Bermuda - Touring Sandy's Parish & West End

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From Somerset Bridge continue on to the Railway Trail. If  you don’t intend to hike the entire trail, simply take a stroll along the shady railway cut and enjoy splendid views of Great Sound. Scaur Hill Fort Park is less than three-quarters of a mile down the road from Somerset Bridge. The fort was built on the highest hill on Somerset Island in the 1870s to protect Her Majesty’s Royal Naval Dockyard in case of attack from the sea, ostensibly by American forces. To defend the fort and Dockyard from an attack by land from the south, an enormous dry moat was dug that effectively cut Somerset in two. Any attack from that direction would have meant crossing not only the great moat, but surviving enfilading fire from cannon and rifle.

The fort is open to the public and serves as an excellent photographic opportunity. It stands in a 22-acre park complete with trails and picnic areas. The moat heads down to the shores of Great Sound, where you can spend time fishing or swimming. The fort itself is a massive stone-wall structure with many ramparts to wander around.

Stand and look out across the sound toward Hamilton and you should be able to see the Dockyard away to your left. On a clear day with a telescope or binoculars, you might see St. David’s Lighthouse or Fort St. Catherine, both at the extreme eastern end of the islands. Scaur Hill Fort and Fort Park is open daily from 9 am to 4:30 pm. Admission is free. Return to the main road and head north a short distance to the Haydon Trust. The old chapel is thought to have been built around 1616. Visit the church and see the original oven in a small room behind the altar, a relic of the times when the building was a private residence. The grounds are well-kept, with a large lawn and several trails. The trust is open during daylight hours. Admission is free.

St. James’ Church, 441-234-0834, stands on high ground and overlooks the ocean to the west. The church, the ocean and a magnificent sunset can provide a once-in-a lifetime photo. Unfortunately, the original wooden church was destroyed in a hurricane in 1780. This replacement was consecrated in 1789; the iron gates were made by the Royal Engineers at the Dockyard in 1872, and the spire, added in 1880, was designed by Dr. Henry Hinson, a local physician who also designed spires for several other churches on the island. His spire was destroyed by lightning in 1937 and the one you see today is a faithful copy by Bermudian architect Will Onions. The church is open from dawn until dusk, and there’s a tourist information center just a short distance away.

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Know Before You Go!