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web files in a constantly updated compendium on Bermuda's business, culture,
cuisine, customs, districts, economy, education, food, geography, government,
history, internet access, laws, parishes, politics, religions, traditions,
wildlife etc. For tourists, business visitors, employers, employees, newcomers,
researchers, retirees, scholars. Funded by and linked to The
Royal Gazette, Bermuda's only daily newspaper.
By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online
To refer by e-mail to this file use "bermuda-online.org/seedevon.htm" as your Subject
Accommodation
Recommended hotels are shown in bold. Some have the facilities shown by the following symbols. Hotels shown with 5-2 Stars reflect the symbols shown on Expedia.com.
- 5 Star hotel |
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4 Star hotel |
- 3 Star hotel |
- 2 Star hotel |
Efficiency Units (Self Catering)
Clear View Suites and Villas (Self Catering with restaurant
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business center |
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business facilities |
- Ship view |
- dining |
- disabled access |
- fitness |
- golf course |
- meeting room |
- pool |
- public buses |
- public ferries |
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shopping |
- walking area |
Devonshire Parish's crest, from that of the First Earl of Devonshire
| The Bermuda Government appoints a Parish Council for each Parish. The chairperson or members of each will give further information about the crest to students and others, including meaning of the motto. |
Devonshire Parish is on Main Island, on the North and South Shore Roads and Middle Road. It is the same size as the other eight parishes. It was named for Bermuda's Elizabethan patron, William Cavendish, First Earl of Devonshire (1552-1626).
He took his title from the southern English maritime county (Devon, not Devonshire). William Cavendish was the uncle of the Earl of Pembroke. He was born to an enormous fortune. He entered Parliament as the member for Newport in the year of the Armada and remained inconspicuous until the death of Queen Elizabeth 1 and accession of King James. He was given a barony by the King and in 1618 bought his Earldom for a further 10,000 pounds. He was a member of the Council of the Virginia Company of 1612 - which included Bermuda - and Bermuda Company of 1615. He was a gentlemen Adventurer who invested to colonize Bermuda and largest shareholder in the original Cavendish Tribe (Devonshire Parish) in 1619. He never visited Bermuda himself. He died almost unnoticed in 1626. In other Bermuda Parishes - not this one - there are areas with the prefix of Cavendish - also after the Earl. Early settlers referred to Devonshire Tribe as Brackish Pond. It was because of the large marsh in the center. Today, Brackish Pond is Devonshire Marsh. Parts of it are sightseeing attractions for naturalists.
Bermuda's Architectural Heritage: Devonshire. Trimingham, Andrew. 1995. Bermuda National Trust. The first in a series of illustrated (black and white, not color photos) parish by parish reviews of Bermuda's architecture. Out of print.
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Constituencies for General or Bye Election voting for registered voters are as follows: In the General Election held on July 24, 2003, the name of the successful candidate in each numbered district is shown in bold. Each district has about 1,250 registered voters, covers about 0.58 of a square mile on average and has its own paid Member of Parliament (MP). Complicating the issue is that not all Parish residents can vote in this Parish's constituency. Some had to vote in other Parish's constituency. |
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Go via Montpelier Road, off Middle Road.
A
Bermuda National Park. Number 29 on your Parks and Reserves map. On
September 5, 2003 Hurricane Fabian caused extensive damage.
Normally A serene inland setting of 22 acres of open space with a
gazebo, tall trees, open meadows, pathways, shrubs, collections of
conifers, palms and genus ficus. In
more normal circumstances, enjoy a
picnic here, no organized flower beds or formal gardens but a great
walking area, with shade trees, accessible by the route 3 bus and a
short walk.
Arboretum photograph by author Keith Forbes |
There is scooter and car parking. It is open from sunrise to sunset, free to the public. There are plants and shrubs on walkways and paths. An ornamental bridge has small pools underneath. The property has an interesting history. From the mid 19th century, like most of the Parish at the time, it was once - but no longer - part of British Army lands at "Montpelier" nearby - the private house now owned by the Bermuda Government and now lived in by the Deputy Governor. In 1962, some years after the British Army left Bermuda, the lands were planted as an arboretum.
