Romney Manor & Caribelle Batik, St. Kitts: what to see and how to visit
Romney Manor is a 17th-century estate at Old Road, on the west coast of St. Kitts, now home to the Caribelle Batik studio and shop and a garden with a huge old saman tree. Entry is 3 USD for adult visitors, and it is about 15 to 20 minutes by car from the cruise port.
By Mechiel Francis Dunrod, licensed St. Kitts taxi driver and tour guide ·
Quick answer: Romney Manor is a historic estate at Old Road, St. Kitts, with about 8 acres of gardens and grounds, a saman tree said to be over 400 years old, and the Caribelle Batik studio and shop. Entry is 3 USD for adult visitors. It opens weekdays 9am to 3pm and is 15 to 20 minutes from the cruise port.
What is Romney Manor?
Romney Manor is a former sugar estate on the hillside above Old Road, on the Caribbean (west) coast of St. Kitts. Today it is the home of Caribelle Batik, which makes and sells hand-dyed batik cloth and clothing.
Visitors come for three things: the gardens, the giant saman tree and the batik studio. It is one of the stops on our Panoramic Tour, and it pairs well with the petroglyphs at the bottom of the same road.
Romney Manor history
The estate's story goes back to the first years of English settlement. In 1623, settlers led by Sir Thomas Warner arrived and set up the first successful English colony in the West Indies at Old Road, just below the estate.
Caribelle's history says there is strong evidence that the village of the Carib chief Tegreman stood on this site before the English came. Rock carvings on the neighboring Wingfield Estate show that Amerindian people lived here before that.
The Jefferson family link
The first English owner was Samuel Jefferson (spelled Jeffreson in Caribelle's history), who bought the land in 1625. Both Caribelle and the St. Kitts Scenic Railway describe him as an ancestor of US President Thomas Jefferson.
Sources differ on how many generations separate the two men, so treat the details as the estate's own family history rather than settled fact.
The Earls of Romney and the end of slavery
The estate later passed to the Earl of Romney and took his name. Like other St. Kitts estates, it grew sugar cane with the forced labor of enslaved Africans.
Caribelle's history says that in 1834 Lord Romney declared the enslaved people on the estate free, the first estate in St. Kitts to do so.
Batik, and the 1995 fire
Caribelle made its first batik in 1975, using Indonesian methods. The old great house burned down in 1995, according to Caribelle's history, and the business carried on in the buildings and gardens around it.
What you will see
Romney Manor gardens
The grounds cover about 8 acres of gardens on the hillside. There are no organized garden tours, but staff are around and signs explain the site's history.
The saman tree
The saman tree is the highlight for most visitors. Caribelle says it is over 400 years old, about 24 feet around the trunk, and covers half an acre.
Other guides put its age at 300 to 350 years. No one has dated it exactly, but it is clearly centuries old, and its spreading branches make a good group photo.
The batik demonstration
Batik is a wax-resist method of dyeing cloth. The artist draws the design on the fabric with hot wax, dips the cloth in dye, and the waxed parts keep their color.
The wax is then removed, traditionally with boiling water, and the steps are repeated for each extra color. During a visit you can watch Caribelle's artists at work on the cloth.
The Caribelle shop
The shop sells batik fabric, clothing, accessories and gifts, including pieces in sea island cotton. Each piece is hand-dyed, so no two are exactly alike.
Caribelle also runs a hands-on Back of House Tour where you dye your own piece to take home. Book that directly with Caribelle in advance.
Romney Manor hours and entry fee
Entry is 3 USD per adult visitor, and children up to 11 go in free. Hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm, plus Saturdays in the November to April season.
| Item | Details (as of October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Entry, visitors | 3 USD adults; children 0 to 11 free |
| Entry, residents | 2 USD adults; accredited resident students free |
| Weekdays | Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm |
| Saturdays | Open November to April (seasonal); closed May to October |
| Sundays | Closed |
| Time to allow | 45 minutes to 1 hour |
| From Port Zante | About 7 miles, 15 to 20 minutes by car |
Entry fees are not included in our tour prices, so bring small US bills. Restrooms are in the courtyard by the entrance, and Caribelle says its upper level is wheelchair accessible.
