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Published: December 28th 2020
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St Helena Island is a British Overseas Territory located in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is 1,200 miles (1,950 kilometres) from the South-West coast of Africa and 1,800 miles (2,900 kilometres) from the coast of South America. It has a sub-tropical climate and is one of the remotest settled islands in the world.
This island was described in some blurb we had read as 'unexceptional volcanic rocks in the ocean ' However, we had also been told by others who had been here that it was a very interesting stop and we were both looking forward to it. We had booked the ship's tour as we thought that this was the most appropriate way to see the island.
In the event all things were true. We didn't get off to a very auspicious start as the harbour road from the quay to Jamestown (the capital) had suffered a rock fall (or three) and the street was strewn with boulders. Works traffic was busy suspending iron netting to the cliff face to capture any future falling boulders. The capital was, on first sight, a tiny village squeezed into a narrow incised valley about 150 metres wide and a kilometre or
so long. The city was founded when colonists from the English East India Company settled on the island in 1659 and is named after James, Duke of York, the future King James II of England.
Many of the buildings built by the East India Company in the 1700's survive and give the town its distinctive Georgian flavour. The streets too were mainly single lane so a convoy of six or so coaches and minivans (the ship had purloined the entire public vehicular capacity of the island) had quite an impact on the transport network. After driving through town we went up Ladder Hill, a steep road that climbs onto the high ground from the valley, and stopped near the top for a photo shoot of Jamestown.
We stopped at a fort and a waterfall which was pretty impressive because it had poured down immediately before our arrival and the cascade was fairly energetic. We next moved on to Napoleon's grave - which of course isn't as he was exhumed and reburied in Les Invalides in Paris. The walk down the hill was very pleasant and his first resting place was a very attractive glade purchased and managed by
the French government - complete with French tricoleur flags. Next stop on the tour was Longwood House where Napoleon lived out his remaining days. He was exiled here on 10th December 1815 and passed away here on 5 May 1821. It would be inappropriate to call it a prison; it was a fine residential property. It had a range of assorted antiques, a gift shop and a very interesting garden with a manicured triangular green and many trees and shrubs - not all of them indigenous. This, too, was maintained by the French government and the tricoleur was again in evidence.
We drove around the island's country lanes at a fairly high elevation. The landscape was quite lunar and barren in parts but also, higher up, there were areas of green pasture and also a forested national park. We stopped for a photo shoot in Sandy Bay - an oxymoron as there are no beaches on the island - but couldn't get down to the sea as the streets were too narrow. We continued on our way past a couple of rural churchyards, one called St Paul's Cathedral (ha ha!) and on to the Governor's residence known as Plantation
House which is located 3.6 kilometres (2.2 miles) to the south of the capital.
This is a fine building, again on elevated ground, with public access to the grounds within which there were a number of giant tortoises - probably from the Seychelles - one of which, Jonathan, is reputed to be over 175 years old and the oldest resident on the island! The house was built 1791-2 by the East India Company, as a "country" or summer residence for the governor. The company governed the island until 1834, when it became a crown colony, although governors of the island have continued to use the property since. We were not allowed inside but we had a wander round the grounds and took a number of photos of the tortoises as well as one of the main man's car. No, it wasn't a Rolls - given the nature of the roads he satisfied himself with a very modest white Ford Escort - with the royal pennant and no number plate of course.
We moved on to the largest settlement on the island, a dispersed rural community called Half Tree Hollow overlooking Jamestown on the high ground to the east.
This, too, had a small fort, overlooking the main harbour. However, the main attraction was Jacob's Ladder. This comprised a set of steps down to Jamestown, built originally as an inclined plane for a railway track. There were 699 steps down to the town and we decided to descend them. (Climbing up was never an option). This was about a 20 minute descent which told heavily on M's calf muscles. It was very steep and no place to fall. Once we had descended into Jamestown it was a little like a set on an American movie. The general stores sold everything and there was even an internet at Ann's place - which doubled as a restaurant and bar as well as an internet cafe. However, with only two machines there was no chance of a posting any blogs. So we wandered up the main street via the tourist centre, specially opened for us like other enterprises, to the only major hotel - a bit like a wild west saloon - where we had a beer. Having been given change in St Helena pounds M had to dash out and spend it on a T shirt. We were, though, told about
the island distillery whilst supping our lager and decided to spend the last hour there. The distillery was established six or so years ago by Paul from Haverford West in Pembrokeshire. He told us arrived in St Helena via the Falkland's. He bought his distilling gear from a German company and set up an enterprise distilling prickly pears into a drink called Tungi. Along with his local wife whom he also met in the Falklands he has made a successful business here on the island. Unfortunately, there aren't enough raw materials to service the UK market and he supplies all his output - about 5,000 bottles per annum - to a sole distributor in Cornwall. He also made a coffee liqueur and a white vanilla flavoured rum, also in limited quantities. We bought a bottle of Tungi and a bottle of the coffee stuff.
We returned to the ship and agreed this was a much more interesting stop than expected, but not really a place for a long visit; maybe a stopover to South Africa if the long-promised airport ever gets built.
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