The Dockyard Times FREE!
All the news and information on Bermuda’s historic Dockyard—and beyond
DockyardTimes.com
2015
INSIDE
Eat, Drink & Be Merry
The House on the Hill
All the delicious meals, tasty treats and thirstquenching cocktails available in Dockyard.
Fascinating and Historic Commissioner’s House
See page 10
By W. C. Stevenson
Dockyard: Home of Beyond Dockyard Explore the whole island. See page 22
So Much to See and Do at Botanical Gardens Bermuda’s most popular national park features a world class museum and more. See page 25
PLUS Go & Do pG 12 Get Wet & Wild pG 14 Shop pG 16 Experience It pG 19 The Historic Buildings of Dockyard pG 26
a forbidding stone edifice dominating the skyline, was built by convicts as a military barracks. Subsequently, it served as a prison whose thick, impregnable walls are reminiscent of the Bastille. Now in
From 1919 until the closing of the Dockyard in 1951, the Commissioner’s House was actually a ship called the HMS Malabar. It did not sail, or motor, or even float, but it was a ship nonetheless. The British, with infinite patience for tradition, have a habit of commissioning such houses as ships, and the HMS Malabar was one of them. Unsurprising, considering that the building served as allied HQ for North Atlantic radio interceptions during WWII. But that is only a sliver of the story. Edward Holl, Chief Architect of the Royal Navy, designed the extraordinary building in 1822. Construction began in 1823 and was complete by 1827. Commissioner’s House was designed with cast iron replacing all structural wood, and was the first residential building in the Western Hemisphere to utilise cast-iron framing. The floor framing, truss-work and verandah pillars are iron castings fabricated in England that were transported to Bermuda aboard sailing ships for assembly according to Holl’s plan. Like many other Dockyard buildings, the walls of Commissioner’s House are hard Bermuda limestone, which was quarried and shaped into blocks by convicts from Britain, and lesser numbers of local workers and slaves. In its early years of
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the 35th America’s Cup By W.C. Stevenson If you haven’t noticed already, an exciting new chapter in Bermuda’s history is being written in Dockyard these days. The world’s premier sailing competition, the America’s Cup, is coming to our shores in 2017. Over the next two years a lot will be changing around the historic Dockyard as it gears up to play host to the 35th edition of the cup, which happens every three to five years. The America’s Cup is the oldest international sporting trophy in the world and the pinnacle of yacht racing. The winner of
the trophy is determined through a series of one-on-one match races between the holders of the cup, the defender, and a challenger. Similar to Formula One, winning requires teams to harness the twin forces of cutting edge technology and unparalleled tactical nous, resulting in one of the most spectacular competitions ever to grace the international sporting stage. Beating out bids from San Diego and Chicago, the decision by defending champion Team Oracle USA to stage the event in Bermuda, a British territory, marked the first time an American team has not defended the title on home territory. It is also Continued on page 2
A Jewel in Bermuda’s Crown by Elizabeth Jones Officially, Bermuda has just two towns, the City of Hamilton and the Town of St. George. But arguably the Royal Naval Dockyard, locally known as Dockyard and situated on the western tip of the island, has so many amenities it could be seen as the island’s third town. Boasting Bermuda’s largest museum, a marina, a shopping mall, restaurants and an authentic British pub, as well as a number of arts related centres, Dockyard is one of Bermuda’s key attractions. In fact for many of our visitors arriving on the island by ship, Dockyard is their first destination since it is currently the only port suitable for mega cruise ships. It can easily be explored on foot and during the cruise ship season by Segway and or by train. Scenically, Dockyard is always engaging for its views of yachts,
Carole Holding at Heritage Wharf, Dockyard Shopping and Duty Free | 9am to 9pm
tugs, and pilot boats, for its cruise ships and ferries. When berthed at Dockyard, the Spirit of Bermuda, a schooner designed by the Bermuda Sloop Foundation to train Bermuda’s youth in maritime arts, recalls the days when Grassy Bay was filled with sailing ships. Casemates,
The Fairmont Southampton & The Fairmont Hamilton Princess
Carole Holding at Bermuda Shop Boutique Clocktower Mall, Dockyard | 9am to 6pm