Ordnance Island Bermuda
Part of St George's Parish of Bermuda, Ordnance Island is a tiny 1.75 acres island in the
St George Harbor. It's right across Kings Square and is joined with the
Town of St. George by a small bridge. Ordnance Island has a lot of historic significance. During the early days of the British colony, this is where the prisoners used to be hanged. Later in 19th century, the island became the storage area for ammunitions that were supplied to the forts around the St. George's Parish.
By the world war II, the use of Ordnance Island by the British army came down significantly and the island was loaned out to the U.S Navy to use it as a submarine base. While most of the buildings of such time no longer exist, there is still the storekeeper's house which has been recently converted into the office of St George Corporation.
If you walk across the bridge and enter the Ordnance Island, there are two monuments you must see which have historic significance. The first one to the left of the bridge is the full size replica of the ship
Deliverance.
The original was built by George Somers and his men who landed up in St. George in 1609 as their ship
Sea Venture got wrecked at the nearby reefs. They built the original Deliverance in 1610 to complete their journey to Jamestown.
Ordnance Island, St George, Bermuda
Photo - User:Aodhdubh, cc by-sa 3.0
This 57 feet ship looks so small that it won't be considered sea worthy in today's time. If you go to the lower decks and see the life size dummy figures placed there, you will know how cramped life was inside the ship.
The second attraction in Ordnance Island and to the right of the bridge is the one-and-half times the life size statue of Admiral Sir George Somers, the commander of the ship Sea Venture. This is located in
Burns Memorial Park. It depicts a sea-breeze swept Sir George with arms out-stretched. The statue was created by Bermuda's famous sculptor
Desmond Fountain. It was unveiled by Princess Margaret in 1984.
Ordnance Island today is where customs and immigration clearances take place for visiting yachts. This is the only port of entry for yachts coming to Bermuda, and HM customs has an office building in the island. There is also a new cruise terminal that has come up here.
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 By Raj Bhattacharya
Raj, a seasoned travel writer and Bermuda destination expert, has extensive global travel experience. This website reflects his profound insights, garnered over nearly two decades of dedicated findings and research on the island. Raj has assisted countless Bermuda-bound visitors by providing direct, personalized responses to their queries and imparting his wealth of knowledge through this platform. This site serves as an indispensable guide for those seeking informed and reliable insights into Bermuda's treasures.
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Related Articles
1) Check out
St George's Town to know about the historical Town of St. George, its attractions, activities, restaurants, hotels and more.
2) Check out
St. George's Parish to know about the parish where the town of St. George is located and all its attractions and activities.
