Trinis fondly refer to the Queen’s Park Savannah as the heart of Port-of-Spain, Trinidad’s capital city. There is a reason. The Savannah is the centre of activity throughout the year, dispensing love to early morning joggers, Sunday afternoon cricketers and 100,000-plus annual Carnival masqueraders alike. Our love affair with the West Indies’ oldest recreation space is timeless; Trini writer Sonja Sinaswee shares hers.
Poui blossoms cover the Savannah floor. Photo by Rachel Lee Young
My love affair with the Queen’s Park Savannah started during my primary school years, when class field trips would involve a stop at the Emperor Valley Zoo, lunch in the Botanical Gardens and play in the Savannah.
In my late teens, my friends and I would journey from San Fernando on Carnival Sunday. We’d fete at the Boys Scouts grounds in St Ann’s, wait for Chinese Laundry’s music truck to leave the fete and then follow it through the city for J’ouvert.
The first time I ever wined down to the ground was on J’ouvert morning. The sun was coming up, Wayne Rodriguez’s Footsteps was blasting across the field and my friends and I were in the hollows having the time of our lives.
When my family moved to Maraval during my high school years, the magnificent seven buildings became something of a fascination for me.
My mother fed this fascination by giving me a Buy the Savannah board game. My brothers and I would compete to see who could own the most buildings around the Savannah and trivia cards questioned us on our knowledge of the area. Almost everything I know about the Savannah today is a result of that game.
As I entered adulthood, my romance with the Savannah matured as well.
The first time my longtime boyfriend kissed me over a decade ago was under the brilliant light of a full moon in the field opposite Queen’s Royal College. The first time he was an inconsiderate sod was years later, this
Sonja and a friend claim the Savannah stage during Carnival celebrations.
time at the Archbishop’s House.
I once had an apartment on Woodford Street. My kitchen had a spectacular view of the Savannah. Cold coconuts from Tony’s pick-up and walks with my cat Fidel through the green fields were food to my soul.
I remember my first time crossing the Savannah stage as a Carnival masquerader. I had heard others speak of the exhilaration, the freedom, the feeling it awakened deep inside your soul. I understood their words, but they didn’t resonate… until that first time I stormed the stage as a Harts masquerader. I can’t describe it. It is a rush, an awakening that must be experienced to be understood.
When I returned to Trinidad after spending a few years abroad, I knew I was home when I drove by the Savannah on my way home. I had never been so happy to see it. Memories of Panorama Semifinals, poui season and pholourie fried to order by curbside vendors (and served with yummy mango chutney) told me I was home.
Today, at 31, my love affair with the Savannah is stronger than ever. And I, like the majority of the population, can’t imagine the city without this beautiful open space.
Archbishop's House, one of the Magnificent Seven historical buildings.
Savannah Facts
To most of us, the Queen’s Park Savannah is a place to jog every morning or play football on a Sunday afternoon, but there are many interesting facts about this grand expanse of green that make it more than a place for recreation.
- The Queen’s Savannah is over 185 years old, making it the oldest recreation ground in the West Indies. It is the most valuable parcel of real estate in the city and areas surrounding it benefit its value. As such, properties in St Clair, Woodbrook, Newtown and St Ann’s command hefty prices.
- It occupies approximately 260 acres of land and is wittily referred to as “the world’s largest roundabout.”
- The Savannah is a gravel aquifer, an underground basin in which water collects. It is one of the largest water catchment areas in the city. The WASA pump houses located in the
The recently restored Queen's Royal College, another of the Magnificent Seven.
Savannah cap wells that draw water directly from the aquifer and supply the General Hospital and Woodbrook.
- A portion of land in the centre of the Savannah is a burial ground for the members of the Peschier family, the original owners of the Paradise State.
- One of the Savannah’s best features is the Magnificent Seven, which are seven structures from the early 20th century. These brilliant pieces of architecture, located on the western side of the savannah, recall our European heritage. They include Queen’s Royal College, Hayes Court, Mille Fleurs, Roomor, the Roman Catholic Archbishop’s House, Whitehall and Stollmeyer’s Castle.
- The Savannah falls under the jurisdiction of the Queen’s Park Savannah Management Committee, a body governed by the Ministry of Public Utilities and the Environment.
Water Works Ordinance Meeting at the Grand Stand (March 1903). Photo courtesy Adrian Camps-Campins.
Savannah History
Cricket star Brian Lara held his first bat in the Savannah.
Stalwart Sony Ramadhin learned how to bowl here too.
