Caribbean Destination Guide: Barbados’ Sunbury Plantation House
by Karen Rollins Sep 4, 2023
Barbados’ Sunbury Plantation House is located in Oldbury, St Philip.
It was built around 1660 by Matthew Chapman who was an Irish / English planter and one of the first white settlers on the island. He was related to the Earl of Carlisle, and because of this connection to aristocracy, was given parcels of land in Barbados.
Sunbury Plantation House is over 300 years old, and as the name suggests, was initially linked to the island’s sugar industry. It has since been bought and sold by several families and is believed to have been given its current name in around 1781 when it was owned by a Barbadian family.
Despite being ravaged by fire and age, the building has now been carefully restored to its former glory and outfitted with furnishings and artefacts from its heyday.
Sunbury is the only great house on the island with all rooms available for viewing. Some of the features of the property include “mahogany antiques, old prints and a unique collection of horse-drawn carriages”. In fact, Sunbury’s carriage collection is one of the largest in the Caribbean, and some are even believed to pre-date the invention of cars.
Visitors can enjoy a three-course meal at the Courtyard Restaurant and a bar is open daily offering various refreshments. Sunbury is also a popular choice for functions including weddings and Christmas parties.
The house is open for viewing seven days a week from 9am to 5pm and the last tour runs at 4.30pm.
Visit Sunbury Plantation House’s Facebook page for more information.
