City

Blackman's

Blackman's
Photo by Helena Jankovičová Kováčová on Pexels
Blackman's
Photo by PNW Production on Pexels
Blackman's
Photo by Cristhian David Duarte on Pexels
Blackman's
Photo by Valentin Ivantsov on Pexels
Blackman's
Photo by Dua'a Al-Amad on Pexels

The bridge most Bajans call the Molasses Bridge has been crossing Blackman's Gully in St. Joseph since before 1682, its limestone boulders held together with a mortar that includes molasses and egg whites — a detail that tells you something about how people here have always worked with what the island provides. It stretches between 35 and 40 metres over the gully, wide enough to walk slowly and look down into the green dark below.

Blackman's sits on Barbados's east coast, in the parish of St. Joseph, where the landscape rolls and creases in ways that have earned parts of it the nickname the Scotland District. The gully beneath the bridge is part of an island-wide network, home to green monkeys and plants with medicinal uses, and it took a concerted clean-up effort by the Future Centre Trust to restore it to what it is now.

💛 What travellers fall for

People who find their way here tend to mention the same thing: the bridge is harder to locate than it should be, and that difficulty is part of it. Come on foot or with Island Safari rather than trying to navigate solo. Once you're standing on the limestone, the gully stretches out below you in both directions and the rest of Barbados feels very far away.

Good to know
Grantley Adams Airport is roughly 13 km away. There's no entry fee and no formal opening hours — it's an open-access natural site. Island Safari tours pass through, which is the easiest way to find it. February through April is the driest and most comfortable time to walk the gully trails.

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The story

How Blackman's came to be

A map drawn by John Luffman in 1777–78 labels this place Mt. Lucie Plantation, owned by the Heirs of Blackman's — a name that traces back to John Blackman, born 1676, whose family held estates in both Barbados and Antigua. By 1784, the estate had passed through inheritance to William Henry Rowland Irby, whose mother Mary was the daughter of Rowland Blackman. In 1792, the 88½-acre estate was leased for six years at £104 a year.

The plantation's history is inseparable from the violence that sustained it. When the Slavery Abolition Act was passed in 1833, Irby received £2,043 7s 10d in compensation for 130 enslaved people held at Mount Lucy, as it was also known. Around the estate's borders, tenantries of chattel houses — wooden homes built to be moved, standing on rented ground — mark the landscape that followed.

People & landmarks

Who and what shaped it

People who shaped it

John Blackman
Founder (b. 1676–1726); established Mount Lucie estates in Barbados and Antigua.
William Henry Rowland Irby
Inherited Blackman's estate through his mother Mary Blackman (1784–1842); received £2,043 7s 10d compensation for 130 enslaved persons in 1833.

Landmark buildings

Blackman's Bridge (Molasses Bridge)
Limestone bridge dating before 1682, 35–40 metres long, constructed with mortar containing molasses and egg whites; crosses Blackman's Gully.
Blackman's Gully
Part of island-wide gully ecosystem; home to green monkeys and medicinal plants; restored by Future Centre Trust's Clean Up Barbados Program.
Watch

See Blackman's in motion

Practical

Plan your visit

On the map

When to go

February through April brings the least rain and temperatures that stay between roughly 21°C and 31°C, which makes it the most comfortable window for walking the gully. The wet season runs June through November, with September to November seeing the heaviest rainfall and the possibility of tropical storms — not impossible to visit, but the trails will be muddier and the weather less predictable.

Right now

25°C
Partly cloudy
Sun
🌦️
31°
25°
Mon
🌧️
30°
24°
Tue
🌧️
30°
25°
Wed
31°
25°
Weather data: Open-Meteo
Reviews via Google

What travellers say about Blackman's

4.7 1,609 Google reviews

Great Atmosphere. Great people. I went there a few years ago to purchase a bike got some really great info from Kyra then circumstances changed but I wasn’t pressured no overwhelming calls or text like other dealers. I reached out to them about a Harley Davidson Sportster and Kyra instantly responded and remembered me which really surprised me. She was great throughout the whole process and Brian was very helpful as well. Also thanks to Jose in the parts department who helped me out. I’m very blessed and satisfied with my purchase. Highly recommend them no pressure no hassle.

Daniel Rodriguez a month ago · via Google

Had an excellent experience at Blackmans. Ryan my salesman was very kind and courteous And worked with me on the details Thank you Ryan and Stacey for putting together the loan. I wasn’t really sure how id get the financing but they got er done and I left with my brand new machine!!!! Thank you to everyone at Blackmans!!!!

Leroy Little 2 months ago · via Google

We had a great experience with Blackmans Cycle! We purchased an electric four wheeler for our daughter Eva, and she couldn’t be happier. The staff was friendly, knowledgeable, and made the whole process easy from start to finish. Excellent customer service and a great selection. Highly recommend!

Beth Morgensen 3 months ago · via Google

Went for a family day to look for a new ride, and was met by a welcoming friendly staff. No pressure and no stress, just straight up bike talk. Craig was very informative and helpful in his tour of the dealership. I felt an immediate connection to Blackmans Cycle as we pulled out bikes to compare. Leaving the store with two motorcycles in mind I was more than satisfied with the welcome and experience. I have some decisions to make now and I can't thank them enough for the service they provided me in this bike buying process. Blackman Cycle is worth the visit if you are in the market for a new or used riding experience!

r datt 3 months ago · via Google

What a great place! Kyra is AWESOME! Picked up a little Moto Guzzi today! Let’s just say I’ve bought a few bikes in the past, however, I have never had a better experience anywhere ever! Blackmans is a first rate motorcycle shop. They ask all the right questions for all the right reasons! I look forward to doing business with them in the future! Big shout out to Kyra who is an Absolute Dynamo!! She is super laid-back, very knowledgeable and absolutely loves what she does and it comes through loud and clear! Stacy in Finance who did my Paperwork is super professional, very relaxed and very pleasant to work with. The Manager Corey is Terrific! It is clearly obvious that she takes what she does very seriously and it’s super professional and absolutely does her best in a phenomenal way for the dealership! Taylor in parts is on a whole different level when it comes to knowing his stuff about not just the bikes that the dealership carries rather the whole motorsports industry. Their shop is immaculate, mixing both old world charm with modern technology to bring the best of both to fellow motorcyclists. Everyone took the time to see me off when I left, and I could not be more thankful to share my business with them. I will definitely be back to buy more bikes in the future! Just a great experience in every respect!

michael kaplan 3 months ago · via Google

Background & history adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) · specs from Wikidata (CC0) · weather from Open-Meteo · map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · photos from Wikimedia Commons / Unsplash with per-image credit. No third-party reviews or social posts reproduced.

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