Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

St. Philip Church

Located in the largest parish on the island of Barbados is the Magnificent St. Philip Parish Church. This church is set in the Chapel district in the Parish of St. Philip on the beautiful island of Barbados. This parish church is the fourth structure to occupy this general location, nestled amid the many mahogany and mile trees which create the serene sense of reverence one experiences as one strolls around the church and even as one enters this holy building.  

This church has had an interesting history with the earliest record dating from 1640. That said however, nothing is known about the first church structure except that it was destroyed by the hurricane of 1780 and later rebuilt in 1786. The fate of this second church was no less tragic as it too was completely destroyed by the great hurricane that made landfall in Barbados on August 11th, 1831. The parish church was rebuilt six years later and was consecrated along with the burial ground on October 20th that same year by Bishop William Hart Coleridge.

In the years that followed St. Philip's Parish Church enjoyed a period of relative calm but then on Ash Wednesday in 1977, the church was partially destroyed in a fire; quite similar to the St. Peter’s Parish Church which coincidentally, suffered the same fate that same year. In any case the St. Philip Parish Church was restored, though not being true to every detail of the previous church. The church building as it stands now represents a happy marriage between the traditional and modern aesthetics of architecture.

In that tragic fire on that holy of holy days, all was not lost. The St. Philip Parish Church was not obliterated and the church records that were in the church at the time somehow managed to survive. However, some other religious artifacts within the church were not so lucky.

The St. Philip's Parish Church had at the time in its possession, beautiful carvings or altarpieces known as reredos. These spectacular pieces of art were rumoured to be destined for a church in South America but their transport vessel went down in Carlisle Bay, just off of Barbados' southwestern coast. When the pieces were recovered from the wreck, the master of wrecks in Bridgetown at the time sold the pieces to the St. Philip Parish Church. These beautiful pieces were mostly destroyed in the fire and in fact, only one small section survived the fire.

Today, the St. Philip Parish Church in Barbados is set in quite possibly, one of the most beautiful and serene locations on the island. The church's exterior features exposed block work that blends right into its tranquil surroundings while the interior of the church features the typical vaulted ceiling with the exposed beams. 

St. Philip Parish Church with its clean lines and simple décor is probably one of the most visually appealing churches on this tropical island paradise that is Barbados.

Now like any good piece of history there is always a little something extra; and for St. Philip Parish Church, it is no different. Located in the centre of the burial ground of this old church is a silk cotton tree which is said to mark the location of the previous church that was destroyed by the 1831 hurricane, a living reminder of what once was.

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