Brimstone Hill Fortress

[DeeDeeRode]

Hello. We will be in St. Kitts next month and would like to visit Brimstone. I can't tell from their website if it is accessible.

 

Also, if anyone has suggestions on what to see in St. Kitts I would appreciate it. Thank you.

[Cruisin' Crazy]

The Fortress has a long flight of rough stone steps to get up to the main gate. Anyone with walking difficulties would find it dangerous, I think, and if you are in a wheelchair, there is no way to get up there that I know of, having been there and climbed those steps. There also stairs within the Fort, but there is a long stone ramp between the two levels, which I think was originally for horses and carriages carrying supplies (ie, cannon balls) up to the defensive level. But that ramp is no good when you cannot get up there to begin with. My wheelchair wife had to stay in the van down below.

Sorry for the bad news.

You could maybe take the sugar train around the Island, I think, but if you can't walk well you would have to stay downstairs in the enclosed lower level. There is a very tight winding staircase to the upper open level, and the train is also very very rough wile moving. It is a narrow guage railway, and the cars tend to rock back and forth quite a lot.

[Putterdude]

It is a pretty tough go for anyone with mobility difficulties. We did a tour 2 years ago with Thenford Grey, who unbeknown to me, after he had dropped we able-bodied people off, took DW who suffers from MS on her own private tour in his van showing her what he could of the Fort and then joined up with us. But with Thenford....why would I be surprised.:)

[Arlened236]

We also took a wonderful tour with Thenford Grey last Feb..( I highly recommend his tour) I use a manual w/c and he did the same with my husband and I...he dropped all the people that wanted to climb to the top of the fort off, and they took me to a flat area were I could have a great view and get out of the van for a while. I can walk with my prostheis but I would not attempt the fort stairs which were very uneven and did not look safe.

 

We have also done the Sugar train tour...it was very easy if you can climb into the bottom level of the train (only a few steps) but as stated the climb to the upper deck was not advised. The was a bathroom in the train too and it was a pleasant tour...not much to see but you go all around the island. We stayed downstairs with airconditioning...it was a very hot and humid day...others joined us. You can see the areas that were affected by the last Hurricaine and never repaired.

Everyone was very friendly and helpful even if the places we visited were not completly up to ADA standards.

[DeeDeeRode]

Thank you very much! One more month and we will be on our way. Going to book with Thenford Grey, heard lots of good things about them.

 

Dee

[Putterdude]

I am sure that you will be very happy with him, we will certainly use him again.

[muskrat897]

We also took a wonderful tour with Thenford Grey last Feb..( I highly recommend his tour) I use a manual w/c and he did the same with my husband and I...he dropped all the people that wanted to climb to the top of the fort off, and they took me to a flat area were I could have a great view and get out of the van for a while. I can walk with my prostheis but I would not attempt the fort stairs which were very uneven and did not look safe.

 

We have also done the Sugar train tour...it was very easy if you can climb into the bottom level of the train (only a few steps) but as stated the climb to the upper deck was not advised. The was a bathroom in the train too and it was a pleasant tour...not much to see but you go all around the island. We stayed downstairs with airconditioning...it was a very hot and humid day...others joined us. You can see the areas that were affected by the last Hurricaine and never repaired.

Everyone was very friendly and helpful even if the places we visited were not completly up to ADA standards.

Can I assume that the train is not a possibility for a non-ambulatory, wheelchair user?

[Arlened236]

Can I assume that the train is not a possibility for a non-ambulatory, wheelchair user?

 

On the train we went on (the Sugar train) it would not be possible if you could not climb a few stairs and walk a short distance to chairs around tables in the inside of the train car. They kept my w/c for me and had it at the stop at the end of the train ride. There would have been no room for it on the train.

Sorry, it was an interesting tour seeing the island, but its not accessible.