Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyard
The Royal Naval Dockyard, 441-234-3824, has had a long and often turbulent history. The American War of Independence brought the loss of English ports on the American mainland, but English interests in the area were far from finished. Pirates and privateers plied the waters, the French under Napoleon threatened English shipping
routes to and from the West Indies, and then, of course, there were the Americans themselves. The British Navy
needed a major port and a dockyard capable of handling repairs to their warships. Bermuda seemed to be the ideal location.
Extensive surveys were carried out during the latter part of the 18th century and work began on the massive port project in 1809. The construction was done by thousands of slaves and English convicts under the direction of the Royal Corps of Engineers. The great breakwaters, the wharves, the boatslip, barracks, victualing yards, and the enormous fort took many, many years to complete. The unpaid laborers, working in the most appalling conditions, died by the thousands during this time.
For the next 150 years the Dockyard functioned as the British presence in the Western Atlantic. The great three-masted ships-of-the-line were replaced first by the steam-driven ironclads and then by the modern fleets we know today. Eventually, however, the need for the Dockyard dwindled and the Royal Naval Dockyard closed for good in 1951. Even so, a visit here cannot fail to stir the blood. The massive structures, where generation after generation of British seamen lived out their traditions in the sunshine or in the shadow of the great fort, are silent now. Only fading images of the past remain among the crumbling structures.
It might seem strange that one of Bermuda’s oldest establishments is now its newest tourist attraction, but many of the old Dockyard buildings have been tastefully converted into shops, stores, restaurants and pubs. The Dockyard itself is a landscaped park with lawns and walks that stretch from one end to the other and along the water’s edge. Aside from its shopping opportunities, the area is an extensive tourist center and yachting haven. Visitors by the hundreds arrive by bus, ferry and cruise ship to ride the tourist submarine Enterprise, the sightseeing helicopter, or visit the Maritime Museum housed in the nearby fortifications.
Of the buildings that remain structurally sound, the most impressive is the Clocktower Centre. The Clocktower Building, completed in 1856, is an exercise in architectural elegance and extravagance. The huge building has three-foot-thick walls and 100-foot-high twin towers. It was used as office space for the administration of naval stores. The clock on the south tower was cast in England in 1857 by John Moore & Sons. The matching clock on the north tower has just one hand that was set daily to indicate high-tide time (the safest time for seamen to navigate the reefs).
Today, the magnificent building has found new life as a shopping mall. The Clocktower Centre mall has 30 shops offering everything from antiques to gifts, old books to designer fashions. Even on the hottest summer days, the interior of this old building is cool – the massive walls have an insulating effect. For lunch or afternoon tea and sandwiches, try Pirates Landing, 441-234-5151.
Know Before You Go!