Clifton Hall House is a magnificent plantation home which boasts a unique historical legacy. The Great House of Clifton Hall Plantation, Clifton Hall House was first mentioned in historical times in a mortgage recorded in 1656 when it then belonged to Prince Ferdinand Paleologus. A descendant of Greek royalty, Prince Ferdinand was buried just one half mile from the house at St. John's Church. Having immigrated to Barbados after fighting for the Royalists during the Civil war in Cromwell's time, Prince Ferdinand brought the name Clifton Hall with him from his birthplace in Cornwall, England. The property was later acquired in 1800 by the Haynes family who had owned many plantation houses in Barbados at the time. Built of coral stone, the Great House was completed in 1810. The house was then passed down through the Haynes family until the last of the line died in 1976 leaving no direct heirs. The house along with about 4 acres of land was eventually separated from the plantation house by a distant relative. In 1979 the house was bought by Mr. and Mrs. Peter Morgan who have restored the property to its present state. Situated about 800 feet above the East Coast of Barbados, the property is a quick 5 minute drive to the beautiful stretch of white sands known as Bath Beach. A relatively quiet beach, Bath is only heavily occupied by Barbadians around holidays. The constant, year round Easterly breezes cool the property daily negating any need whatsoever for air conditioning. The property harbours no other insects than the firefly which light up tranquil evenings that can be spent lounging outside. A unique feature of any home, hardly found in Barbados, are the two fireplaces, in the kitchen and outside sitting room, which give added warmth to the home during the winter months which do tend to get a bit chilly on the island. The two-storey home has large rooms and elevated ceilings. The dining room, living room, and office/study can be found on the ground floor. A unique eight foot wide gallery of marble tiles accentuates this area on three sides. The oldest parts of the home date back as far as the 17th century, parts of which are rubble stone, include a large kitchen and two old fashioned brick bread ovens. The outbuildings are comprised of three rooms, one of which is used for storage, the second is used as a three car garage and the third one which was once a stable is now used for agricultural activities. The home has a lovely swimming pool with an adjoining pump house. The two orchards are truly resplendent with citrus fruits, oranges, avocadoes, guavas, mangoes, breadnut and root ginger among others. The house has been designated as a House of Historic and architectural interest by the Barbados National Trust and is open for viewing to the public during the annual Open House fundraising programme of the National Trust. The home has also gained recognition for its historical value worldwide having been featured in U.S. magazine "Town & Country" and the Canadian magazine "City and Country Home." |
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