This destination guide aims to provide inspiration and information for people living on the island and anyone hoping to visit Barbados sometime soon.

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Codrington College, located in Consetts, St John, is one of the most beautiful sites in the Caribbean. 

It is the oldest theological college in the Western hemisphere, and the oldest tertiary institution in the region. 

The College is set in a stunning and peaceful location with a majestic driveway flanked on both sides by mature palm trees.  

The main building, which is said to have been patterned after an Oxford college, is surrounded by impressive grounds where ducks and geese waddle freely on well-manicured lawns and there’s also a lily pond with koi fish. 

Inside the College’s chapel, the altar is made of ebony, lignam vitae, and cordia wood. At the back of the building there’s an ancient sundial and stunning, panoramic views of the east coast of the island.   

The College was founded after substantial funds and land were left in the will of Christopher Codrington III (1668-1710) to the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts.  

Christopher was born in Barbados and spent his early childhood on the sugar cane plantation. His father, who he was named after, was prominent in politics in the West Indies and held the office of acting Deputy Governor of Barbados and later Governor of the Leeward Islands. 

Christopher was sent to England to finish his schooling at age 11 and eventually went on to study at Oxford University. In 1698, when Christopher’s father died, he was asked to take over the role of Governor and immediately set about trying to improve co-operation within the region.  

On his death, Christopher was specific in his will about how he wanted his land used to establish a college for the benefit of Barbados and the region. 

On 9 September 1745, following various delays including a legal battle over the will, the educational institution bearing his name was finally opened.  

Initially, Codrington College concentrated on providing students with a general education, which included philosophy and divinity, before they left for further studies in England. Eventually, it also began to offer Advanced Studies and the first graduate was officially ordained in 1759.

In 1830, the College began training students exclusively for ordination under the Reverend J.H. Pinder. 

After it became affiliated with the University of Durham in 1875, Codrington began offering studies in the classics, as well as in theology, and subsequently produced several successful graduates in teaching, law, and medicine.   

Since 1955, and the establishment of the University of the West Indies, Codrington has concentrated solely on theological studies.  

The stated mission of the college is “to provide the instrument and means by which the Church in the Province of the West Indies pursues its mission which is to bring all people into unity with God and each other in Christ.” 

There is a small admission fee to enter the grounds of the College but it is certainly worth paying a visit to this historic Barbadian landmark.

Source: Codrington.org