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Bermuda's Southampton Parish

Exploring this county between Warwick and Sandys Parishes

By Keith Archibald Forbes (see About Us) exclusively for Bermuda Online

To refer to this particular web file, please use "bermuda-online.org/seesouth.htm" as your Subject.

Accommodation

Recommended properties 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. 

Accommodation symbols

- 5 Star hotel

- 4 Star hotel

- 3 Star hotel

- 2 Star hotel

• Hotels

• Cottage Colonies & Private Clubs

• Guest Houses

• Efficiency Units (Self Catering)

• Clear View Suites and Villas (Self Catering with restaurant.

Other symbols

- business center	- business facilities	- Ship view	- dining
- disabled access	- fitness	- golf course	- meeting room
- pool	- public buses	- public ferries	- shopping
- walking area

Part of Southampton Parish's crest, from the 3rd Earl of Southampton

Used with exclusive permission from the copyright owners. Do not copy.

About the Parish

Southampton Parish, on Main Island, is one of the nine parishes each of 2.3055 (two point three zero five five) square miles. 

It was named after Henry Wriothesley, Third Earl of Southampton (1573-1624), an English aristocrat, one of the most colorful Elizabethans, the patron and friend of William Shakespeare. 

He served against the Spaniards in the Calais Expedition of 1596 but in 1599 was implicated in the Essex Plot and imprisoned by Queen Elizabeth 1. 

Set free by King James, he was made a Knight of the Garter. 

He died in the Low Countries where he had gone as a volunteer once more to fight the tyranny of Spain. Always interested in overseas exploration, he was a member of the Council of the Virginia Company in 1605, the North West Company of 1612. He was one of the gentlemen Adventurers who invested in the newly formed Bermuda Company of 1615. 

He was the largest shareholder in the original Southampton Tribe but never visited. The major British port of Southampton, in Hampshire, is also named after him and his family.

Early Bermuda settlers called it Port Royal, instead of Southampton. 

This Port Royal pre-dates Port Royal of Jamaica and is why there are several references to it. 

The bay on the north side became a shipping center before the City of Hamilton was established. 

This Parish is the second most western in direction and a good distance from the Bermuda International Airport, an expensive taxi ride. From 2001, it has a stop for Bermuda Government ferry boats. It is served by buses.

Constituencies in the Bermuda Parliament

• Southampton East Central
• Southampton West Central
• Southampton West

Barnes Corner Park

A Bermuda National Park. Added in the latter part of the year 2000. It is 1.74 hectares (4.39 acres). Also the sign on some buses, meaning this is as far as they go.

Bermuda Golf Academy and Driving Range

Off Middle Road, on Industrial Park Road. Telephone 238-8800. Not a golf course but a driving range.

Boat Bay

This is where the large Sonesta Beach Hotel, now gone, was situated. But the waters here have a much older claim to fame. The original name for this bay was Hunt's Bay, a grant of land that went north from what was then a cove all the way to the Little Sound. It was then owned by the Hunt family. In 1661, the ill fated sailing vessel Virginia Merchant became grounded. She was a total wreck and sank there with great loss of life. In 1741, the Spanish privateer Francisco Lopez landed a raiding party here. The Spaniards seized local fishing boats and towed them behind their ship. The local militia and two armed Bermudian sloops arrived too late to retrieve them. They were never heard of again.

Bus routes

Visitors and new residents who use the Bermuda Government pink and blue buses should obtain a free copy of the schedule, to know when the service operates, when it stops and what fares apply.

• Dockyard. The # 8 bus service from and to the city of Hamilton on the outward and inward routes services the Middle Road all the way to the end of Parish. It is the most frequent service. This main road has many interesting attributes, showing off much of typical urban, suburban and rural Bermuda. It's the only Parish stretch of any main road in Bermuda completely inland until this Parish going west. Avoid the crowded rush hour buses.
• Maritime Museum. The # 7 bus service from and to the city of Hamilton on the outward and inward routes services all the main South Road in the Parish on the way or back. The second most frequent service in the Parish, it has many nice views and sightseeing attractions. Avoid the crowded rush hour buses and other times when cruise ship passengers also jam up the buses to get to and from the South Shore beaches along the route.

Chaplin Bay

(The greater part). Another spectacular South Shore Park Beach situated mostly in this Parish but also partly on Warwick's western boundary adjacent to and east of Horseshoe Bay. Another favorite of Bermudians. Walking trail to Horseshoe Bay (less than one mile but may seem longer in Bermuda's June-September combination of heat and humidity) and other South Shore beaches. Bounded by cliffs on both sides. Bathrooms (toilets) but no other facilities (at Horseshoe Bay). Place for seasonal beach activities. Bus route 7. This beach almost disappears during storms and high tides, so should be sought only at low tide. The sea is not usually calm but fine for swimmers close to the shore. An unusual coral wall stretches above the water and across the beach, essentially splitting the beach in two. It gets the name not from the Charlie Chaplin family (which at one time did own some Bermuda real estate) but a much earlier person by that name. He was Edward Chaplin, Sr. He was a 20 year old colonist in 1635 aboard the ship Dorset. He later became prominent in island affairs, was a Lieutenant in the local militia and was one of those largely responsible in the 1650s for re-arming the island's British Army-built forts. As a reward he was given Share 24 of Warwick which included this bay which thereafter became (and is still known as) Chaplin Bay even though the family in Bermuda died out in the mid 1800s.