About 1.5 miles into Vesey Street, off Middle Road. Established via Bermuda's first-ever Special Development Order in October 1997. Regular Junior International Show Jumping Competitions and other equestrian events occur here. For all interested in ponies, harness racing and scheduled competitive equestrian activities. The facilities include a show ring, stands and parking for patrons and spectators. This is where the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI) sometimes stages the annual International Dressage Competition. Bermuda is one of six nations in Group II, the others being Mexico, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Colombia and Peru. Bermuda's riders make a fine showing in the event.
There are several, all shown by name below.
50 Frog Lane, Devonshire DV 01. Telephone 295-8085. Bermuda Government owned and taxpayer financed. Construction work began several years ago at its complex the Bermuda National Stadium and millions of dollars have been spent. The first international soccer games were played here in early 2001. Cricket, Track and Field, soccer and many other sports are played here. Mailing address is The Manager, P. O. Box HM 2262, Hamilton HM JX.
These are at Prospect, the former British Army base until the 1950s. They include the Police Club, popular with expatriates as a bar and for social events.
Almost no traces remain of how this parish was once the headquarters of the British Army in Bermuda, with not just one but several former forts as the bastion. At one time, more than 75 percent of the parish was compulsorily acquired by the army for military purposes. Fort Prospect was a major military base, complete with a garrison school. In the 1930s and most of the 1940s, especially for the British Army Garrison, there was a Prospect Halt for the Bermuda Railway. Today, all that is left of the once huge base which even had its own school, church and parade ground are a former British Army hospital, now used as the headquarters of a Ministry of the Bermuda Government, a graveyard and original Officers Mess, now the Police Recreational Club.
#10 route (Hamilton to St. George's via Palmetto Road, North
Shore, Aquarium and Bermuda Perfumery).#11 route (Hamilton to St. George's via Black Watch Pass,
North Shore, Aquarium and Bermuda Perfumery).On Middle Road, this is the Anglican Parish church, next door to Old Devonshire Church. The church has its own graveyard. In 2008, the once-lovely old Rectory residence, see below in this 1949 photograph by step-daughter Cindy Farnsworth (now Olden) of the Rev. Keith Harman. He was then the Rector of Devonshire and Chaplain to the Prospect Garrison. He was quite a photographer. When he did his tour of duty as Private Chaplain to King George VI in 1951 he took pictures of Windsor, the famous Doll's House, etc. The Queen liked them so much he had Kodak make special prints from his transparencies which he subsequently sent to Her Majesty! The building, at 106 Middle Road, Devonshire, was razed to make room for four studios, four one-bedroom apartments and a two-bedroom condo. A new rectory has been built instead.
Christ Church Rectory 1947 courtesy of Cindy Olden
A suburban site for bird watching.
Devonshire Bay. Photos above and below by the author exclusively for Bermuda Online
A Bermuda
National Park. Number 36 on your
Bermuda National Parks and Reserves map. On Bus route # 1. A scenic attraction well worth
visiting.
A delightful location for the whole family. Take Devonshire Bay Road off South Road. Stay to
the left until the road ends and park begins. There is parking for scooters and
cars.
A nice combination of a ruined fort, fortified history, bay, beach, park for sightseeing, swimming, and parklands. The beach is the only public one on the South Shore of this Parish. There are little wading pools here and there. The small fort of Devonshire Bay Battery is one of the survivors of once many coastal batteries or forts that stretched the entire length of Bermuda, during the days of the British Army in Bermuda. The park is a safe place to swim, in a tranquil setting, great for a picnic, with shade trees and sea views. Quite often you'll see local fishermen selling their catch. Watch how they filet to order. This is a good place to buy fresh fish straight from a fisherman, if you are staying in a type of place that permits you to cook your own food. It is delicious, far more satisfying than imported fish bought from a grocery store. But be prepared to pay upwards of US$ 8 a pound.
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On the North Shore Road, at the junction with Dock Hill. No public parking. Visit on a Sunday when the road is not nearly as busy as there is too much traffic nearby on other days. It once serviced the ships of the Royal Navy during the War of 1812-14 against the USA. Thousands of seaman and soldiers arrived here, or departed from nearby camps. From nearby fresh-water wells dug by the Royal Navy, potable water was also carried to the ships. Nowadays, the dock is used by local fishing craft, and by small craft owners. There's a beautiful view of the North Shore coastline. |
Appointed under the Parish Councils Act 1971. See under "Parish Councils" in Bermuda Government Boards. Appointees are political and meetings are not open to the public, unlike in the United Kingdom, Canada and USA where parish or community councils always are.
