Parham

Parham was the island's first town and its original port, on a sheltered inlet on the northeastern coast, and it declined once St John's took the trade. St Peter's Church of 1840 is the reason to stop: an octagonal building by Thomas Weekes with a ribbed plaster ceiling, unusual anywhere and unique on the island, damaged by the 1843 earthquake and repaired. Boats to the North Sound islands leave from the harbour.

History

The town took its name in 1675, when Lord Willoughby of Parham arrived from England with a patent from Charles II making it one of six trading towns of the colony and its capital, and it became an important port for the import of enslaved people from West Africa and the shipping of rum and sugar to England, handling the produce of St Peter, St Philip and St George parishes. St Peter's Church was built in 1840, with the school and rectory, and the town probably reached its peak in the middle of the 19th century, in the early years of freedom; when sugar prices collapsed in the 20th century most planters left, descendants of freed slaves moved in and kept it alive through fishing, farming and trades, and heavy emigration in the 1960s and 1970s cut its population for good (Wikipedia, Parham, Antigua and Barbuda).

What to look for

• St Peter's Church - the octagonal 1840 building with its ribbed ceiling.
• The old harbour - the sheltered inlet that was the island's first port.
• The town - the small settlement that predates St John's.
• The island boats - departures for Great Bird Island and the North Sound.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. The church keeps irregular hours and may be locked. Boats to the islands run in the morning.

What to expect

The church is often locked and finding the keyholder takes time. The town is small and run down in places. An hour covers it.

Nearby

Great Bird Island is offshore, and Betty's Hope is south.

Key facts