St. Thomas Anglican Church, Middle Island

St Thomas at Middle Island stands above the west coast road, and in its churchyard is the tomb of Sir Thomas Warner, who landed at Old Road in 1624 and died in 1649, with a long carved inscription still legible on the slab. The church itself has been rebuilt more than once after hurricanes and earthquakes. Other early colonial graves stand around it under the trees. The site was chosen for the first Anglican parish on the island, which makes the churchyard the oldest continuously used burial ground on St Kitts.

What you actually see

• Warner's tomb - the grave of the man who founded English settlement in the region.
• The inscription - the long carved text still legible on the slab.
• The early graves - other colonial burials in the churchyard.
• The rebuilt church - a building reconstructed after repeated hurricanes.

When to go

December to April is the dry season. The churchyard is open through the day. The church interior depends on services and the keyholder.

Honest expectations

The church interior is often locked and access is to the churchyard only. Some stones are heavily weathered. There is no interpretation beyond the inscriptions themselves.

Nearby

Old Road is south, and Brimstone Hill is north.