Within Barbados Curiosities
Inside Barbados's Extraordinary Collection of Cannon
More than 400 historic guns turn a military powder magazine into one of the Caribbean's most striking specialist collections.
On this page
- Why Barbados accumulated so many guns
- What the cannon reveal about empire and warfare
- How visitors can access the armoury
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
The Barbados National Armoury is one of the Caribbean’s most remarkable specialist military collections, yet it remains far less famous than many European artillery museums. Housed in the former naval powder magazine at St Ann’s Fort within the Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison UNESCO World Heritage Site, it preserves more than 400 historic cannon, many dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The collection is especially valued for its concentration of early English cast-iron ordnance, including exceptionally rare surviving examples that have largely disappeared elsewhere through warfare, recycling or industrial melting.[Barbados.org]barbados.orgGarrison Historic Area | Barbados.orgBarbados Garrison Historic Area | Barbados.org…
Rather than being a display of military trophies alone, the armoury tells the story of Barbados as one of Britain’s most strategically important Atlantic colonies. Every gun reflects the island’s role in protecting sugar wealth, shipping routes and imperial power during centuries when artillery determined the balance of power across the Caribbean.
Why Barbados accumulated so many guns
Barbados occupied a unique position within Britain’s Atlantic empire. Unlike many Caribbean colonies that frequently changed hands between European powers, Barbados remained continuously under English and then British control from the seventeenth century onwards. As sugar production transformed the island into one of Britain’s richest colonies, defending it became a military priority.
Large coastal fortifications surrounded key anchorages, while St Ann’s Fort developed into the centre of an expanding military establishment. By the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Garrison had become one of Britain’s largest overseas military bases, supporting both the Army and Royal Navy throughout the eastern Caribbean. UNESCO identifies the Garrison as one of the best-preserved British military complexes in the Atlantic world, illustrating how commercial wealth and military power developed together.[UNESCO World Heritage Centre]whc.unesco.orgWorld Heritage Centre Historic Bridgetown and its GarrisonUNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Bridgetown and its Garrison - UNESCO World Heritage Centre…
The sheer number of cannon reflects this history. Forts, batteries, harbour defences and military compounds required hundreds of guns of different calibres. As weapons became obsolete, many remained on the island instead of being shipped back to Britain.
From forgotten relics to a national collection
One of the most unusual aspects of the National Armoury is how the collection was assembled. Rather than inheriting an intact arsenal, Barbados gradually recovered cannon that had been scattered across the island over centuries.
Historic guns were found:
- buried beneath former fortifications;
- reused in retaining walls and buildings;
- lying on beaches;
- embedded in gardens;
- hidden in cellars;
- serving as practical landscape features long after their military usefulness had ended.
These discoveries eventually led to the creation of a National Ordnance Collection, bringing together artillery that had survived in unexpected locations. Much of the credit for documenting and rescuing the guns has been associated with Major Michael Hartland, who promoted their preservation before they were lost to corrosion, redevelopment or scrap.[Barbados.org]barbados.orgA famous cannon collection in BarbadosA famous cannon collection in Barbados
This history explains why the armoury feels different from many military museums. It is not simply preserving weapons from one battle or one regiment; it reunites artefacts that had become scattered fragments of Barbados’s landscape.
What makes the cannon collection exceptional?
The collection’s importance lies less in its overall size than in its composition.
Many museums possess impressive bronze ceremonial cannon or nineteenth-century artillery. Barbados instead preserves an unusually concentrated group of early English cast-iron guns dating from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, a category that has become increasingly rare because iron ordnance was often melted down once it became obsolete. Specialists have described the collection as one of the world’s finest surviving groups of early English iron cannon.[Barbados.org]barbados.orgA famous cannon collection in BarbadosA famous cannon collection in Barbados
Among its most celebrated pieces is an Elizabethan cannon dating from around 1600, reported to be the only known surviving example of its particular type. While many historic cannon elsewhere survive individually, Barbados preserves them within a much broader sequence that allows visitors to see changing manufacturing techniques, decorative styles and military technology across successive centuries.[Barbados.org]barbados.orgGarrison Historic Area | Barbados.orgBarbados Garrison Historic Area | Barbados.org…
Viewed together, the guns illustrate developments including:
- changing barrel proportions and casting methods;
- royal cyphers and ownership marks identifying different monarchs;
- improvements in artillery design as naval warfare evolved;
- the standardisation of British ordnance during the imperial period.