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This is located on the South Road. A sign points to it. It is just before this road enters Smith's Parish. You may enjoy seeing it more on a Sunday before the traffic starts getting constant. It's a walking reserve, with no admittance fee. It has local flora, fauna and migratory birds attracted to the pond and marshlands. It is small but scenic. Please leave only footprints, no trash. |
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One of the two outlets of Lindo's Family Foods is at 4 Watlington Road East. It is a full service grocery store, on bus route 3 which will drop you 400 yards away - but not as frequently on a Sunday. Or take a rented moped if you accept the risk. It is a very nice place for locals and visitors to do shopping. It is wheelchair accessible and has a Handicapped Parking with Permit space for locals and visitors who are disabled. |
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They surprise many visitors. Most have no idea Bermuda is so expensive. But the store is open every day (call to check times) including Sunday (from 1 pm to 5 pm). It is not as expensive as some convenience stores. Liquor cannot be bought on Sunday or after 8 or 9 pm on a weekday. |
2
Barker's Hill Road, Devonshire
Parish DV 05. P. O. Box DV 358, Devonshire DV BX. Phones: Office 295-9092
(fax 295-9097); Pro Shop 295-9093; Tee Times 234-4653; Golf Pro 296-3917;
Maintenance 236-6758; Restaurant/Bar 295-9069. E-mail oceanview@bermudagolf.bm. In
June 2006, the Bermuda Government's House of Assembly passed an Act that
switched responsibility for the Government golf courses from the Ministry of
Works & Engineering to Tourism.
A 9 hole par 35 course over 2,819 yards.
It is not generally known by most Bermudians or golfing visitors that the site of one of the units of the clubhouse here was once a grand old manor house known as Watlington House, now used as a storage facility. It was used for British Army purposes during World War 2. The former Fort Langton and part of its structure were used as the foundations for the clubhouse after the war and more of the former fort became the bus garage in the 1970s. On the field below the bus garage, now the golf course, were two US Army posts during World War 11. One was a unit of the US Army Signal Corps and the other was the US Army's Artillery, at APO 856. It was a unit (including 1st Platoon Battery A) of the 423rd Field Artillery Group, under the command of Captain F. W. Clipper, US Army.
For visitors who arrive at the airport on one of the commercial airlines or cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is the City of Hamilton, about three miles away to the east. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Buses only go a part of the way. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. Public. Ask about playability on the day you have in mind.
On Middle Road. Government-owned. When she was Premier from November 1998 to July 25, 2003, Jennifer M. Smith, JP, Member of Parliament for the Town of St. George, lived here, rent free, at taxpayers' expense.
Until 12th May
2005, St. Brendan's Hospital. On 28 April
1841, the Bermuda Legislature passed an "Act for the Safe Custody
of Insane Persons charged with Offences. " It was the first local
legislation to deal specifically with persons with mental problems.
Persons charged, if found insane, were kept in custody until they went to an asylum. In 1846, a further Act was passed to
establish a hospital for the reception of "insane paupers." It
enabled the Governor, Lieutenant Colonel William Reid, to buy land in a
central parish for an asylum. Seven acres of land on the North Shore
were acquired for 400 pounds sterling and two cottages were built
for £600 sterling. The Governor had to approve admissions and
discharges to the asylum and in which categories incoming people were,
as a lunatic or insane person or idiot or pauper or person of unsound
mind. Dr. Henry Josephus Hinson, a
graduate of Edinburgh Medical School in Scotland, was the first medical
superintendent for the new Lunatic Hospital in 1848. It remained in its original location for 22 years until it moved to
its present location in 1868, the site of the former Devonshire College.
Later, under Governor General Sir John Lefroy, the Devonshire College buildings were expanded after he convinced Parliament to spend £3,650 sterling to pay for additional work. A much larger facility was required from the beginning of the 20th century, especially during and after the two world wars. St. Brendan's became its official name, after the Irish saint born about 484 AD. There is a legend that he sailed across the Atlantic Ocean and that there was a St. Brendan's Island. (A local doctor - Dr. Juanita Guishard - wrote a book about it - Legend of St. Brendan's, published by the University of Toronto Press, and speculates it might have been Bermuda).