Church Bay

South Shore, off South Road. Small but beautiful public beach. Gets deep quite suddenly. A Bermuda National Park, ocean- side with rest area. Good for sunbathing, snorkeling and other water sports, with boiler and other reefs, no corals. Bathrooms (toilets) nearby. Also with picnic tables and parking areas. Ruined British Army-built fort nearby. Bus route 7. A summertime favorite of locals because of its beauty, with an old fort on the premises including a '1612' date marker. 

Church Bay beach

Death Valley Field & Playground

A recreational area. The name dates back to the late 1940s and 1950s when many motorists lost their lives on the stretch of the Middle Road in the area.

Evan's Bay Pond

A nice, 7.5 acre  nature reserve at Scroggins Hill, formerly in private ownership. A charity, Buy Back Bermuda (BBB),  dedicated to preserving Bermuda's open spaces for future generations, has drawn up proposals to add footpaths, benches, illustrative signs and small bridges here and elsewhere.

Fairmont Southampton Princess Golf Club (18 holes)

Photo: Bermuda Tourism

Fairmont Southampton Hotel, South Road, Southampton Parish SN 02. For reservations call (441) 238-0446. Part of and adjacent to the Southampton Princess Hotel complex. An 18 hole par 54,  manageable yet quite challenging course over 2,684 yards. With superb marine and landscape views. Carts are mandatory and included in the green fees. There's a pro shop, tennis courts, bar and restaurant. Single Annual Membership; Double Annual Membership and an Initiation Fee. Members get special benefits.  For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth used to be (until 2007) the City of Hamilton, about 5 miles away to the east, but is now Dockyard, about 8 miles away. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Buses (# 7 or 8) go only to nearest stop about half a mile away below the hill. Check rates directly with course depending on time of day and time of year. 

Private but will accept off-the-street golfers by prior appointment.

Unpopular plans to build villas on Fairmont Southampton's golf course have been ditched. However, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts still proposes creating 130 villas, fractional units and town homes and a new beach club in a major development at the luxury hotel. In 2006, 600 residents signed a petition objecting to the original plan for 91 golf villas and 54 other units on the par-three course, reducing its number of holes from 18 to ten.  

Fairmont Southampton Princess Hotel  

593 rooms. South and Middle Roads, Southampton Parish. Or airmail at P. O. Box HM 1379, Hamilton HM FX, Bermuda. Reservations 1 ( 800) 223 1818 in the USA or ( 800) 268 7176 in Canada or (441) 238-8000 directly. Fax (441) 238-8968. E-mail southampton@fairmont.com. 593 rooms, 1500 guests, 853 staff. Newport Room 239-6964; Rib Room 239-6966; Tennis Club 239-6950; Waterlot Inn 239-6967; Whaler Inn 239-6868; Wickets Brasserie 239-6969; Windows On The Sound 239-6963. Taxi fare from/to airport from $35 per taxi for 1-4 passengers or $45 for 5-6 passengers. Near the 7 and 8 bus routes. 

Another Bermuda hotel in the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. stable. Bermuda's largest hotel, it is on the second highest point of Bermuda. In 1972-74, when it was built, almost 100% of the construction materials came from Canada. It is a 100-acre estate facing the South Shore ocean and Great Sound on the north side. It is a luxury resort hotel.  Major improvements have included a new spa, pool and beach area. There are lovely gardens and its own challenging, executive golf course. It has sophisticated and flexible meeting facilities, a variety of restaurants and services. It was built in 1972 from scratch by its first owner, the American multi-millionaire Daniel Ludwig. Sixty percent of hotel guests are in conventions. It has received numerous Bermuda Government Tourism awards. The Princess-to-Princess (linking both the Fairmont Hamilton Princess and Fairmont Southampton Princess) ferry is very popular with guests. Nearest beach is the one belonging to this hotel, reachable by the hotel's beach shuttle. For other beaches, see beaches.

The last three-and-a-half decades have seen the hotel — originally called the Southampton Princess — play host to some of the world's best-known and wealthiest celebrities and dignitaries. It introduced Bermudian breakfasts to hotel guests more than a decade ago The traditional island fare quickly became hugely popular and hundreds of plates of codfish and potatoes are now served there to locals and hotel guests every Sunday. Guests have included the Saudi royal family's stay in the late 1970s, which saw fresh lamb's milk flown onto the Island every day for more than week; Bill Cosby and his wife; US presidents, including George Bush senior; Tony and Cherie Blair; The Queen and Prince Philip (though they always stayed at Government House); James Belushi. The four-star hotel opened with 600 rooms but now has 593 — the missing seven having been transformed into a lounge on the exclusive Fairmont Gold sixth floor, a "hotel within a hotel" for the richest clients. Millions of dollars have been spent on renovations over the years and the hotel now features a state-of-the-art spa, though the footprint of the site remains the same as in 1972, when then-Governor Lord Martonmere performed the official opening. The Southampton Princess was the brainchild of American businessman and shipping magnate Daniel K. Ludwig, who also owned its sister property, the Princess Hotel in Hamilton. Canadian Pacific Hotels bought both properties in 1998 and took over Fairmont Hotels and Resorts the following year. The hotels were then renamed the Fairmont Southampton and the Fairmont Hamilton Princess. In September 2003, the Fairmont Southampton was damaged by Hurricane Fabian and closed for renovations until April 2004.

