St. Nicholas is likely the last remaining authentic house of the 17th Century that exists anywhere in the "New World". When this residence was built around 1658 of brick and limestone, many of the structures in the North America were made of timber, and have long since perished.

The residence was built only 30 years after Barbados' settlement by the British in 1627, so it is of significant historical value to the island and as such its preservation and continuing access to the public and, display as a heritage tourism site is fundamental to the overall marketing and business plan.

Its potential as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is also a goal that embraces the overall objectives of the project.

The aims and objectives are:

• To preserve and restore the existing house and outbuildings, whilst developing the property into a heritage tourism site and museum.
• To establish a cottage industry in sugar and to integrate it with tourism, branding the products for export and within the local tourism market.
• To retain the rural surroundings of the historic site as a sugar work plantation in support of the cottage industry, and preserve the wooded areas and gullies.
• To develop some of the lands sympathetic to the above, so as to provide funding to reduce debt, and realize these objectives.
• To promote St. Nicholas and its environs, both locally and internationally as a very unique historic and cultural site.

Preservation of the House and outbuildings

In 2006/2007, priority will be given to the preservation of the main residence, incorporating a more attractive display product for visitors.

The scope of works, will involve:

• Replacing roofs on buildings - some of which have collapsed
• Termite treatment
• Preservation of windows and doors and wood work
• Painting and sealing and general refurbishment of interiors
• Upgrading surfaces and pathways for improved safety and access to visitors
• Restoration of furniture and fittings, and improving and expanding displays
• Upgrading security and fire systems, electrical, and services infrastructure including standby power.

The original kitchen will be an important project and would likely form the next significant improvement to the attractions of the residence.

Enhanced Displays and Marketing within the Tourism Sector

In 2006, priority will also be given to making St. Nicholas a destination attraction for visitors, as opposed to the current situation where it is seen as a short pause along the island tour.

The overall display of the residence, outbuildings and gardens will be greatly enhanced, and through a partnering programme with the Barbados Museum, they will provide additional items for display which could result in the opening of the first floor level to visitors.

Emphasis will be placed on promoting the grounds of St. Nicholas for special functions and events, which is a very desirable and lucrative market and has the potential in the short term to boost the annual income, without compromising the display or impacting the physical quality of the residence.

An advertising campaign will focus on improving the image and profile of the property, along with the proposed attractions for the visitor. This would include a web site, advertising in the print and visual media, handout brochures for hotels, ports etc., and improved road signage.

Another marketing objective is to create a "Cottage Industry in Sugar" with the branding of products in the form of fancy brown sugar, molasses, and rum. The integrated display of these products within the tour of the residence, will showcase their packaging along with the hand bottling of a special blend of 2006 "St. Nicholas Abbey" Rum (an eight year old) in the old stables. The rum will be displayed in barrels and aged on site until 2010, when a 12 year old will debut to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of the purchase of the property by Edward and Laurence Cumberbatch, which eventually led to the Cave family ownership through marriage.

These quality products will be on sale at the historic residence, the air and sea ports, tourism related shops throughout the island, and as a future export product to gourmet shops internationally.

Further expansion of the site as a destination will see the refurbishment of the 19th century steam driven mill located in the boiling house. This is the only remaining mill in the island with potential for restoration, and was installed by The Barbados National Trust and Lt. Col. Stephen Cave who had always dreamt that one day it would be grinding cane as it did over 100 years ago. Surrounding this showpiece, visitors will also see some of the interesting aspects of life on the plantation. A living museum of the era will be established showing some of the existing equipment and implements. Of special note, is the original mule cart, which was used to transfer the canes to the mill from the fields.

Preservation of the Lands and Rural Setting

This plantation is such a unique blend of authenticity and beauty, that one could not preserve just the historical and architectural aspects of the site, without giving equal attention to the tranquil surroundings of Cherry Tree Hill, the wooded areas and gullies which form an arbor of unique trees and vegetation. It is a primary objective to ensure these areas are maintained, including reforestation, and preserved for future generations.

Reforestation will commence with the planting of mahogany trees at the top of Cherry Tree Hill, along with replacing those along the avenue which have died. Many of the secondary tree species that are competing with the mahogany will be removed, and work to maintain the avenue would be ongoing.

Cherry Tree Hill faces many pressures which could see structures placed at the top of the hill including permanent public lighting of the avenue. These issues must be addressed in the preservation plan to ensure that they are not developed and that the public is aware of the importance of maintaining the natural un-spoilt beauty of this landmark avenue.

The gully adjoining the plantation will be cleared and walking trails established for display within the tour of the many ancient trees and interesting plants that represent a botanical history of some of Barbados' flora and fauna.

By establishing an active role and partnership with the BAMC - who lease 225 acres of arable land - other improvements would see the reclaiming of scrub lands for additional sugar cane production, replanting of the traditional Khus Khus grass at the edges of fields, and a reduction in whole scale use of herbicides, their application and timing, to reduce soil erosion.

Development of Lands

Like most plantations, St. Nicholas is fighting the economics of the fall of the sugar industry, but hopefully by establishing a viable cottage industry base, the plantation can continue to survive, and the lands maintained for the benefit of its future sustainability.

It is also a reality that the property requires significant investment to reduce debt, and over the short and long term to realize the objectives outlined above.

To meet these objectives it is proposed, subject to permission, that certain lands, south of Cherry Tree Hill which do not impact physically or visually on the Abbey, would be carefully and sympathetically developed into very low density residential lots of between 4-7 acres. These would be essentially agricultural lots, allowing for the keeping of horses, planting of orchards and trees, creating a rural setting for the enjoyment of the countryside. Most importantly, the development of the lands would be fully integrated with other existing plantation lands, including reserves for the protection of the wooded areas, from fire and further development.

Whilst the impact of this development on the acreage of arable land would be nil due to the reclamation of scrub lands, the real benefit would be foreign investment for the island, and more importantly the creation of sustainable employment in the area.

The whole community would be framed around the Abbey's historic image and the natural settings of the wooded reserves, rolling fields, and breathtaking views.

What St. Nicholas Means to Barbados.

Throughout St. Nicholas' long history; it appears as if it was destined to be at the crossroads which it finds itself today. Barbadians should be proud and aware of this unique historic site which, by fate, has been so very well preserved by its many owners. It is likely that it could have become a residence for a wealthy visitor or a centerpiece for a development and be lost to Barbados forever. For this very reason, the effort has been made to purchase and preserve this property and to ensure that all Barbadians and visitors alike can enjoy the historical and cultural display of the residence.

Another aspect to its promotion would be to encourage Barbadians to visit the residence and experience life as it would have been in the 18th Century and understand the importance of preserving our history, and also our countryside, including understanding how proper land use and integration of our arable lands with development can provide a more compatible and productive use of our limited resources.

It is hoped that over the next 10 years, the property will become a world class heritage tourism site which would be established as a Foundation whose purpose would be to ensure that it is sustainable as a viable business to continue to support future preservation and development projects within the context of the aims and objectives outlined above.