Colbeck Castle

Colbeck Castle stands roofless in cane land near Old Harbour, a brick and stone building of two storeys with four corner towers, arcaded on the ground floor, and it is among the largest early colonial houses in the English Caribbean. It was probably built in the first decades of the eighteenth century, and beyond that almost nothing is settled: who built it, exactly when, and why it was on this scale are all disputed. It has stood as a ruin for well over a century.

What you actually see

• The four corner towers - the building's defining feature, still standing.
• The arcaded ground floor - brick arches running along the front.
• The scale - one of the largest early great houses in the English Caribbean.
• The cane setting - the ruin standing alone in farmland.

When to go

December to April is drier and the track is more passable. Morning light suits the brickwork. Vegetation is heaviest after the rains.

Honest expectations

The building is unstable and parts have collapsed; walking inside is genuinely risky. There is no signage, no staff and no interpretation. The track in is rough and hard to find without directions.

Nearby

Old Harbour is south, and Spanish Town is northeast.