Cottle Church
The ruins of a Nevis chapel built in 1824 for a planter's family and the people he enslaved.
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Thomas Cottle was president of Nevis and in 1824 he built a chapel on his estate so that his family and the people he held as slaves could worship together, which was against the law at the time. The stone shell survives roofless in the bush in the island's north, with the arched openings and part of the tower standing. It is a small building and its interest is entirely in what it represents.
What you actually see
- The stone shell - the roofless chapel standing in the bush.
- The 1824 date - a chapel built while such worship was still illegal.
- The arched openings - the surviving window and door forms.
- The setting - a small building left in scrub on the old estate.
When to go
December to April is the dry season and the track is easier. The site is open ground. Morning light is best on the stone.
Honest expectations
The ruins are small and there is very little to see physically. The track in is rough and easy to miss. Interpretation on site amounts to a sign.
Nearby
Charlestown is south, and Oualie is northwest.
What to pack for Cottle Church
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.