In August 2008 Fairmont Hotels and Resorts applied for planning permission to build 130 villas on the grounds of this hotel. Some units overlook the golf course but the fairway itself remains intact. The golf course remains as a par three 18-hole golf course.  The mixed-use development of fractional units, townhouses and villas only resulted in the relocation of the 14th green and tee, plus a new 18th tee and green. Since acquiring the hotel in 1998, the Fairmont group has invested $122 million in remediation work and facilities upgrades, following Hurricane Fabian. The consultants say fractional units for sale and rent are necessary to create additional product offerings for tourists.

• Golf Course: A new 18th tee, fairway and green planned, plus relocation of the 14th green and tee. But with no loss of yardage

• Turtle Hill Fractional Units: 57 units housed in eight two/three storey buildings, to create a "luxury private fractional ownership club". Appealing to "upper income buyers", the units are around a private complex with arrival plaza, two tennis courts and an infinity pool.

• Turtle Hill Villas: Built to the east of Turtle Hill, this accommodation consists of seven two-storey villas.

• Golf Fractional Units: Located on the hillside overlooking the golf course, to the south-west of the hotel, 14 fractional units built in four two-storey buildings, with accompanying spaces for golf carts. Marketed to golfers, the units are available for home ownership.

• Golf Villas: Twenty villas to the north of the golf course clubhouse, housed in seven two-storey blocks. Amenities include a swimming pool and garden, plus a new driveway providing access from Harbour View Drive.

• Hilltop Villas: Ten units built in three two-storey buildings to the north-west of the hotel, with access from Lighthouse Road.

• South Road Town homes: 22 townhouses in three two-storey buildings, accessed off South Road, specifically intended for sale to the local Bermudian market.

• Fairmont Beach Club: The existing tennis courts near East Whale Bay replaced by additional food and drink facilities. The Beach Club has a fire pit, bar, cabanas, pool and waterslide, plus possible grotto and Jacuzzi pools.

However, in January 2009, arising from the economic downturn that has so hugely affected Americans in particular, the hotel's best clients by far, the hotel announced 35 job losses, in the first signs of recession hitting Bermuda's tourism product. Plus, it closed half of its guest rooms until April 2009. In addition, restaurants were closed on a rotating basis based on hotel-occupancy rates, until the 2009 summer season.

In 2009 it realigned its operations to meet the shift in demand from high end to mid-range visitors as the economic crisis takes further effect. Previously, it focused mainly on the luxury tourist market, but the introduction of the new cost-conscious traveler in 2009 has seen the resort transform the way it does business.  

In 2011 The hotel has tried to adapt to match the change in clientele, lowered costs for guests and offered unprecedented room discounts to attract those looking for value for money in the current financial climate. 

Ferry Stop

Se under "Rockaway Ferry Stop" below, George's Bay Road. Built in 2002, now operating daily.

Food stores

Market Place is at Heron Bay at Middle Road. It has a full service grocery store on bus route 8 which will drop you nearby - but not nearly as frequently on a Sunday as a weekday. It sells liquor except on Sunday. But budget in advance for Bermuda prices. They stun many visitors. What a couple can buy in the USA to last them for a week will be less expensive than buying food in Bermuda for merely two days.

Gibb's Hill Lighthouse

Gibb's Hill Lighthouse, Bermuda Tourism photo

Accessible via Gibb's Hill and Tribe Road # 2, South Road or Bermuda Railroad Trail. It and the park (with a total extended acreage of parkland now of 3.93 hectares or 9.75 acres since the year 2000) are open to the public daily from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm. There is an admittance charge per adult, but no charge for children under 6. It re-opened in August 2006 after being closed for repairs for ten months. It had been closed to repair damage incurred by Hurricane Fabian in 2003. The repairs included replacement of the system that drives the rotating light, the exterior railing and repainting of both the interior and exterior of the lighthouse.

It towers 117 feet high from Gibb's Hill, 245 feet (35 meters) above the water, with the beacon 362 feet above sea level and the lighthouse itself 35 meters from the base to the lantern.  At first it was illuminated with kerosene and wound up to rotate. Today, electricity powers the mechanism. Its maritime light can be seen by ships 40 miles out to sea and by pilots of aircraft up to 120 miles away at 10,000 feet. There is no elevator, instead 185 very steep steps, in 8 flights. Photographs and drawings are displayed on the way up. From there, see how Bermuda is not just one island but many - and appreciate why the lighthouse was built on a high hill inland so its light could be seen by ships at sea to the south and north. In both light and radar surveillance, it plays a key role in safety of ships at sea. Its Swedish built radar system covers the entire western area of Bermuda. It is connected by a microwave link to Harbor Radio (located at Fort George in St. George's Parish), the central facility for ensuring that vessels of all sizes are guided to safety in local waters instead of running aground on any underwater reefs or other hazards. 

