It is rare that you visit a location on the island and not experience a part of the island’s history, and a stroll through The Chattel Village in Holetown is no different.
The chattel house structure in Barbados dates back many years. It is in similar, small wooden structures that many of the previously enslaved people lived. More often than not, the land on which the houses were built was owned by the plantation owners, and sometimes the landowners would request to have their properties vacated, forcing homeowners to take up their home and move elsewhere. The word chattel means tangible and easily moveable; therefore, the houses are known for being easily moved from location to location and are characterised by having a single roof and two rooms, suspended on large blocks.