Sam Lords Castle

[jamface]

Saw this on the map, googled it, saw some pictures of it that made me want to go and visit... But then saw an old article saying it used to be a hotel but the owner defaulted and it's now unoccupied. Anyone know what the story is with it now? Can you visit?

 

Thanks

[NCSunshine]

Unfortunately, I'm sure the property doesn't look like it does in any of the information that is out there. It was sold by Marriott to a Local person, I believe insurance, could be wrong, several years ago.. They couldn't keep it up.. I believe the bank took it and it's pretty much in ruins.. although it's been years since I've seen the place.. Not sure if anyone else knows whats going on. I had heard the government of Barbados was going to try to restore it, but no clue there.

[Aplmac]

You don't want to go there.

 

It's a wreck, the gates are closed and no-one's allowed in.

Forget it. Honestly. ;)

.

[DougH]

Sorry to hear it is in ruins. I recall going there as a child in the 60's and had always wanted to go back and visit.

[Aplmac]

Sorry to hear it is in ruins.

I recall going there as a child in the 60's and had always wanted to go back and visit.

We have parallel memories.

I remember going to a teenage girlfriend's birthday party, held around the pool..

Mid-Sixties.

 

You won't believe your eyes now!

The grounds are a mess, as is the pool and poolside area!

 

I'm attaching below, some of the more palatable shots I took a year ago.

Apologies for bringing you face to face with this grim reality

.

[English_in_Spain]

That is so sad :(

We were there a while back and loved it. I hope someone takes it on and restores it and re-opens it.

[Aplmac]

That is so sad :(

 

We were there a while back and loved it.

I hope someone takes it on and restores it and re-opens it.

It'll take mega-millions!

 

The main bldg. -the castle itself- doesn't appear to be too bad yet (not from the outside)

but when the engineers go in after several years of the bldg. being neglected,just standing there

they will no doubt discover all manner of problems!

 

If/when the roof goes, allowing moisture to get in, that'll be the real beginning of the end.

The termites will follow, if they're not there already!

 

As you say....so sad.

All due to nothing but local mismanagement. :cool:

 

Marriott sold it to a local car parts dealer. :eek: :confused:

How in God's name THAT ever happened is still beyond many of us, here on the island!

.

[DougH]

Wow, it is sad to see those photos, I remember it being so beautiful. Alwasy liek teh pirate stories so found this a neat place to visit. My mom was a travel agent and she had won a week at the Sandy Lane. I remember sitting on the beach every night watching the sunset, and a late night crazy cab ride thru the sugar cane fields to get to the hotel.

[Aplmac]

Always like the pirate stories so found this a neat place to visit.

 

My mom was a travel agent and she had won a week at Sandy Lane.

I remember sitting on the beach every night watching the sunset,

and a late night crazy cab ride thru the sugar cane fields to get to the hotel.

That cab ride was from the Eastern side of the island

right across to the Western side!

 

____________________________________

 

 

Sam Lord was more of an opportunist than a real pirate in the sense that Edward Teach was.

 

Sam Lord sat right there in his house, waiting for ships to run aground on the reef, just offshore

and would then send his men out at first light, to salvage whatever could be offloaded into his small boats! :)

A practice incidentally that transpires to this day, in Mayreau (Grenadines)

when anything runs aground on World's End Reef, East of the Tobago Keys!

 

 

Misguided people still occasionally search for 'Sam Lord's treasure'

without considering that the guy had a mansion and a plantation to run,

with servants, a wife and kids to feed,clothe and maintain..

a lifestyle completely un-like regular ship-based pirates

who had no such domestic complications! :D

 

Any- and every-thing Sam Lord acquired off the wrecks, got used up in daily maintenance!

I maintain that Sam Lord's treasure IS the Castle he left behind -nothing more. :cool:

.

[DougH]

I always though he was ahead of his time. Why chase ships for treasure when you can have them bring it right to your door? Ingenious :) Either that or he was just lazy!

[red stripe]

Hi Doug,

you and I were lucky to see it in it's prime.

I used to go when the restaurant was in a tentlike structure, and the 'walls" were mostly netting that was usually pulled back to allow the myna birds to fly in among the diners.

They had these large brass trays set up on stands filled with fresh fruit, so that hopefully the birds would leave you alone :) although it was dangerous to hold something in your hand for any length of time.

It was a wonderful free entertainment.

Then about 8 years ago I went there again, and they had turned the restaurant into a large dark squat solid building. I was in and out like a shot.

The writing was on the wall.

[NHRedSoxFan]

taken in April of 2008

 

 

 

 

[Johnthed0g]

We did a crazy cab ride once from the Airport to Edgewater, that was through the cane.