Historical Jamaica 

Rose Hall 

"The White Witch awaits you in the great house at Rose Hall. Dead more than a century, Annie Palmer still stirs memories of her reign as the mistress of the Rose Hall Great House.

"Cursed by slaves, the White Witch Annie Palmer, turned a magnificent plantation into a hellhouse of atrocities. Countless slaves fell prey to her torture, and all three of her husbands met their death at her hands. The Great House is but one of many attractions on the 6,600-acre Rose Hall Plantation. Here, visitors can experience the complete spectrum of island living-mountain villages, cane fields, luxury villas, resort hotels and condominiums, miles of beautiful beaches and well-maintained golf courses."

Retrieved from: http://www.visitjamaica.com/rose-hall-great-house

Green Grotto Caves 

"A journey into underworld charm… a speologist’s dream, a green cavern of mystery and adventure, a slice of Jamaica’s history… part of your vacation with a difference… such are the accolades that can be ascribed to the largely unexplored labyrinth of mystical underground caverns called Green Grotto Caves which is surrounded by thick vegetation and supplied with pristine waters flowing from its secret depths. Such privacy and solace were to be found in the Green Grotto Caves, that its rich history can be a identified with diverse groups of people including its first inhabitants, the Arawak Indians (Tainos) who used the caves for various purposes. Proof of this is evident in the multiple fragments of pottery and artifacts that are unearthed from time to time."

Retrieved from: http://greengrottocavesja.com/about-us

Firefly Estate

"In 1948, Noël Coward, whilst holidaying at the nearby home of Ian Fleming, ‘Goldeneye’, fell in love with Jamaica. He decided to buy his own house further along the coast. He bought and built the property that he was later to name ‘Blue Harbour’; a good sized property overlooking the sea. Later he expanded the main house, built three guest cottages in the substantial grounds, and, a lovely swimming pool down by the shore. Blue Harbour quickly became a Mecca for Coward’s friends and the post-war ‘celebrity set’ of stage and screen. 

By 1955 Coward eventually decided that Blue Harbour was becoming too crowded for him to work; he needed ‘the valuable peace’. (The photograph below is of the staff at Blue Harbour during Noël's time there - probably taken by Cole Lesley).

He set out to buy a hideaway retreat, and found a site 1200 feet above Blue Harbour – which he bought for $150. He had a simple house built for himself at the top of the hill, and completed with an outdoor swimming pool. Coward named the property ‘Firefly’. The entire property enjoys remarkable views of the north coast of Jamaica. Life at Firefly with close friends revolved around the pool, Study, Studio and prolific use of the Music Room and open Dining Room – with food being sent up from Blue Harbour. Coward lived in the house alone. It was only towards the end of his life that a housekeeper and gardener lived nearby. Coward died at Firefly in March 1973, and he was buried in the garden of his beloved home.

In 1978 Graham Payn gave Firefly to the Jamaica National Heritage Trust. In subsequent years, sadly, Firefly became very seriously run-down, and eventually Chris Blackwell (whose mother, Blanche, had been a good friend of Coward’s in Jamaica) bought the property and restored it to its former glory. Chris Blackwell still owns the property and supports its upkeep financially. Much of the contents (including pictures) of the house are owned by the Jamaica National Heritage Trust and the Noël Coward Estate."

Retrieved from: http://www.firefly-jamaica.com/history.html