Captain of the fort. If they did not, a shot was fired across the bow of the ship.

While prepared for battle, Fort James was never engaged. It must have looked quite imposing to the French and other pirates as they approached the harbor.

There are ten cannons overlooking St. John’s Harbour at the fort. They took eleven men to handle one cannon, which weigh about two and a half tons.

If you look to the left you can see a cruise ship docked in St John's.

On the other side of the fort is Runaway Bay, a great place for swimming, with beach restaurant and bar and a small vendors area.

Runaway Bay

For a panoramic view of the fort, check this out.

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