A Decade Celebrating Centuries: Antigua Naval Dockyard Marks 10 Years of UNESCO World Heritage Status

National Parks Authority unveils commemorative plaque and honours twelve community stalwarts at anniversary ceremony

The National Parks Authority (NPA) of Antigua and Barbuda commemorated the 10th anniversary of the inscription of the Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Inscribed on July 16, 2016, at the 40th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Istanbul, Turkey, the site remains one of the Caribbean’s most significant cultural landscapes. The ceremony  honoured members of the National Parks committee for their outstanding contribution to the National Parks, spanning more than 40 years of dedicated service.

The anniversary caps a remarkable season of milestones for the Authority, following the 40th anniversary of its establishment in December 2024 and the 300th anniversary of the Dockyard itself in September 2025. Together, these occasions honour a story that stretches back three centuries.

Founded in 1725, the Antigua Naval Dockyard stands as a rare example of Georgian naval architecture adapted to a Caribbean environment — for nearly two centuries a centre of British maritime power, and a legacy inseparable from the labour, skill, and resilience of the free and enslaved Africans who built it. When the Royal Navy departed in 1899, conservation efforts championed by the Friends of English Harbour and the rise of the yachting industry gave the site new life, and in 1984 the Government established Nelson’s Dockyard National Park under the newly created National Parks Authority, which today safeguards some 16 square miles of land and sea from Mamora Bay to Carlisle Bay. That three-century story is what visitors experience today: a living harbour where heritage, yachting, and community life continue side by side.

In the four decades since, the NPA has grown into one of the Caribbean’s leading heritage management institutions. Landmark restorations at Clarence House and the Blockhouse Military Complex, delivered by skilled local craftsmen, reflect its conviction that conservation is a catalyst for socio-economic development, while its stewardship now embraces climate change adaptation, disaster risk management, sustainable development planning, enhanced visitor experiences, and community-centred initiatives such as the 8th of March Project, which place local voices at the heart of the site’s narrative.

Welcome remarks were brought by the Honourable Alincia Williams-Grant, President of the Senate, who described the inscription as the fulfilment of a long-held vision and, above all, a celebration of the people who have preserved the site through restoration, research, education, volunteerism and community stewardship — a reminder, she said, that heritage is ultimately about identity, representation, memory, belonging, and legacy.

Speaking at the ceremony, His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams, Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, reflected on the Dockyard’s legacy as a place where ships were repaired and launched, naval strategists were shaped, and an engineering masterpiece rose in harmony with the natural landscape. He urged, however, that the celebration embrace the full truth of the site’s history, reminding attendees that the Dockyard was built through the labour, skill, and sacrifice of countless free and enslaved Africans, whose stories deserve to be remembered with dignity and respect.

Hon. E. P. Chet Greene, Minister responsible for the National Parks, reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to protecting the cultural landscape through sound policy and legislation. Describing the site as “the people’s place,” he pledged continued dedication to safeguarding the nation’s rich African heritage and to ensuring that young people understand, embrace, and value the cultural legacy that surrounds them.

A highlight of the ceremony came as Chairman of the National Parks Authority, Senator Philip Shoul, and Minister Greene unveiled a commemorative plaque recognising the site’s Outstanding Universal Value as an exceptional example of an 18th and 19th century British naval establishment and a living cultural landscape.

At the anniversary ceremony on July 16, 2026, held under the theme “A Decade Celebrating Centuries,” the Authority honoured twelve community members whose dedication has contributed significantly to the site’s success: Franklyn Braithwaite MBE, GOH, OLY; Jean Weste; Paul Deeth; Elizabeth Jordan; Althea Joseph; Karl James MBE; Jennifer Byerley Bentley; Capewell William Greene II; Louise Edwards; Marinus Smith; Leslie Roberts; and the Shirley Heights Lookout.

“Today, the National Park is far more than a monument to the past,” said Parks Commissioner Ann Marie Martin. “It is a living heritage landscape where history, culture, nature, commerce, and community coexist. It remains an engine of sustainable tourism, a centre for research and education, and a source of national pride and identity.”

As Antigua and Barbuda marks a decade of World Heritage recognition, the milestone is both a celebration of achievement and a renewed commitment to the future. The Antigua Naval Dockyard and Related Archaeological Sites belong to the people of Antigua and Barbuda — and, through inscription, to the world. The National Parks Authority remains steadfast in its mission to protect, preserve, and promote this extraordinary legacy for generations to come.

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