The most prominent local landmark, it was the second British cast iron lighthouse. After years of debate on whether this site or one on Wreck Hill in Sandys Parish was more suitable, this site won. Testing included flaming barrels of tar. A proposal to have it built went to London in the 1840's. The location of 39 wrecks was cited as what a structure like this might have prevented. Approval was granted.

Plates for the building were constructed in London at a cost of 5,500 pounds sterling, designed by engineer Mr. George Groves, working for the firm of Alexander S. Gordon which was awarded the contract. The plates were shipped to Bermuda, unloaded at Jew's Bay and hauled by British convicts transported to Bermuda and working in chain gangs overland and up the hill with considerable difficulty. The first was laid on December 12, 1844, with Mr. Groves superintending a team of British engineers. They were led by Lieutenant Colonel Philip Barry who was sent out from England in 1844 as Commanding Officer of the Royal Engineers based in Bermuda. The building was completed in 1845. The structure was officially opened on May 1, 1846 with Groves in attendance. (In later life, he achieved a knighthood and immortality as the editor of the "bible" of classical musicians, the Grove Dictionary, still published today). Legend has it that when the lighthouse first went into operation, residents of the area tossed aside their whale oil lanterns and candles in the belief the big lighthouse would light up their nights forever! Some folks still refer to it the way their mid 19th century forebears did, as the "Parish Lantern."

It was visited in May 1861 by Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, second son of Queen Victoria, during his six-day Bermuda visit; and in 1880 by (another) Prince Albert, 16, and Prince George, 15, sons of the-then Prince of Wales, later, Edward VII), who arrived as midshipmen on HMS Bacchante.

In 1882, on December 6, a Transit of Venus occurred, clearly visible from Bermuda for several hours. A team of British scientists and astronomers from the Royal Greenwich Observatory were sent to Bermuda to witness it. They set up camp a few weeks before the event. They were led by well-known astronomer and meteorologist John Isaac Plummer and their viewing was conducted from this lighthouse. In the USA, from its sightings there, US composer John Phillip Sousa composed the march "The Transit of Venus" in its honor.

Sousa's Transit of Venus March

The refreshment and souvenir facility, the Lighthouse Tea Room at the base of the beacon, has an English cream tea menu.

A good book is Bermuda Light - The Story of Gibb's Hill Lighthouse by Michael Dolding. He and his family once lived at what is now the Lighthouse Tearoom Restaurant.

Golf

The above file gives details of all Bermuda golf courses.  This Parish has several good ones.

Great Sound

The beautiful, large, body of water which includes the northern part of this Parish, goes east, all the way to Pembroke Parish. If you take the ferry from the city of Hamilton you'll cross it and enjoy the fabulous seascapes. Or you can rent a sailboat and get closer to many small, fascinating islands. Alternatively, take one of the big cruise boat tours operated by several local companies, with optional extras such as cocktails, dinner cruises, shore parties on an island and more.

Horseshoe Bay

Horseshoe Bay (public, large (about 4 miles). superb. Horseshoe Road, off South Road and on bus route #7. Walk down the hill to the beach from the bus. With lifeguards on duty from May to September. Also a restaurant, changing facilities, bathrooms (toilets), parking. The best-known and one of the best Bermuda beaches. Every year it has a sand castle and sand creation competition. Best in early morning to avoid crowds. Wading pool, shallow waters for small children, good swimming and snorkeling for adults, swimmers should note swells. Many fish in waters. Beach chairs and snorkel equipment for rent. Also has nice walking trails with secluded coves nearby. Every August, with a Sand Sculpture Competition. Every Good Friday, an annual Bermuda Kite Festival is held here, with thousands of families and children participating in kite competition. Mostly locals plus some visitors bring Bermuda and other kites of all shapes, designs, sizes. Prizes are awarded by category. 

Photo: Bermuda Tourism

Islands of the Parish

Jew's Bay

With a public wharf. A sea bay (inlet) on the Parish's northern shore. Scenic and serene, it is protected from the waters of the Great Sound by a number of islands. Worth a stop, especially if you're sightseeing by moped (it isn't easily accessible via public transport), for the fine views of the Great Sound. Access it via the main Middle Road. It's clearly sign posted, with its own little lane. The name may have been arranged as a religious counterpoint to Christian Bay, on the parish's southern coast, or a group of once-itinerant Jews who once dwelt nearby may have inspired it. The latter is more likely. Unfortunately, at that 1693 time in Bermuda's history, Jews had a harder time of it than so-called Christians, with a Jews-only trading tax plus a monthly tax for continued residency in the colony and an additional customs duty on goods they - but not others - imported. Only much later were these Bermuda censures against Jews relaxed. In 1844 the prefabricated iron parts of Gibb's Hill Lighthouse were imported into Jews Bay by the ship "John Renwick" which brought them from England. They were dragged up a hill and assembled by British convicts then undergoing hard manual labor in Bermuda, under the supervision of Royal Engineers of the British Army.

Little Sound

Part of the Great Sound.