At one time, local nurses only were employed, trained mostly in England. Then nurses were brought in from Britain and the Caribbean. In the early 1970s, management passed from the Department of Health to the Bermuda Hospitals Board under the Ministry of Health. Today, this is the only mental, or psychiatric, hospital in Bermuda, a therapeutic institution that has clinical programmes to address different specialties of mental health services. Currently at MWI, there are four psychiatrists on staff, all of whom are non-Bermudian, in addition 70 percent of the in-patient nursing staff are also foreigners. It has 68 inpatient beds, 28 of which are allocated to the acutely ill and with the other 40 for long-stay clients. About 800 persons in Bermuda are actively involved at some level as outpatient clients, The in-house Petting Zoo and Plant Garden here (the second hospital in Bermuda, the other a general one) is of interest. Its New Dimensions Centre recreational therapy department draws on a gentle and innovative form of therapy for people who are depressed or schizophrenic or with learning or physical disabilities, or who have had experience in or grown up with animals. A wheelchair ramp and seating area have been built in the open-air courtyard. Huts have been constructed for animals, for clients of the hospital to feed the animals, sweep the area, tidy up, plant and weed the garden, water herbs and vegetables. Many local businesses have contributed animals or materials. Currently, the facility includes 4 rabbits, 4 guinea pigs, 2 hamsters, 12 chickens, 10 parakeets, a talking parrot, 2 finches and 1 turtle. Able visitors are also welcome if they have an interest in the less fortunate.
The institution has maintained its accreditation from the Canadian Council of Accreditation since 1970 and has also been accredited by The Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom, to serve as a teaching hospital for junior doctors training to become Consultant Psychiatrists. "Bermuda is way ahead of the game in terms of service delivery. We are not behind at all, we are very much in the cutting edge when it comes to our service," she said. It changed its name from St. Brendan's Hospital to Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute in 2005 for several reasons, to truly represent the services it offers as not just a hospital but a place with many community programmes. It runs group homes and clinics and does a lot of outreach and educational presentations. It is not just an in-patient treatment centre but offers a new beginning to help destigmatise the issues surrounding mental illness.
See under Bermuda Equestrian Centre
50 Frog Lane, Devonshire DV 01.
Telephone 295-8085.
Bermuda Government owned and taxpayer financed. The site of the old Bermuda National Stadium.
Millions of dollars have been spent to bring it up to international standards.
It includes construction of a multi-purpose sport field.
Facilities include undercover seating for 2,000 spectators, numbered seats, a timing booth for track and field events, a three-section press box for local and international media, two concession stands, changing rooms, bathrooms and auditorium for large concerts and musical events.
The first international soccer games were played here in early 2001. Other sports played here include cricket and rugby. Mailing address is The Manager at P. O. Box HM 2262, Hamilton HM JX.
An agency of the Bermuda Government. The responsibility of the Ministry, which runs the National Sports Center, is to promote and support leisure and sporting activities in Bermuda. It has a National Sports Centre Trustees Board under the National Sports Centre Trustees Act 1988. Appointed by the Minister of Community Affairs and Sport.
This main coastal road runs east to west, on the 10 and 11 bus routes.
On Jubilee Road and for long boarded up, it is being converted into a museum. It was built in 1848 by 12 black men as a school for young black children of the parish. It became a monument to the vision of the builders, a symbol of black pride and a slice of Bermuda's rich history.
Photos above and below by author Keith A. Forbes
See Bermuda Cuisine.
Cedarbridge Academy, 1 Cedarbridge Lane, Devonshire. Phone 296-5665.
The consulate for visiting Americans (more than 85% of all Bermuda's visitors are from the USA) and others with legitimate business is at "Crown Hill," 16 Middle Road, Devonshire DV 03, Bermuda. P. O. Box HM 325, Hamilton HM BX. Acting Consul General is Karen Emmerson. Consul is Jennifer Schools. Telephone (441) 295-1342. Fax (441) 295- 1592. See connections between Bermuda and USA. Following bombings of US embassies in Africa and the Middle East, the US Congress has mandated that Bermuda's US Consulate General should be upgraded in security standards like all other US embassies and consulates outside the USA. The Bermuda facility will also have a nine-foot high perimeter wall/fence; a vehicle barrier and access control center at the entrance gate; hardened interior walls around the building; and installation of blast-proof windows. Additionally, there will now be a secure Controlled Access Center (CAC) building for most routine work, but in the shape of a Bermuda cottage.
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Last Updated:
October 9, 2008
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