The Hermitage in New Bight is a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. Built in the 1930s by Fr. Jerome, a Catholic priest and architect, at age 62, the Hermitage is located on the highest point in the Bahamas at 206 ft above sea level. His creation is a scaled down model of a European monastery, reminiscent of the Greek style. From afar, the smaller scale of the building creates the illusion that it is a massive cathedral atop a towering hill. This is not so, and when you reach the top faster than you thought and see that the doorway is only about 5ft tall, you are astounded! It is a very neat little architectural trick.
On your way up the hill to the Hermitage itself, you pass the 14 Stations of the Cross, carved on stone tablets and woven into the winding rocky path.
The Hermitage is equipped with a total of 4 enclosed rooms – chapel, kitchen area, living area, and bedroom – and 1 open air bathroom, and a bell tower. There is a well and root cellar near by, as well as another small, 1 roomed building and a lonely cave.
Feel free to browse the photos. It was a truly beautiful place to visit.
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- Goodbye Hermitage!
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- View from the 12th station.
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- Now she’s awake and wants to play stick!
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- Hermitage toad.
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- Sleepy Hermitage dog.
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- Hello down there!
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- I just want to….sing…
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- View from the top of the bell tower – the highest point in the Bahamas.
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- Spinny sized door!
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- At the desk in the chapel.
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- Another Hermitage lizard.
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- Outside the entry to the home.
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- Hermitage lizard.
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- A cave back in the woods.
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- On the tiny separate building.
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- A building put far away from the others, with a fireplace.
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- Solar noon.
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- Outside: Greek style architecture is more apparent here.
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- Bedroom.
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- Fireplace.
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- Doorways.
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- At the altar.
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- Chapel door.
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- The Hermitage: Jesus’ tomb from the 14th Station of the Cross is in the foreground.
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- Charred remains of trees after a wild fire.