Instead of isolated curiosities, visitors encounter a coherent archaeological record of Britain’s expanding military system.
What the cannon reveal about empire and warfare
Although the guns are visually impressive, their greatest significance is historical.
Each cannon represents the enormous military investment required to defend a plantation economy built upon enslaved labour and Atlantic commerce. Barbados became both a commercial powerhouse and a strategic naval base because sugar generated immense wealth for Britain. Protecting that wealth required permanent fortifications capable of deterring rival European powers, privateers and naval attack.
The collection therefore reveals several overlapping histories:
- Imperial logistics: transporting heavy artillery across the Atlantic demanded enormous financial and industrial resources.
- Industrial capability: cast-iron cannon demonstrate advances in English foundries long before the Industrial Revolution reached full scale.
- Colonial defence: artillery protected harbours, military depots and shipping rather than serving primarily in battlefield campaigns on Barbados itself.
- Material survival: because Barbados experienced relatively little destructive warfare compared with some Caribbean colonies, many guns escaped destruction and remained where they had been installed.[UNESCO World Heritage Centre]whc.unesco.orgWorld Heritage Centre Historic Bridgetown and its GarrisonUNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Bridgetown and its Garrison - UNESCO World Heritage Centre…
Seen through this wider lens, the armoury is as much about colonial infrastructure as about weapons.
How visitors can access the armoury
The National Armoury is located inside St Ann’s Fort, today the headquarters of the Barbados Defence Force. The collection occupies the historic naval powder magazine, an appropriate setting that preserves much of the original military atmosphere.[gov.bb]gov.bbGO V.BBGO V.BB
Because the armoury sits within an active military compound, access is more restricted than at a conventional public museum. Opening arrangements have varied over the years, often depending on organised tours, heritage events or prior arrangements rather than unrestricted daily admission. Visitors interested in seeing the collection should check current access arrangements before travelling, as security requirements for the working military base may affect availability.[gov.bb]gov.bbGO V.BBGO V.BB
Even when interior access is limited, the surrounding Garrison district remains one of Barbados’s richest historic landscapes, with fortifications, parade grounds and military buildings that help place the armoury’s cannon within their original defensive setting.
Why the collection matters in Barbados’s curiosity landscape
Barbados has relatively few museums devoted to eccentric or sensational subjects. Instead, many of its most unusual collections derive their fascination from historical survival rather than deliberate spectacle.
The National Armoury fits this pattern perfectly. Its appeal comes from the unlikely preservation of hundreds of artillery pieces that elsewhere would almost certainly have been melted down, dispersed or lost. What could have become anonymous scrap instead forms a specialist collection that allows visitors to see the physical machinery of empire on a remarkable scale.
For anyone interested in unusual collections, industrial archaeology or the material culture of colonial history, the Barbados National Armoury is one of the island’s most distinctive attractions. Rather than celebrating warfare, it preserves a rare concentration of objects that illuminate how military technology, commerce and imperial ambition shaped Barbados and the wider Caribbean for more than three centuries.
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Inside Barbados's Extraordinary Collection of Cannon. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
The Gun
The AK-47, or 'Kalashnikov', is the most abundant and efficient firearm on earth. It is so light it can be used by children. It has trans...
A History of Barbados
As Barbados celebrates 350 years of established parliamentary government, this concise and authoritative history makes a timely appearanc...
The Caribbean: A History of the Region and Its Peoples
An "illuminating" survey of Caribbean history from pre-Columbian times to the twenty-first century ( Los Angeles Times). Combining fertil...
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Live-tested eBay searches with available results related to this page.
Selected fromhistoric cannon model oneBay.co.uk.
Endnotes
1.
Source: barbados.org
Title: Garrison Historic Area | Barbados.org
Link:https://barbados.org/garrison.htm
Source snippet
Barbados Garrison Historic Area | Barbados.org...
2.
Source: barbados.org
Title: A famous cannon collection in Barbados
Link:https://barbados.org/garison.htm
3.