Middle Road

The Parish section of this main road is worth exploring by bus (the #8 route) or moped in Monday to Friday non rush hours. Going east from Overplus Lane (the boundary of Sandys and Southampton Parishes), you'll parallel the Bermuda Railroad Trail (see separate mention) for quite a way, enjoy the same views, pass the entrance to the famous Port Royal Golf Course, more rural scenery, interesting side roads, the Southampton Princess Hotel on the hill to the right, and the Waterlot Inn to the left. After more great sea and land views, you'll reach the boundary with Warwick Parish at the Heron Bay Plaza and the road to Riddle's Bay.

Morgan's Point

Once a collection of separate islands in the Great Sound all joined together at a cost entirely borne by US wartime taxpayers of over US$75 million at that time. 

Named after Morgan's Island located here until bulldozed to build the sprawling US Naval Annex during World War II, it covers 260 acres. 

Former US Navy facility  from 1941 to 1995, variously named from US Naval Operating Base to US Naval Air Station. 

Over more than 50 years of US Military occupation, thousands of US Navy personnel were stationed there, many with their wives and families.

(Right) US Navy aircraft from this base patrolling over Bermuda

Its roads were 

• Boxer Road, named after a late WW2 aircraft carrier which bore the names of earlier USN vessels.

• Constitution Road, named after the 44-gun frigate USS Constitution built at Boston in 1797.

• Enterprise Road, after the USS Enterprise.

• Essex Road, after the USS Essex.

• Hancock Road, after the USS Hancock.

• Intrepid Road, after the USS Intrepid.

• Lexington Road. After Lexington, MA and ships by that name.

• Monterey Road, after Monterey, CA and ships by that name.

• Pier Road. At the main pier.

• Point Cruz Road, after the USS Point Cruz.

• Randolph Road, after the USS Randolph ships.

• Ranger Road, after the USS Ranger.

• Saratoga Road, after USS Saratoga.

• Shangri-La Road, after the USS Shangri-La.

• Wasp Road, after the USS Wasp.

• Yorktown Road, after the ship by that name and where Lord Cornwallis surrendered British forces in 1781.  

Morgan’s Point today is the largest piece of unutilized land in Bermuda. The former US Naval Annex remains a desolate out-of-bounds peninsula. Unfortunately, it has been off limits to all visitors and locals since May 30, 1995. Part of the legacy is the pollution caused during its previous use. The cost of cleaning up the site so that it can once more be safely used by the public is a matter of debate. It is the last remaining large development opportunity for an integrated resort and commercial complex in Bermuda. It has spectacular views across the Great Sound with 5,300 meters of waterfront. The mainland area is 190 acres, with 60 acres on the peninsular joined by a causeway. The peninsular projects into the Great Sound and is all flat land. 

The Bermuda Government claims the US Navy pumped raw sewage into the system of caves underneath the entire base, including Bassett's Cave; allowed old oil to leak from storage tanks; and left tons of hazardous heavy metals like mercury, lead and cadmium. Cleaning up the mess and pollution left behind after the military base closed, plus the huge potential contingent liability afterwards, is one reason why the area has not been developed yet. In December 2011 it was revealed by the Bermuda Government that around $35m of taxpayers money is expected to be used to clean up the former US military base, starting in April 2012. The early phases should be accomplished within 24 months of the date and completed within five years. The estimated cost of the works, including provisional items, is likely to be near US$35,595,195 with the worst case cost of US$36,140,026.

Like the former Fort Bell/USAAF/Kindley AFB/USNAS complex, this former base is now owned by - and the responsibility of - the Bermuda Land Development Company, a Bermuda Government-owned entity.

In late March 2011, Bermuda's House of Assembly was told a fresh era in tourism was being ushered in as a bill allowing a “critically important” $2 billion resort to be built at Morgan’s Point was approved by the Bermuda Government. Deputy Premier Derrick Burgess declared the development on the former US Naval Annex would become “a glittering jewel in tourism’s crown”, providing vast numbers of jobs for Bermudians and first-class facilities for visitors and locals. But he admitted Government didn’t have the $30 to $40 million needed to clean up the pollution left on the peninsula by the US military and said the developers were “considering a methodology” whereby they would carry out the work “in lieu of the Government.” MPs from both opposition parties offered effusive praise for the Morgan’s Point Resort Act 2011 and the three Bermudian developers who plan to build the luxury resort: Craig Christensen, Nelson Hunt and Brian Duperreault. Mr Burgess told the House: “It was the Government’s view that the United States Government should take responsibility for the clean-up, but all of the appeals in that regard failed, including visits to the US Navy at the Pentagon, representation to Congressional and Senate leaders on Capitol Hill and enlisting the support of the United Kingdom Government. In the absence of the hoped for assistance of the United States Government, the Government of Bermuda accepts unequivocally its responsibility to hand over to any developer land that is environmentally suitable for development and has been taking steps in that regard. Government has made clear to all concerned that it retains oversight responsibility for the clean-up.” The Act passed finalizes a land swap deal between Government and the developers, which sees them hand over the 37-acre pristine Southlands estate to the public in exchange for 80 acres of brownfield land at Morgan’s Point and a lease on another 128 acres. Mr Burgess presented the bill, telling MPs the exchange would be a “win-win” for both Government and the developers, whose company was Southlands Ltd, but has been renamed Morgan’s Point Ltd. He said the proposed development would include three hotels with a total of 465 rooms, condominiums and residences for single families. There would also be a “magnificent” par 71 golf course at 6,785 yards to be designed by Canadian firm Carrick, as well as a marina, retail shopping, a spa, water sport activities and restaurants. Mr Burgess reaffirmed the Government’s view that the proposed creation of a five-star hotel, a championship golf course and related facilities at Morgan’s Point, Southampton, is a critically important opportunity for Bermuda, one that will not only provide a glittering jewel in tourism’s crown, but one that will result in myriad benefits for our Island as a whole.

