The

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

of Saint Lucy ("St. Lucy") is the northernmost area in the country of

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

. Saint Lucy is the only parish of Barbados out of the eleven to be named after a female

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

, Saint Lucy of Syracuse. Saint Lucy's shape also resembles a

peninsula A peninsula (; ) is a landform that extends from a mainland and is surrounded by water on most, but not all of its borders. A peninsula is also sometimes defined as a piece of land bordered by water on three of its sides. Peninsulas exist on all ...

, surrounded on three sides by the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

to the north, east and west. The Harrison Point Lighthouse is located in Harrisons, Saint Lucy between Great Head and Norse's Bay, also in Saint Lucy. To the south lies the neighbouring Parish of

Saint Peter Saint Peter; he, שמעון בר יונה, Šimʿōn bar Yōnāh; ar, سِمعَان بُطرُس, translit=Simʿa̅n Buṭrus; grc-gre, Πέτρος, Petros; cop, Ⲡⲉⲧⲣⲟⲥ, Petros; lat, Petrus; ar, شمعون الصفـا, Sham'un ...

. Saint Lucy is the most distant part of Barbados from the capital city

Bridgetown Bridgetown (UN/LOCODE: BB BGI) is the capital and largest city of Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Island ...

, located in the parish of

Saint Michael Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), also ...

Grantley Adams International Airport Grantley Adams International Airport (GAIA) is the international airport of Barbados, located in Seawell, Christ Church. It is the only designated port of entry for persons arriving and departing by air in Barbados and operates as one of t ...

in Christ Church. Saint Lucy remains one of the less populated parts of the island because of its remote location. The closest major town to Saint Lucy in Barbados is

Speightstown Speightstown (), also known as ''Little Bristol'', is the second largest City centre of Barbados. It is situated north of the capital city of Bridgetown, in the northern parish of Saint Peter. The City is named after William Speight, a member o ...

located in the parish of

. Saint Lucy is the birthplace of Barbados's first Prime Minister,

Errol Barrow Errol Walton Barrow (21 January 1920 – 1 June 1987) was a Barbadian statesman and the first prime minister of Barbados. Born into a family of political and civic activists in the parish of Saint Lucy, he became a WWII aviator, combat ve ...

. It is also the birthplace of two

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

ers;

Charlie Griffith Sir Charles Christopher Griffith, KA, SCM (born 14 December 1938) is a West Indian former cricketer who played in 28 Tests from 1960 to 1969. He formed a formidable fast bowling partnership with Wes Hall during the 1960s, but experienced a nu ...

and

Manny Martindale Emmanuel Alfred Martindale (25 November 1909 – 17 March 1972) was a West Indian cricketer who played in ten Test matches from 1933 to 1939. He was a right-arm fast bowler with a long run up; although not tall for a bowler of his type he bowl ...

. The historic Parish church St. Lucy is located in the center of the parish, near Nesfield. There is a second Anglican church, St. Swithun's at Greenidge, and a third one, St. Clement's, near Lowlands.

Geography

Populated places

The parish contains the following villages and hamlets: Smaller settlements are Avis Town, Blacksage Alley, Free Hill, Friendly Hall, Half Moon Fort, Maycock, Mount Gilboa, Pickerings, Roaches, Shermans, Sutherland and Swampy Town. The police station and the cricket ground are situated in Crab Hill, the post office is in Benthams. There are four Primary Schools, at Clinkett (West), Content (North), Lowland (East) and Trent (Central). The Daryll Jordan Secondary School is in Trents too.

Parishes bordering Saint Lucy

- ''South''

Defined Boundaries

with St. Peter: – Starting from a point on the seashore directly west of the junction of Highway IC and the public road leading from Shermans to Half Moon Fort, the line travels eastwards to the centre-line of the said road junction; then in a north-easterly direction along Highway 1C to its junction with the private (estate) road leading to Alleynedale Hall; then along this private road and diverting along the northern branch of this road so as to leave the plantation buildings in St. Peter to meet the public road called Highway A leading from Rose Hill to St. Lucy's Church; then northwards along Highway A to its junction with the public road called Luke Hill; then along this public road in a north-easterly and northerly direction to the junction with the unclassified road leading to Castle Plantation; then along this road in an easterly and south- easterly direction to a point opposite the monument (B.l) placed on the eastern side; then in a north-easterly direction along the line joining this point and another monument (13.2) situate on the western side of an unclassified road at Lamberts and to the centre line of the road; then along this road in a north- westerly and north-easterly direction to its junction with the public road leading from Lamberts to Graveyard; then along this public road in an easterly, north- easterly and northerly direction to its junction with the unclassified road leading to Boscobelle; then along this road in a north-easterly, south-easterly and north- easterly direction to the centre of the bridge situate at the point just before the road turns to a south-easterly direction; then in a north-easterly direction (30" 16') to the sea.

Historical Use

Saint Lucy was the location of a United States Naval Facility (NAVFAC), a shore terminal of the Sound Surveillance System (SOSUS), adjacent to the Harrison Point Lighthouse. NAVFAC Barbados was in commission 1 October 1957 to 31 March 1979. The Barbados array made undersea surveillance history on 6 July 1962 when it made the first detection of a Soviet nuclear submarine that was transiting off the coast of Norway entering the Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Parishes of Barbados