St. Nicholas Abbey Heritage Great House and Rum Distillery Tour

Posted By : 595nicholasd
What an amazing place and beautiful setting on Barbados with a fascinating history. The tour is very well worth doing, the little restaurant has live music and great food. And of course the rums are delicious! Everyone is very friendly and interesting to talk to. A definite must when visiting Barbados.
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Posted On : 2024-05-13

Posted By : Tricia246
Really enjoyed this day. The tour guide was excellent. From the house tour to the rum distillery and tasting and then lunch with live music, we enjoyed it all
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Posted On : 2024-04-27

Posted By : Dietboy
This is a great day out. The steam train is fun and informative with a stop for photos of the bay and local crafts to buy. The house is incredibly interesting and full of history and the distillery is still using the same methods to produce it's fine rum. Lunch was tasty and reasonably priced. An experience to remember!
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Posted On : 2024-04-26

Posted By : frankmK189DJ
We went on a rainy day. It is at the north end of the island, and cab fare was substantial. make sure to arrange for your ride to stay, it does cost a bit extra but this area is remote and cabs do not routinely hang out here. we toured the house then the distillery. got tickets online and that was a good idea. the house is beautiful and the tour has some fun facts and artifacts. it is accessible on the first level with a wheelchair, but there are some stairs or you have to go around so this could be tricky. the distillery has fantastic rum, we got 2 bottles and had one engraved as a gift. ate at the cafe and had a really delicious lunch of flying fish cutters and crisps (along with some rum punch). even in the rain it was cool to see and i would recommend going to see it. also, there is a nature preserve near, and i think we will try the train ride in the future, as well as some fantastic views. be aware though, if you approach from the east, especially if you are driving a rental car, that the roads are narrow, windy, steep and treacherous.
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Posted On : 2024-04-16

Posted By : michelen914
The surrounding countryside is stunning with fields of sugar cane and huge cherry mahogany trees. The house itself is a miniature version of the English Jacobean Manor House, we are from the UK, and we have visited many, and this one was like a dolls house version. You can only see a few rooms on the ground floor due to the dilapidated state of the upper floors. The staircase is rotting and unsafe, as is the first floor, which may collapse. This was disappointing, and surely money could and should be found to make repairs for future visitors and to preserve the history. We then were shown the sugar cane process and did the usual rum tasting. Finally, we watched an old 1920s film of the Cave family on the island and at the Abbey. As interesting as the tour was, I was expecting to hear something about the lives of the people enslaved here but nothing at all. It felt glossed over. They hand you a pamphlet that briefly mentions slavery but the last 4 pages entitled "A Colourful History " focus solely on the white plantation owners. This seems a bit insensitive and off, and in my opinion, it needs to be changed.
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Posted On : 2024-04-04

Posted By : Goldengirl100
We had a nice time at St Nicholas Abbey up until we saw the poor stressed birds in the dirty cages that are way too small for them. A lot of them looked miserable, stressed and were missing feathers. There were no places for them to nest or hide. There were no toys for the macaw and cockatoo. There was no space for them to fly. They are highly intelligent and need stimulation. They both were alone and had not chance to socialise. The cages were also filthy, as if they haven’t been cleaned in weeks. The brochure says that the cockatoo gets to go outside the cage but what about all the other birds? They all need space to fly which currently they don’t. I really don’t understand how everything else was so well taken care off onsite, but the needs of these animals are neglected. I hate seeing animals being treated like this. It won’t cost much to keep them in better conditions.. Please St Nicholas Abbey take on board what your customers are saying and improve the living conditions of these birds!
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Posted On : 2024-04-03

Posted By : Peterjhalford
Saint Nicholas Abbey, with its historic train and rum distillery, offers a delightful experience for visitors of all ages. Our two-year-old, thoroughly enjoyed the visit, going on the train, seeing the views and the grand house. The opportunity to meet the owner and experience their hospitality adds a personal touch that makes the visit even more memorable. It's places like these that not only showcase the rich heritage and craftsmanship of rum-making but also create a warm, welcoming atmosphere that we will remember for a long time. Well worth visiting!
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Posted On : 2024-04-02

Posted By : Emullmer
We planned an afternoon visit for St Nicholas Abbey. The grounds are well kept and it felt cooler in the tropical setting. We saw many types of trees, flowers, birds, and a large turtle. We did a self guided tour of the grounds and a guided tour inside the house, which was so worth it. Our guide gave us many facts and information; she was very knowledgeable on the house, the rum process, and the types of trees on the property. We walked to the rum distillery together and were able to see the sugar cane being processed. After we enjoyed the standard rum tasting for free, and bought a special bottle to bring home, which they engrave for a special keepsake. We concluded our visit at the restaurant where we had afternoon tea and a delicious rum cake.
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Posted On : 2024-04-02

Posted By : Voyager38456459754
Family's visit to SNA, we travelled via hire car... it was easy to find, and the drive-in was beautiful. We purchased the train and house options. The train ride was a short trip to Cherry Tree Hill Station, which offered stunning views over the east of the island, a short walk from the train. My husband and son enjoyed helping physically pushing the engine around on the ingenious turntable at the end of the track and then tooting the whistle before we descended back down to the Jacobean House. The guides were excellent and the train drivers so friendly with the kids. The house tour is interesting with a range of interesting facts, architecture and artefacts dating from 1696. Rihanna our tour guide was lovely. The film taken by the previous owner was a nice touch but, as historians, we felt that the history of slavery here wasn't addressed and this is a missed opportunity to deepen understanding of the development of the plantations and the global industry they supported. The rum tasting was fun and we enjoyed pizza and cake on the stunning terrace. A good day out. 💕
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Posted On : 2024-03-30

Posted By : wendyhQ3161GA
We loved our trip here however as we hadn’t pre booked the train, we were unable to participate in that part of the tour - book in advance!!! The house was interesting and the tour guides friendly. We met the owner Simon who was fabulous. So much fun and made us so welcome. 400 acres of trees, plants and greenery. The cafe is stunning. You can get your Rum personalised and engraved here, which we did! They will be extending the railway to make it even longer. Views to Cherry Tree Hill are worthy
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Posted On : 2024-03-29