Dominica
Construction has begun on the redevelopment of the Troops Barracks at the historic Fort Shirley, at Cabrits National Park on the Caribbean island ofHurricane, to convert it into a hostel for 40 guests.
Originally destroyed by Hurricane David in 1979, the building is to be restored back to its former glory using 240-year-old plans that have been discovered in the British National Archives at Kew in London.
A total of EC$1,000,000 (almost £250,000) has been allocated to the project. The funds have been sourced from the National Park entrance fees, which were collected during the last five years.
The original cut stone has been salvaged and will be used to reconstruct the building.
The hostel will be built across three floors: the top floor will house two self-contained apartments, the second level dormitories divided into male and female, with the bathroom facilities in the basement. The historic Troops Kitchen will also be restored to provide an old-style barbeque, oven and cooking range.
The Fort Shirley Hostel will be open to all types of groups including students and sports teams and is due to open in April 2011.
Cabrits National Park has walking trails, beaches and marine zones within easy reach of the hostel along with other attractions in the north of Dominica.
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