Bathsheba

Bathsheba

The main fishing village in the parish of Saint Joseph, Bathsheba is on the east coast of Barbados, with a population of around 5,000. The town has many picturesque churches. Saint Joseph's Anglican Church was built on the town's Horse Hill as early as 1640, but was rebuilt in 1839 after the hurricane of 1831. The Little Saint Joseph Chapel was built nearby in 1837, but following a landslide it was restored and dedicated to Saint Aiden in 1904. There are a number of attractions here, including the Flower Forest and the Cotton Tower, famous for its dramatic scenery and views of the Scotland District. The Joe's River Tropical Rainforest is located on the town outskirts, with roughly 85 hectares of rainforest and woodland, giant ficus trees, citrifolias, pine trees, white trees, cabbage palms and mahogany trees. The beach at Bathsheba is known as the Soup Bowl, where local and international surfing competitions are held annually. Another attraction of Bathsheba beach is the large boulder that lies slightly off the beach, known by some as Bathsheba Rock. Bathsheba is home to the Andromeda Botanical Garden, an 8-hectare botanical garden and historic cultural attraction. The garden was created by Iris Bannochie, a Barbadian self-taught scientist and multiple award-winning horticulturalists. Named after the Greek mythological figure Andromeda, it started as a private collection of plants around the home of Mrs. Bannochie, who was also the island's leading horticulturalist.