Walking Old Road Town on Your Own

No walking-tour company runs scheduled walks in Old Road Town, and Romney Manor does not offer organised garden tours. The good news is that the village is small, and its best sights sit along one short road. You can see the lot on foot in a morning, at your own pace.

The route

The core walk runs roughly 1 km uphill from the shore to Romney Manor.

  1. Old Road Bay. Begin on the dark-sand shore where English settlers under Thomas Warner settled in 1624. Fishing boats still work from here.
  2. Through the village. Walk inland past homes and small shops to the junction with Wingfield Road.
  3. Up Wingfield Road. The road climbs gently towards the forest. Watch for green vervet monkeys in the trees.
  4. The petroglyphs. On two large boulders at the approach to Wingfield Estate are Kalinago carvings, painted white so the figures show. Look, photograph, but do not climb.
  5. Wingfield Estate. Here are the remains of sugar works, a chimney and an aqueduct, built and worked by enslaved Africans. Ask at the estate about walking among the ruins.
  6. Romney Manor. Finish in the gardens (US$5 per adult, children 0 to 11 free; weekdays 9:00 am to 3:00 pm) under the saman tree, thought to be more than 400 years old. Signs around the grounds explain the history, and the Rainforest Bar serves cold drinks.

Extensions

  • St Thomas Anglican Church, Middle Island: about 1 km west of the village along the main road. It stands on the site of the first Anglican church in the West Indies; Thomas Warner’s tomb is in the churchyard.
  • Bloody Point: about 3 km south-east along the main road, where the Stone Fort River reaches the sea. In 1626 English and French settlers massacred the Kalinago people here. The main road is busy, so a taxi or minibus is the better way to reach it; go quietly and give the place time.

Walking conditions

  • Wingfield Road and the main road have no proper pavements in places. Walk facing oncoming traffic and keep children close.
  • Start early, by 8:00 or 9:00 am, before the heat and the cruise tour buses build up.
  • Carry water, sunscreen and insect repellent. Wear shoes with grip, since the road can be slick after rain.
  • Avoid walking unlit roads after dark.

Getting there and back

Minibuses from Basseterre run along the main road; flag one down and pay the driver in cash when you get off. A taxi from Basseterre is US$16 for up to 4 people on the 2021 government schedule. Brimstone Hill Fortress is a 10-minute drive further north-west if you want to add it.

Read the Romney Manor visitor FAQ for opening days.

Read more: Old Road Town sights and Solo activities .

If you would rather have a guide for the wider area, search GetYourGuide for St Kitts walking tours .