Clarence Town
A harbour village on Long Island with two hilltop churches, one Anglican and one Catholic, both built by the same man.
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Clarence Town sits on a harbour on Long Island's southeastern shore, and its two white twin-towered churches stand on facing hills above it. Both were designed and built by John Hawes, an English architect-priest who came out as an Anglican, built St Paul's, later converted to Catholicism, and returned to build St Peter's on the opposite ridge. He is better known in the Bahamas as Father Jerome, and his buildings appear across several islands.
What you actually see
- St Paul's - the Anglican church, Hawes's first, on one hill above the harbour.
- St Peter's - the Catholic church he built after converting, on the facing hill.
- The harbour - a sheltered bay with the village around it.
- The Hawes style - the medieval-influenced stonework he used across the islands.
When to go
November to April is the dry season. The churches are usually open and visits need no arrangement. Sundays bring services and the buildings in use.
Honest expectations
The village is small and an hour or two covers it. The churches are the whole of it. Long Island is long and Clarence Town is a considerable drive from the northern end.
Nearby
Adderley's Plantation is north, and Dean's Blue Hole is a short drive west.
What to pack for Clarence Town
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.