In his February 2000 protest against the illegal paving of a portion of the area, environmentalist Eden Shand was almost buried alive when he stood in front of a truck, which was dumping material onto the ground.
Businessman Carlos John became infamous for his part in this paving.
Everybody has a Savannah story.
But the Queen’s Park Savannah has quite a tale of its own.
Two ladies stroll past a tramcar as it makes its way around the Savannah (1917). Photo courtesy Adrian Camps-Campins
In 1817, the governing body of the day, the Cabildo bought the parcel of land known as Paradise Estate from the heirs of Madame Peschier for 6,000 pounds. The then governor – Trinidad’s first civil governor Sir Ralph Woodford – had a keen interest in beautifying the Port-of-Spain. The estate was to be used as a recreation ground for citizens.
He and David Lockhart, who was appointed as the first curator of the city, laid out the Botanical Gardens in front of the present President’s House.
In 1819, the Cabildo also bought the Hollandais land lying north of Paradise Estate.
The Savannah was laid out from the lands originally forming the paradise and Hollandais estates at a cost of 10,363 pounds.
The land for the pitch walk was added to the entire circumference later on.
Olga Mavrogordato’s book Voices in the Street says that the Savannah was unheard of for several years after this, only being used as a pasture for the cattle owned by residents of the city.
Looking north from the Grand Stand into the infield and beyond, early 1990s. Photo courtesy Adrian Camps-Campins
However in 1828, this seems to have changed when a little over four acres were leased to the Trinidad Turf Club. The group held its first organised meeting, a two-day affair held under the auspices of the governor.
In 1854, the Grand Stand was erected and horse races were held annually until 1994 when the stand and its environs were put under the jurisdiction of the National Carnival Commission on the departure of the Trinidad Turf Club to their new Santa Rosa (Arima) facilities.
In 1887, a pavilion was erected in the Savannah and was completed just in time for the visit of the American cricket team in December of that year. In 1896, the last cricket match was played in the Savannah, when the Club moved to the Queen’s Park Oval.
Historical accounts also mention that athletics, football, hockey, polo, and until 1936, golf were played in the Savannah.
From 1902 to 1950, the Electric Tramway had a pleasure car around inside the railing on
Panorama is one of the most highly anticipated events at the Savannah. Every year, thousands cover the area, from the tracks where the steelbands enter to compete to the stands and greens where pan enthusiasts party to the sounds of steel and rhythm sections. Photo by Gerrard Gomez
the Savannah. It ran a distance of two and a quarter miles from 4 – 10 pm daily. It cost two cents a round and the activity was very popular with children and nurses, especially on Sunday afternoons when the Police band played in the Governor’s Gardens.
On January 23, 1913, the first airplane flight took place in the Savannah, when pilot Frank Boland crashed and was killed.
In 1948 one of the most significant events in the history of the Savannah happened. The Parade of the Bands began at the Grand Stand and every year since the exuberance of the people is portrayed on stage as masqueraders in splendorous costumes cross the Savannah stage.
Savannah Dont’s
Like with any romance, the relationship between the Savannah and people of Trinidad and Tobago has its ups and downs.
Because of the beating it takes from the various events held during the year, many citizens
Enjoying refreshing coconut water and jelly served by a curbside vendor is just one of the activities that is synonymous with the Savannah.
and environmental activists have been petitioning for the Savannah to be designated a national park and environmentally sensitive area.
They believe that while it is the centre of attention during Carnival, unless you are an ardent jogger or nature lover, the area can go unnoticed and neglected.
Here are some reminders of activity that is not allowed in the Savannah.
1 – Cycling is allowed but not on the easily identifiable cricket pitches or on the pitch walk.
2 – Dogs and other pets can be walked around the Savannah but only on leashes.
3 – Driving or parking is not allowed except in designated areas at designated times with the recommendation of the Queen’s Park Savannah Management Committee with permission from the Commissioner of Police.
4 – Vending is allowed but only in designated areas and with permission from the National
The Savannah remains a place close to the hearts of all Trinis, who gather on weekends for family strolls, picnics and simple relaxation.
Carnival Commission and the Queen’s Park Savannah Management Committee. Vendors must have appropriate accreditation such as food badges.
5 – Digging up the earth in the Savannah is not allowed.
6 – No open flames, such as campfires, are allowed.
Dr. Richard Moore from Guatemala is now part of the Forty Winks family. He’s stayed with us forty times and is one of our most memorable guests, with a great sense of humour and worldliness that makes him a wonderful conversationalist. We always get excited when he comes to stay at Forty Winks! This is a review he wrote after his second visit. He posted it on TripAdvisor.
