St. Anne’s Church

A historic site responsible for the names of Church Bay [1] (located opposite the church) and several vicinity streets, St. Anne’s Church (13 Church Rd., tel. 441/238-1864, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., Sunday services) makes a quaint stop en route west. One of the original parish church sites, St. Anne’s today stands where a cedar version called “Port Royal Church” was built in 1620 by the first settlers.

Structural additions over the years are said to have incorporated some of the original cedar wood. The nave and chapel were built 1716–1717, while the west-end tower was added in 1905. Its new bell, replacing one from 1780, could be heard as far away as Hamilton [2] in those days. The old bell can also still be seen in the vestry.

The whitewashed building, one of the best examples of Bermudian ecclesiastical architecture, is surrounded by a picturesque graveyard that includes numerous tiny headstones marking the graves of infants and children. Park in the lot opposite the church on Church Road.