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Mercers Creek is believed to have been built in 1670 by Philip Watkins. On his instruction, it was created in the shape of a ship using solid white stone from the Cotswolds, brought in on galleons which then plied the trade routes between the West Indies and Great Britain.
The Great House at Mercers Creek Plantation is complete with majority of its original features and furnishings, from bygone days, surrounded by avenues of palm and mahogany trees filled with bird song.
The house, with its sea island breezes, is a cool sanctuary from the ever reliable Antigua sunshine.
It is blissfully private and isolated from the rest of Antigua, a lost treasure, hidden among 26 acres, which has preserved it as an unspoiled regal residence for centuries.
Historically, plantation houses were built on an elevated position, to benefit from the cooling winds. Mercers Creek's Great House sits squarely with a commanding view over the sea, Guana island, and in its own creek, which is where the name derives from.
The original sugar mill, with many features still intact, is without its running sail, taken no-doubt by hurricanes past.
Throughout the years the Great House has been a haven for famous guests. Family lore recalls secret visits by the Kennedys, Greta Garbo and Humphrey Bogart among others. The house was to be a honeymoon home for HRH Princess Margaret and Anthony Armstrong-Jones until British officials suspected that the location had been compromised.
Britain's former Prime Minister Sir Anthony Edens stayed at the plantation to write his memoir “Full Circle.”
As the Great House has remained as a home we are able to share the country's most superior collections, including exquisite mahogany furniture, china, silver, glassware, domestic items and old prints.
Among these pieces are Chippendales, and the King of Wood, mahogany four poster beds. The grounds still contain remarkable masonry, which includes aqueduct, chimney, mill house for crushing cane, boiling house, distillery, lime kiln, subterranean tunnel, and so much more.
We also have, unique to Antigua, French metal four poster bed believed to be dated c.1840, parts of which are thought to have belonged to a French emigree family, who left France during the Revolutions. These unique items will give you a true glimpse of what life was like for wealthy plantation owners during this opulent era, when sugar was King.
A full history of the owners and stories associated with the house is written up and presented at the house.
The combination of elegance and privacy amid the beautiful surroundings will work its magic to rid you of the stresses and strains of everyday life.
Our team are here to ensure you unwind.
We look forward to welcoming you to our paradise.
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