Being a major fan of local markets I made my way to Jamestown Market with great anticipation. In truth I didn’t have far to go – about 200m from my hotel.
The market is housed in a smallish building, on the ground floor and on a mezzanine level which runs around the internal walls, leaving an atrium in the centre of building. In terms of shopping I found it was rather abysmal – there was a gardening shop – the St Helena Grower’s Cooperative Society, a butchers, a few other business outlets of no interest to the tourist and a number of empty “stalls”.
Ardee’s Café, as advertised in a number of guides, does not seem to exist any more. I understand an upgrade is currently being planned and this might explain the lack of stalls, etc.
What I did find, and why I deem the market most worthy a visit is a beautiful and seemingly out of place building of some historical significance.
If you have read my separate reviews on the Jamestown Museum and the Waterwitch Memorial you will be aware of the important role St Helena played in the abolition of slavery and the freeing of thousands of slaves in the 1800s.
Hundreds of captured slave carrying ships were forced into Jamestown and having freed the slaves the ships were destroyed here. In addition to bringing slaves to freedom one Brazilian ship brought in termites in its timber structure.
In the ensuing years these termites ate their way though house timbers leading to the collapse of a number of buildings. To combat the termites a number of replacement and new buildings in Jamestown were constructed using cast iron, iron rails and termite-proof timbers.
This Grade I listed Market building, one of the last such buildings still remaining, is a good example of this; made in cast iron and prefabricated in England in 1865 by Gwynne & Co, London.
This blog entry is one of a group (loop) of entries on my trip to St Helena. I suggest you continue with my next entry – Jamestown Memorial (Bridge) Clock – or to start the loop at the beginning go to my St Helena Introduction entry.
The Rambling Wombat 