In February 2010, Government said the clean-up was delayed while alternative funding sources were sought. In February 2011 it was announced that the clean-up of pollution at Morgan's Point will not go ahead in the coming financial year. Public Works Minister Derrick Burgess told MPs there was no government money available in 2011-12. The Morgan's Point project is expected to cost $35 million and will need to take place in order for a proposed $2 billion luxury resort to be developed on the peninsula. He said about $540,000 of the total allocated funding by Government of $35 million had been spent. Bales of waste stored by Government at Morgan's Point since 2010, while work was done at Tynes Bay, would be returned to Tynes Bay to be incinerated in spring 2011.

The project involves the removal and burying of all asbestos-containing materials from the existing buildings; the demolition of all buildings on the site; the removal of a number of underground fuel storage tanks. It also involves the removal of several miles of underground fuel pipeline; the remediation of areas of split and leaked fuel; the cleaning up of Bassett's Cave, contaminated with various petrochemical and sewage deposits; and the capping of two landfill sites, including constructing new seawalls where they are adjacent to the sea.

Earlier, there had been at least three failed bids to redevelop the area on a leasehold basis. The first was from British based Renaissance Resorts International Ltd. It won the bid but failed to act. The second was from Morgan's Harbour Investment Ltd. It too won the bid but also failed to act in 1999. The third was from BEAM Ltd. The $250-$300 million project was expected to create 220 jobs in the first two years of development and 350 more thereafter. It was to have included a PGA championship 18 hole golf course - for which two plans were drawn up by famous golfers; a community village; cottage colony; housing, with a range of medium and high priced homes; and marina in two phases, to include coastal protection works; an environmental cleanup; installation of electricity, water, telecommunications and sewage treatment facilities and public parks.  But nothing happened. Announced on October 24, 2003 was the news that the Bermuda Government, instead of all previous projects, intended to turn Morgan's Point into Bermuda's fourth residential hub, after Hamilton, St. George's and Southside in St. David's. But that too stalled. Environmental clean-up costs at the massive former Base are often cited as the reason for lack of interest in the property. In 2002 it was estimated that cleaning up the former US Naval Annex would cost $30 million. 

Morgan's Point hotel development planned

Pompano Beach Club

Pompano Beach Road, Southampton Parish. Reached from Middle Road. Located west of and not far from the Port Royal Golf Course, in an area once named the Overplus. Phone (800) 343-4155 in the USA or Canada or (441) 234 0222 directly. E-mail info@pompano.bm. Offers all-inclusive rates on application. 74-room hotel, family-owned since 1956, originally as Bermuda's first fishing club, named after the pompano game fish prolific in these parts. It has expanded appreciably since. It celebrated its 55th anniversary in 2011. Has many repeat guests and long-serving staff. Taxi fare from/to airport from $38 per taxi for 1-4 passengers or from $48 for 5-6 passengers. Managing Director Tom Lamb III and his brother Larry are owners  Offers dramatic ocean views from the main clubhouse and all guest rooms. With two fine restaurants, pool, its own private South Shore beach, fitness center, bar and much more. A spectacular location, in gorgeous turquoise waters, for the non-disabled. The two tennis courts are clay. It is on its own private road well away from all the noise of traffic, so it offers peace and tranquility. The 8 bus route is on the main Middle Road a mile away and if you stay here a courtesy shuttle bus from the hotel will take you there or collect you to and from the bus stop at the junction of Middle Road and Pompano Beach Road.

Pompano Beach. Private. Spectacular reef swimming in beautiful waters for guests. All references to "Pompano" point to a tasty game fish, the Pompano (Trachinotus glaucos) common in or near Bermuda coastal waters in the summer months, especially in this area. These game fish put up a mighty fight before being caught. They are shiny white when hooked and are often almost invisible when viewed in strong sunlight against the sandy seabed of inshore waters.

Pompano Beach

Port Royal Golf Course

Photo: Bermuda Tourism

Government-owned. 18 holes. 5 Middle Road, Southampton Parish, SB 02. Mailing address is P. O. Box SN 189, Southampton, Bermuda SN BX. E-mail prgc@bermudagolf.bm. It opened in 1970 as a Robert Trent Jones-designed 18 hole, 6,561 yards par 71 public course. Re-opened in January 2009 after a $14 million renovation of the 37 years old course including increase of the course yardage by 281 yards to 6,842 yards. Phones: Office 234 -0974 (fax) 234-3562. Pro Shop 234-0972; Tee Times 234-4653; Golf Pro (fax) 234-3630; Maintenance 234-1182; Restaurant/Bar 234-5037; Tennis Courts 238-9430 or 238-9070.  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. It hosts many tournaments and has been the home of the Bermuda Open. Sunset golf is from 4:00 pm with a reservation.

