Bernews: BNT Launches Verdmont Tour Experience
The Bermuda National Trust invites the public to “experience Verdmont historic home anew, with a live, interpreter-led tour that explores the property’s past as a site of enslavement.”
“Verdmont, a beautifully preserved 325-year-old historic house and garden in Smith’s, is part of the African Diaspora Heritage Trail. “The new tour offers a deeper, honest look into Bermuda’s complex and often untold past”, said Dr Charlotte Andrews, Head of Cultural Heritage at BNT. “It thoughtfully reimagines the lives of the enslaved men, women and children who lived and laboured at the house, alongside the enslaving merchant families who once owned the property and the post-emancipation families who later lived there.”
The spokesperson said, “Led by expert interpreters, visitors explore carefully recreated period rooms and lush gardens overlooking Bermuda’s spectacular south shore, hearing the remarkable stories behind Verdmont’s rich collections of furniture, art, porcelain, archaeological finds and other artefacts.
“Verdmont Museum is open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm, with the guided tours [bookable on PTix] at 11:00 am and 1:00 pm. It is accessed from Sayle Road off Collector’s Hill.
“Meanwhile, BNT’s Globe Museum on King’s Square in St George’s has also had a refresh. New additions to the exhibit on Bermuda’s early settlement include the recently acquired portrait of Sir Thomas Gates [on loan from the Bermuda Archives] and archaeological artefacts relocated from Tucker House Museum [which is currently closed for essential building conservation and a reimagining of the museum]. Visitors can also explore the Rogues & Runners exhibit upstairs, which focuses on the role of Bermuda and St George’s in the US Civil War.
“These enhanced museum experiences have been made possible through support from the Bermuda Tourism Authority, allowing BNT to enrich its interpretive offerings across both sites.”