Lancaster Great House was purchased by Sir Martyn and Lady Arbib in 1999 with the intention of establishing a Centre for The Arts for Barbados.  The house was renovated and the ground floor reception rooms were converted, lighting and air-conditioning installed to provide what has proved to be one of the finest exhibition spaces in the Caribbean. 

 For a number of administrative reasons, the proposed Barbados Centre for the Arts did not open in February, 2001 and subsequently Sir Martyn and Lady Arbib decided to proceed with a small programme of exhibitions, open days and events, planned to raise funds for charities through the grant making Barbados Community Foundation. 

 Lancaster Great House is now leased to Belvedere Consultants Ltd. on extremely favourable terms and under the direction of Roger Chubb and Virginia Trieloff, the exhibitions have succeeded in highlighting the best of Barbadian, Caribbean, European and Canadian art over the past five years and whilst still maintaining a strong interest in raising funds for Barbadian charities, the programme has expanded significantly to include work shops, lectures, artists in residence, and numerous other activities. 
 
 

History 

 There has been a house on this site since the latter part of the Seventeenth Century. 

 In the early Eighteenth Century under the ownership of the Barwick family, Lancaster hosted several meetings of the Barbados Senate.  It was the site of a meeting of the House of the Legislature in December 1732 and was the home of two of the acting Governors of Barbados.  The house played a prominent role in the social and political life of the island during the 18th and early 19thCenturies and was one of the larger plantations on the island.   It was recorded that on the 484 acres there were as many as 232 slaves.   It was shown on early maps, including Moll's map of 1729, as Barwicks Plantation, after the two acting Governors who owned it — the Hon. Samuel Barwick and his father before him. Today the house is separate from the plantation land.  

 The house was reputedly very badly damaged in the great Hurricane of 1831 when the third storey was blown off.  The cost of building the present house put the estate in Chancery Court for Debt.  Indeed over the last 200 years, it has been sold to satisfy debts on several occasions! 

 The house and grounds fell into disrepair in the middle of the last century and were purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Martinez of Venezuela who instructed David Spink of Gillespie and Steel to restore the house and the Cottage which formerly housed the stables, coach house and yam store. 

 When old timers recall the 1930s and Forties, it emerges that even in the Depression and during World War II, every plantation estate was in full sugar production.  At the time, Barbados was very rural and bears little resemblance to what it looks like now.  There was gasoline rationing, so you either rode a bicycle or walked.  A plan was set in place to enable the island to feed itself with lots of backyard gardening and the raising of sheep, chickens, rabbits, and cows.  Each plantation had to put so many acres into food crops like yams, potatoes and corn. 

 The Lancaster name is remembered locally for a horrible accident at Lancaster gully in 1945. There, a lorry transporting labourers from a St. Philip plantation ran off the road and plunged forty feet down, killing seventeen people.   It is said that the souls of those who died still roam the area. 

 

The Grounds at Lancaster 

The Grounds at Lancaster were replanted when the house was restored 15 years ago.  There are marvelous specimen trees, tropical flowering shrubs and tree orchids in a landscape setting.  

 

The Mezzanine Gallery 

Located off the main gallery area, this area exhibits works by artists represented by Lancaster:  Dennis de Caires, Peter Springer, and Andrew Hewkin. 

The Gallery Shop is open during Gallery hours offering original artwork and specialized gifts. 
 

 

Summer Opening Hours

June 1 - November 15, 2009 

The Galleries, Gallery Shop and Gardens at Lancaster Great House are open on Saturdays between 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and are available for viewing by appointment at all other times.  

Telephone   (246) 432 0458 or  (246) 4320019 

 

How to Get There 

Lancaster is located off Highway 2A heading north towards St. Peter.  It is the first left hand turning after the Greenwich/Orange Hill junction before Royal Westmoreland.