Island life
Your photographer was still suffering from a Namibian haircut.
The buildings the Saints live and work in are a living museum of Georgian and Victorian architecture.
Jacob’s Ladder was built originally as a funicular rail, serving Ladder Hill Fort in the early 19th century, but the rails and cars were later removed while the staircase remains. It is now a shortcut to the new suburb of Half Tree Hollow at the south side of James Valley.
Its 699 steps have been run up in a record 5 minutes and 17 seconds, but a little more time invested prevents a heart attack and allows sight-seeing.
Yachts in the mooring field are directly below the top of Ladder Hill.
Ladder Hill Fort is now called home for some local and government residents.
The Atlantic stretches away to the north, offering a first line of defence.
The Jamestown waterfront lies at the flat mouth of the narrow valley. The one lane side road snakes its way above and behind the town.
Over a dozen or so batteries, forts, and other defensive structures were built around the island during its early history, mostly to defend against the French. Munden’s Battery, built into the cliffside north of James Bay, grew from its birth as a two-gun emplacement in the 17th century into a more modern installation during the world wars.