For visitors who arrive on one of the cruise ships, the closest cruise ship berth is Dockyard, about 8 miles away. 

Buses go to nearest stop about 600 yards away. If you bring your own clubs, you won't be able to go by public transportation (bus). Instead, take a taxi. Check rates with course depending on time of day and time of year. 

This is the highest-rated by far of Bermuda's two government-owned and run courses, considered one of the best - and most expensive - of world public courses. More rounds are played here than on any other Bermuda course. The signature hole has been the 176-yard, par 3 16th, the small green of which, perched on the edge of the coastal cliffs, has become notorious. Drive too far left and the ball ends up in the ocean.

Port Royal Tennis Club

Phone 238-9070. At Port Royal Golf Course.  there are 4 plexi-pave courts, 2 night lit. Fee-paying.

Princess Park

A small but scenic park nestled in the grounds of the Southampton Princess Hotel, with superb views of the Great Sound.

Queen's View

A panoramic view of the Great Sound from this spot close to Riddell's Bay, at the northern end of Tribe Road # 2. Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh were here in 1995 and she unveiled the plaque shown.

Railway Trail

Part of it passes through this Parish.

The Reefs

South Road, Southampton Parish. Phone (800) 742-2008 in the USA or Canada or directly at (441) 238-0222. Fax (441) 238 8372. E-mail reefsbda@ibl.bm. Taxi fare from/to airport from $35 per taxi for 1-4 passengers or from $45 for 5-6 passengers. 

A beach resort nestled into coral cliffs above a private pink beach with good diving and snorkel facilities. Each guest room has Bermuda-inspired colors. Each private lanai is situated to give maximum privacy. 

With three gourmet restaurants, bar and fitness center. The 2 tennis courts are plexi-pave. On the 7 bus route. Owned by David Dodwell, a former Minister of Tourism for the United Bermuda Party. (He also owns a hotel on the island of Nevis, Caribbean). 

It applied for and got major renovations under the Hotels Concessions Act and has invested US$5 million on renovations and additions. It has new suites, entrance area, landscaping and first "infinity" hotel swimming pool in Bermuda. The USA's Travel & Leisure magazine voted this hotel as best in in the Caribbean region for the standard of its rooms, facilities, service, food, restaurant and value - and 23rd best in the world. in June 2007 work started on a $40 million dollar new development, The Reefs Club. It is a Private Residence Club (PRC) with 19 two-and-three bedroom residences all with unobstructed ocean views and will feature a spa on the patio of every unit.  

Residents also have access to an infinity pool, whirlpool, club lounge and state-of-the-art fitness centre.  

The Reefs beach

The PRC is located immediately west of The Reefs property. The PRC units are fractionally owned, meaning there will be ten owners per unit. When a unit is purchased the owners get to select the dates they will be residing there, but also have the right to use the unit whenever it is free. Owning at a luxury fractional development such as this is essentially the only feasible way for foreigners to own real estate in Bermuda, due to a government policy that restricts the amount of real estate that can be sold to non-Bermudians. Because of their affiliations with hotel properties, private residence clubs are not affected by these regulations.

Restaurants in the Parish

See under Bermuda Cuisine and Restaurants.

Rockaway Ferry Stop

The site of Bermuda's new fast ferry stop, completed in March 2002. It cost US$3 million and is just before the entrance to the former (and closed to the public) United States Naval Annex. The ferry stop was built to take the front-loading ferries from April 2002. They cut the journey time from Rockaway and Dockyard to between 17 and 20 minutes in the rush hours, 35 minutes on Saturdays. Contractors built a road to the site through Tribe Road Number 5. The site has 87 parking places for cars, a security officer and a toilet with disabled access.

Seymour Farm Nature Reserve

Operated by the Bermuda Audubon Society. Has an interesting pond.

St. Anne's Church

On South Road and Church Road, a sightseeing attraction and historic Parish Anglican (Episcopalian) church. It claims the oldest baptismal and marriage records in Bermuda, with its first baptism in 1619. It owns a silver chalice marked 1603/4 and inscribed Port Royal Church (as then known).  The church has its own graveyard.

Sharon Wilson Gallery

At 2 Turtle Place off the South Road and clearly sign posted. Telephone 238-2583 for opening and closing hours, or to meet Sharon herself. 

Southampton Parish Council

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.

South Beaches (prime beaches and hotel site, awaiting development)

On its own 33-acre peninsula of picturesque landscaped grounds in Southampton Parish, with 13 acres along the South Shore bordered by three  private pink sand beaches on three natural bays, via a very steep hill from the main South Road. It is near the # 7 bus.

On May 11, 2011 it was announced this ocean-front 32-acre site is up for sale. Jones Lang LaSalle, with Rego Sotheby's International Realty in Bermuda, are exclusive agents to market the development site. It includes three South Shore beaches and is zoned for mixed tourism and residential use. Current entitlements allow for the construction of a hotel plus 88 residential units of which 47 could be sold to non-Bermudians. No asking price has been attached to the site. A compelling site, it has wonderful topography, and beautiful water views from all levels, overlooking the three beaches. 

