Your Ultimate Guide To Barbados

Independence Square

The title "Little England" as Barbados was and is sometimes still referred to, is reflected in the names of many of the streets, buildings and areas still in existence today.  Independence Square, which sits alongside the Careenage waterfront in the heart of Bridgetown, is one such location.

For many years a car park, the site was visited as part of a beatification environmental project and now serves as a place of recreation and relaxation for the benefit of visitors and residents of Barbados. It is recognized as a tangible representation and celebration of the Independence of Barbados. Potted plants and palm trees decorate the location and there are benches dotted around the area where persons can sit and take in the view of the city over the Careenage. Two fountains, which are functional, add to the therapeutic and recreational value of the area.

To add to the ambiance and provide additional options for the use of the Square, two amphitheatres have been constructed. The presence of the columns, sculptured seats and mosaics enhance the look and feel of this gift to the people of Barbados. Indeed since its new and improved refurbishment, Independence Square has been home to gospel concerts, Pan in the City, political meetings and other events conceptualized to capture the imagination and interest of the general public.

A major attraction and highlight of the square is the construct of a 9ft statue of the Father of Independence and National Hero of Barbados, The Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow. This new and improved Independence Square was officially opened and the statue unveiled on the day after Errol Barrow day, January 22, 2007, almost 2 years after construction commenced in 2005.

Independence Square now provides an area of solace and refreshment as many persons also use it as rest stop when moving from one part of the city to the other, sometimes stopping to have lunch or other discourse.

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