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Just south of Gun Hill, signposted off to the west, is Francia
(Mon-Fri 10am-4pm; B$10), a working plantation growing sweet
potatoes and yams for export.
The plantation house is one of the
most attractive in Barbados; it was also one of the last of the
island's great houses, built at the end of the nineteenth century
when the plantations were already in decline as the value of sugar
fell on world markets.
The sweeping stone staircase, triple-arched
entrance and enclosed upper balcony are unusual features, reflecting
the influence of the original French owner. The double-jalousie
windows are also rare on Barbados, though they are also found at the
nineteenth-century Tyrol Cot in Bridgetown.
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The pride of the house - and what really distinguishes it from the
other great houses you can tour - is its superb collection of
antique maps of Barbados and the Caribbean, collected from dusty
bookshops and grand auction rooms around the world and dating back
to the early sixteenth century, only decades after Columbus first
"discovered" the region. Outside, the huge terraced garden feels
very English in style, despite the abundance of tropical flora,
including a gigantic mammies apple tree, mangoes, frangipani,
hibiscus and the ubiquitous bougainvillea.
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Caribbean guide
Barbados Travel Guide
Barbados
Where to go
When to go
Getting there
Money and costs
Getting around
Food and drink
Phones, post
Brief history
Best of Barbados
Information, maps
Festivals, holidays
Sports, outdoor activities
Tours
Explore Barbados
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Bridgetown
Eating, nightlife
Listings
Central Bridgetown
National Heroes Square
Old City
Central
Barbados
Explore Central Barbados
Flower Forest
Francia
Gun Hill
Harrison's Cave
Welchman Hall
Gully
East Coast
Explore East Coast
Andromeda Botanical Gardens
Bathsheba
Codrington College
St. John's Parish
Garrison
Hackletons Cliff & Scotland
Barbados Museum and
Gallery of Art
Savannah, Garrison area |
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