City

Blackman's

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.

Tips

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250-million-year-old shoreline

Fossil Cove Conservation Area

Safe swim, wild blowhole

Blackmans Bay Beach & Blowhole

Blue gums, sea dragons, solitude

Boronia Beach Walk to Baronia Beach

Ridge walk, panoramic bay views

Tinderbox Hills Track

Sunday produce, artisan finds

Kingston Rotary Market

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Museums & attractions in Blackman's

Tiqets

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.

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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

☀️

26°C

Clear

Fri

☀️

32°

24°

Sat

🌧️

31°

24°

Sun

⛈️

30°

24°

Mon

🌦️

31°

25°

Weather data: Open-Meteo

Reviews via Google

What travellers say about Blackman's

4.7 1,654 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.

★★★★★

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!!!!

★★★★★

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!

★★★★★

Kyra was great. The rest of the staff were very friendly. My friend and I each purchased quads. Everything went smooth. Would recommend and will purchase from the again.

★★★★★

Great sales team. Brian in finance will explain things better than the loan companies. Any questions, don’t hesitate to call Hector. The parts department is ontop of their game and will help with any accessories immediately. Top tier experience!

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.

Blackman's

💛 What travellers fall for

Experiences you don't want to miss

Deals in Blackman's

How Blackman's came to be

Who and what shaped it

People who shaped it

Landmark buildings

See Blackman's in motion

Plan your visit

On the map

When to go

Right now

What travellers say about Blackman's

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