Source: whc.unesco.org
Title: World Heritage Centre Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison
Link:https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1376/
Source snippet
UNESCO World Heritage CentreHistoric Bridgetown and its Garrison - UNESCO World Heritage Centre...
4.
Source: gov.bb
Title: GO V.BB
Link:https://www.gov.bb/State-Bodies/defence-force
5.
Source: fireservice.gov.bb
Title: Ann’s Fort
Link:https://fireservice.gov.bb/join-us-as-we-showcase-our-skills/
Source snippet
Join Us as We Showcase Our Skills – Barbados Fire ServiceJune 27, 2026 — June 27, 2026 JOIN US AS WE SHOWCASE OUR SKILLS The Barbados Fir...
Published: June 27, 2026
6.
Source: unesco.org
Link:https://www.unesco.org/en/node/184119
Source snippet
Barbados | UNESCOSeptember 22, 2025 — BARBADOS Image: Barbados-Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison...
Published: September 22, 2025
7.
Source: whc.unesco.org
Link:https://whc.unesco.org/en/documents/115723
8.
Source: whc.unesco.org
Link:https://whc.unesco.org/fr/list/1376/
9.
Source: whc.unesco.org
Link:https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1376/maps/
10.
Source: whc.unesco.org
Link:https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1376/documents/
11.
Source: whc.unesco.org
Link:https://whc.unesco.org/en/decisions/4313/
12.
Source: gov.bb
Link:https://www.gov.bb/Visit-Barbados/national-honours
13.
Source: gov.bb
Link:https://www.gov.bb/Ministries/prime-minister-office
14.
Source: barbados.org
Link:https://barbados.org/barbados-forts.htm
15.
Source: barbadospocketguide.com
Title: The Garrison
Link:https://www.barbadospocketguide.com/our-island-barbados/military/the-garrison.html
Additional References
16.
Source: fliphtml5.com
Title: CAR.BARBADOS.BAP24.GOVERNMEN T
Link:https://fliphtml5.com/lkizu/ouxx/CAR.BARBADOS.BAP24.GOVERNMENT/6/
Source snippet
(Page 6) - Flipbook by YMG Web Development | FlipHTML5September 9, 2024 — CAR.BARBADOS.BAP24.GOVERNMENT Published on Sep 09,2024 Descript...
Published: September 9, 2024
17.
Source: barbadosbeachhouse.com
Title: Barbados Travel Deals
Link:https://www.barbadosbeachhouse.com/barbados_sightseeing_garrison_savannah.php
Source snippet
Little Bay House Barbados Beach ResortJune 25, 2026 — Image June 25, 2026 BARBADOS SIGHTSEEING - GARRISON SAVANNAH The Garrison located o...
Published: June 25, 2026
18.
Source: youtube.com
Title: 5 Hours in Barbados: Hidden Ruins, Lost Empires, and the Secrets of the HARP Gun
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt32LSGeiqw
Source snippet
Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison: Our Heritage, Our Legacy...
19.
Source: youtube.com
Title: The Historic Garrison of Barbados – A Glimpse into Colonial Power
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YyvIGjE6B5o
Source snippet
5 Hours in Barbados: Hidden Ruins, Lost Empires, and the Secrets of the HARP Gun...
20.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Barbados Heritage Month
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWRjyXpHWtc
Source snippet
Nobody said relays were easy 💀 #athletics #track #trackandfield #relay World Athletics · 72M views...
21.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison: Our Heritage, Our Legacy
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns8WW9gKkvo
Source snippet
Historic Garrison & Its Museum: A Captivating Tour Review...
22.
Source: youtube.com
Title: Historic Garrison & Its Museum: A Captivating Tour Review!
Link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Bx7QImYNnI
Source snippet
Barbados Heritage Month - George Washington House...
23.
Source: ncf.bb
Link:https://ncf.bb/event/the-barbados-defence-force-presents-national-armoury-tour-and-rum-tasting/
24.
Source: caribbeanandco.com
Link:https://www.caribbeanandco.com/historic-bridgetown-and-its-garrison/
25.
Source: wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com
Title: Wargaming Miscellany: I have been to … the National Armoury Museum, Barbados
Link:https://wargamingmiscellany.blogspot.com/2013/05/i-have-been-to-national-armoury-museum.html