Take a stroll around the Queens Park Savannah

BREATHTAKING ARCHITECTURE: THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN IN PORT OF SPAIN

Queen’s Park Savannah is 260 acres of open space in the heart of bustling Port of Spain. It’s also been dubbed the world’s largest roundabout. The perimeter is 2.2 miles long, and on your next trip to Port of Spain, you will definitely want to explore the north-western corner to see the infamous Magnificent Seven.

Some of the most imposing examples of European architecture in Trinidad and Tobago and indeed the Caribbean can be seen around the Queen's Park Savannah. The Magnificent Seven is a group of mansions all built between 1900-1910. From north to south, the mansions are: Killarney, Whitehall, Achibishop's House, Roomoor, Mille Fleurs, Hayes Court and Queens Royal College which have all been officially listed as legally protected sites.

Check out these magnificent pictures below

Queens Royal College

The building, which is home to one of the top colleges in Trinidad and Tobago, Queen's Royal College or known locally as QRC, was opened in 1904. One of the most striking of the Magnificent Seven the main block was fully restored in 2009 and features a clock tower with a clock that chimes.

Hayes Court

Second of the seven, located just after Queen's Royal College, it was actually the last one to be built and was designated as the official residence of the Anglican Bishop of Port of Spain. It takes its name from Bishop Thomas Hayes, who incidentally never lived in the building because he died before it was completed.

Roomoor as it is more popularly known, is the only one of the seven buildings that have remained as a private residence. It was originally built in 1904 and most of the decorative elements like the tiles were imported from France, while the marble was imported from Italy.

Mille Fleurs also built in 1904, is one of the buildings with amazing details and quality finishing.

Archbishop’s House, built in 1903, the house was redesigned during the period from 1968 – 1969. Concrete replaced the original wooden panel walls with some other additions to the structure. However, care was taken to preserve at least some elements of the original design. Today it still stands out and is the official residence of the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Port of Spain.

Whitehall originally called Rosenberg was built in 1904, this member of the Mag Seven was restored back in 2000. It was once the largest of the private residences on the block and one of the features that make it outstanding is the use of white stone in its construction. Once used by the US Armed Forces as it Army Headquarters the building was also used as the Office of the Prime Minister.

Stollmeyer’s Castle the last of the lot, looks like a castle from a fairy-tale storybook or perhaps something from medieval times. Restoration work was last carried out in the late 1990s. Construction of the building was completed in 1904 and the designed is based after a wing of Balmoral Castle in Scotland. Like Whitehall, US Armed Forces also occupied Stollmeyer's Castle during the Second World War

So, if you are in Trinidad and Tobago take a walk around the Queens Park Savannah in the capital Port of Spain, have a look at the Magnificent Seven, but don't limit yourself to just those, there are many other buildings and places of interest around “the Savannah,” as it is locally known.

If you are visiting with your children, then you should check out the Emperor Valley Zoo on the northern side of the Savannah. If you love flowers, plants and trees check out the Royal Botanic Gardens, it is located footsteps away from the zoo.

You can also check out Memorial Park, which is about a thirty minute leisurely walk from the botanic gardens. The park is a memorial dedicated to nationals who served and lost their lives during military service in World Wars I and II.

Just opposite the park you can find the National Museum and Arts Gallery. It has a collection of over 10,000 pieces, including items of art, social, natural and economic history as well as information on petroleum and geology.