Former hotel site, Royal Gazette photo

The site is exceptional in that it comes freehold, without a requirement. as is the case for all other hotels in Bermuda owned by non-Bermudians for a buyer to take on a long-term lease with the Government. Scout Real Estate, the US developer which bought the 32-acre spread in 2007 had planned to build a five-star resort there. But after demolishing the former hotel which was known as the Sonesta and later the Wyndham Bermuda Resort and Spa, plans were scuppered. Lehman Brothers, the US investment bank which filed for bankruptcy protection during the financial crisis of 2008, had been the main financier of the approximately $200 million project. It had been expected to open in 2011 as a US$300 million investment, with 150-rooms, with individual beach villas around three beach coves, a luxury spa and fitness center, several pools and restaurants and shopping venues. Scout's other properties include The Harbor View Hotel & Resort and The Kelley House on Martha's Vineyard and various properties totaling 6,000 acres on the Big Island in Hawaii.

South Road

A bus (the # 7 route) or moped tour along this scenic road offers seascapes much of the way. From east to west the Parish part of this main road starts just past Warwick Camp, where it overlooks Chaplin Bay. Continuing west, the road gives you magnificent views - and lookout points to get off the road and park, briefly - over Horseshoe Bay on the seaward side and all the other beach areas of the Parish comprising the South Shore Park and Parklands. Further on, you'll see the Southampton Princess Hotel and Golf Course on the right, the Sonesta Beach Hotel and Spa on its private peninsula on the left, the Reefs also on the left, and much more. Just past Church Bay, the road turns inland, gives you clear views over the Great Sound, then terminates at the junction with the Middle Road.

South Shore Park beaches

See Beaches.

In order of appearance, they are Port Royal, Horseshoe Bay, Peel Bay, Butt's, Middle, Wafer Rocks, Angle, Hidden, Chaplin Bay and Jobson's Cove. South of the Lighthouse, off the South Shore, Horseshoe Bay has a quarter mile of curved pink sand fringed by limestone cliffs and a park setting north of it. There is a life guard. Get there by bus (number 7 stops on the main road) and then via a walk or a moped or taxi or car, up and down a steep hill. Peel Bay is just east of and may be accessed via Horseshoe Bay. It is its equal in many respects of its bigger adjacent brother but without the same facilities. Chaplain Bay got the name from the fact that some chaplains, conducting beach side weddings in this perfect spot for such solemn ceremonies, have been known to cast their eyes upward to their Maker and intone with great reverence that this is the part of Heaven they trust will be reserved for them.

Turtle Hill

Where the Southampton Princess Hotel was built. Before that, it was once owned by Sir Nathaniel Rich, one of the original directors and shareholders of the Bermuda Company, from 1615 until his death in 1636.  On 7th April 1941, the American Army took it over. The American leader, Captain (later Admiral) Jules James USN received commendations for his careful and diplomatic handling of the Bermuda Government and the people of the island, unlike the-then Governor of Bermuda. In another connection with Bermuda, Capt. James was a cousin of Nancy Astor, the first woman elected to the Parliament in London; she was married to a relative of one of the richest men in the world, Vincent Astor, who built a great home on Ferry Reach. (Astor erected the house with his first wife, Helen Huntington, but both likely lost interest in it when the pristine Castle Harbour, their main vista, was destroyed to make Kindley Field). One of the Americans who came to Bermuda at that time was a Captain Charles Beaudry USA, who spent most of the war in Bermuda. He made friends with many Bermudians, and made many pictures of the island, the new military works and Bermuda scenes of the time. Captain F. W. Clipper was another US Army officer in Bermuda and often at this location at that time. He too stayed in Bermuda, married into a local family and subsequently contributed hugely to the social benefit of Bermuda. Colonel Beaudry later donated his photographic collection to the Bermuda Maritime Museum which has an archive of American activity on the island during the war. By 1939, the several hundred British guns at Bermuda had been reduced to two 6-inch Breech Loaders manned by the Bermuda Militia Artillery at St. David's Battery. Two more such guns were installed that year at Warwick Camp, but with only four weapons island-wide, the Americans willingly assume the coastal defence of Bermuda and brought in some big guns. Captain Beaudry was in charge of installing some, two of which were at Turtle Hill, where a camp was soon installed amidst the rolling cedar strewn landscape. On the highest part of the hill, two circular Panama Mounts were built in concrete to take 155mm GPF guns. Similar guns were placed at Cooper's Island, while massive railway guns, mounted on a set of tracks, were installed at Scaur Hill and between Forts Victoria and Albert on St. George's Island. A year later, fixed installations replaced the latter and two others were built at Tudor Hill near the Naval Operating Base, where Captain Jules James set up camp at the first American station in Bermuda.  At the American Army encampment at Turtle Hill, the facilities included an open-air mess hall. See the surviving Panama Mount gun emplacement which once had a 155mm GPF gun.

West Whale Bay Battery, Beach, Fort, Park

See Beaches.

A Bermuda National Park. (Number 8 on your Bermuda National Parks and Reserves map). One of the Forts of Bermuda.