Barren Ground, Saint Helena
Encyclopedia
Barren Ground is a settlement at the western end of the island of Saint Helena
, north west of Blue Hill
. It is administratively part of Blue Hill, but is locally seen as a distinct place.
. The scenery is dominated by High Hill to the west and The Saddle to the north. Despite the name, the area is fertile, but due to the steepness of the terrain is largely woodland. In Saint Helena's 2008 Land Development Plan, Barren Ground is marked as an area for additional housing development.
is about 30 minutes. The road into Barren Ground heads north-east from Blue Hill and, if extended, would reach Head O'Wain, thus shortening the journey into Jamestown. It is possible to reach the sea on foot by descending Swanley Valley or Old Woman's Valley, but this is not an advertised route due to its difficulty.
The area is served by the island's telephone network and Broadband Internet access is available. The nearest call box is beside the bus stop at Redgate, Blue Hill Village. TV service is provided to parts of the area from a relay at Head O'Wain, and to other parts from the relay at The Depot, the large mast adjacent to the church of St Helena and the Cross. FM service is provided by a relay Saint FM
transmitter at Head O'Wain on 91.1MHz, and secondarily by the main Saint FM
transmitter at High Knoll on 93.1MHz. Medium Wave reception of Radio St. Helena is acceptable but can be poor at night, due to remoteness from the transmitter, located at Pounceys.
Saint Helena
Saint Helena , named after St Helena of Constantinople, is an island of volcanic origin in the South Atlantic Ocean. It is part of the British overseas territory of Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha which also includes Ascension Island and the islands of Tristan da Cunha...
, north west of Blue Hill
Blue Hill, Saint Helena
Blue Hill is a hill and one of eight districts of the island of Saint Helena, a British overseas territory in the South Atlantic Ocean, located in the west and southwest of the island. Its main settlement, with the location of the community centre, is Blue Hill Village...
. It is administratively part of Blue Hill, but is locally seen as a distinct place.
Geography
Barren Ground lies at the top of Swanley Valley and Old Woman's Valley, about 700 m above sea levelAbove mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
. The scenery is dominated by High Hill to the west and The Saddle to the north. Despite the name, the area is fertile, but due to the steepness of the terrain is largely woodland. In Saint Helena's 2008 Land Development Plan, Barren Ground is marked as an area for additional housing development.
Communications
Road access is via Blue Hill. The journey time into JamestownJamestown, Saint Helena
Jamestown is the capital and historic chief settlement of the island of Saint Helena, in the South Atlantic Ocean. Located on the island's north-western coast, it is the island's port, with facilities for unloading goods delivered to the island, and the centre of the island's road and...
is about 30 minutes. The road into Barren Ground heads north-east from Blue Hill and, if extended, would reach Head O'Wain, thus shortening the journey into Jamestown. It is possible to reach the sea on foot by descending Swanley Valley or Old Woman's Valley, but this is not an advertised route due to its difficulty.
The area is served by the island's telephone network and Broadband Internet access is available. The nearest call box is beside the bus stop at Redgate, Blue Hill Village. TV service is provided to parts of the area from a relay at Head O'Wain, and to other parts from the relay at The Depot, the large mast adjacent to the church of St Helena and the Cross. FM service is provided by a relay Saint FM
Saint FM
Saint FM is a radio station serving the island of Saint Helena. The station's studios and administration offices are located at Association Hall, Main Street, Jamestown...
transmitter at Head O'Wain on 91.1MHz, and secondarily by the main Saint FM
Saint FM
Saint FM is a radio station serving the island of Saint Helena. The station's studios and administration offices are located at Association Hall, Main Street, Jamestown...
transmitter at High Knoll on 93.1MHz. Medium Wave reception of Radio St. Helena is acceptable but can be poor at night, due to remoteness from the transmitter, located at Pounceys.
Astronomy
The sparse population makes the area potentially ideal for astronomy, due to minimal light pollution. However, cloud cover can be a problem as Barren Ground is situated in the lee of the main ridge of the island.Shopping
There are no shops in Barren Ground. The nearest retail outlet is the Blue Hill shop, on the western side of Blue Hill.Industry and Employment
There is no local manufacturing industry and most people work outside the Barren Ground area. Some residents work from home and one business has its base in the area (see External Links).External links
- Burgh House Limited, company based in Barren Ground providing additional information about the area
- family.burghhouse.com, website for a Barren Ground resident family
- Burgh House, website for a house in Barren Ground, with useful location information