How long to stay, and getting there from the port
Allow 45 minutes to an hour. Caribelle says organized cruise groups usually stay about 40 minutes and that many visitors find this too short.
Romney Manor is about 7 miles west of Port Zante along the coast road, roughly 15 to 20 minutes by car. The estate is a short way inland from Old Road, next to the petroglyphs.
Cruise guests: send us your ship name and all-aboard time, and we plan the visit around it. We get you back to the ship on time. More options are on our cruise passengers page.
The petroglyphs and Old Road nearby
The petroglyphs are carvings on large rocks beside the road up to Romney Manor, at the Wingfield Estate. They were made by the island's Amerindian people before Europeans arrived.
The figures are picked out in white so they are easy to see. Some people read them as fertility symbols, which is why the stop is often called Fertility Rock; others see spirit figures. It takes only a few minutes and is one of the stops on our Panoramic Tour.
Old Road itself is the small town on the coast below. The St. Kitts Scenic Railway's bus leg passes through it but does not stop at the estate; see our Scenic Railway vs private tour guide to compare.
Combining it with Brimstone Hill or the rainforest
With the petroglyphs and Timothy Hill
Our Panoramic Tour covers Timothy's Hill, an egret stop, the petroglyphs, Romney Manor and Caribelle Batik in about 2 to 2.5 hours, typically 80 USD per person. It leaves time for a beach after.
With Brimstone Hill Fortress
Brimstone Hill is about 5 miles further up the same coast. Our Full Island Tour includes both, plus Gibbons Hill and Black Rocks, in about 4 to 5 hours. Read our Brimstone Hill Fortress guide for its hours and the 15 USD entry.
With a rainforest walk
Romney Manor sits below the island's forested hills. Our Rainforest and Botanical Gardens tour can add a rainforest walking option on request.
If you want a full volcano hike instead, our Mount Liamuiga hike guide explains what is involved. For wildlife, see where to spot the island's green monkeys.
For a full-day plan, our St. Kitts in one day guide shows how these stops fit together, and all routes are on our St. Kitts tours page.
See Romney Manor with Mechiel
Send your date, group size and pickup point, plus your ship and all-aboard time if you are cruising. We will confirm the Panoramic Tour or a custom route and the price. A 20% deposit holds your day.
Romney Manor FAQ
How much is the entry fee at Romney Manor?
Caribelle Batik charges visitors 3 USD per adult, and children aged 0 to 11 go in free. Residents pay 2 USD. The fee is paid at the entrance and is not included in our tour prices, so bring small US bills.
What are the opening hours of Romney Manor and Caribelle Batik?
Monday to Friday, 9am to 3pm. From November to April it also opens on Saturdays (seasonal hours), and from May to October it is closed on weekends. It is closed every Sunday, so plan a weekday visit if you can.
How old is the saman tree at Romney Manor?
Caribelle says its saman tree is over 400 years old, about 24 feet around the trunk, and covers half an acre. Other guides give 300 to 350 years. It has not been exactly dated, but all sources agree it is centuries old.
Is Romney Manor linked to Thomas Jefferson?
Caribelle says the estate's first owner, Samuel Jefferson, who bought it in 1625, was an ancestor of US President Thomas Jefferson. The St. Kitts Scenic Railway repeats the story, but sources differ on the exact family line.
How far is Romney Manor from the cruise port?
About 7 miles west of Port Zante in Basseterre, or 15 to 20 minutes by car. Our Panoramic Tour includes Romney Manor and the petroglyphs in about 2 to 2.5 hours, and we get cruise guests back to the ship on time.
Sources
- Caribelle Batik: home page and opening hours, checked October 2026.
- Caribelle Batik: history of Romney Manor, checked October 2026.
- Caribelle Batik: visitor FAQ and entry fees, checked October 2026.
- UNESCO: Indonesian Batik (how wax-resist batik is made), checked October 2026.
- Britannica: Sir Thomas Warner (the 1623 settlement at Old Road), checked October 2026.
More St. Kitts guides
St. Kitts Scenic Railway vs a private tourWho the train suits, what it skips, and when a private tour fits better.
Brimstone Hill Fortress: hours, fees and toursVisiting the UNESCO fortress from the cruise port.
St. Kitts monkeys: where to see themWhere to spot the green vervet monkeys and how to take photos respectfully.