Welsh family opening up their Antigua retreat

IT’S a 400-year-old former sugar plantation in Antigua which has been enjoyed as a home by a Welsh family for decades.

Now they have transformed The Great House in Mercers Creek into a “wellness retreat”, which will officially open for business from April 17.

The stunning retreat is set in 26 acres overlooking the sea.

Once a sugar plantation, the property was acquired as a family home about 60 years ago by Jack and Patricia Henderson on the death of her uncle and it’s now owned by their daughter Janey Howell, who runs Cardiff-based BCB Adventure, which specialises in outdoor survival gear.

The family has had a Welsh-Antiguan connection for decades, with Jack working in the steel industry and using the Geest Line to take steel by boat from Port Talbot to Antigua.

Janey is married to Andrew Howell, the son of pharmacist and author Deryk Howell, and he runs sister company BCB International.

The couple have three daughters Emily, 25, Gabriella, 23, and 20-yearold Isabella - who will be running the Antiguan retreat from Cardiff.

Janey said: “Throughout the centuries, The Great House has been a haven and sanctuary for famous and infamous guests. Family lore recalls secret visits by the Kennedys, Greta Garbo, Princess Margaret and Humphrey Bogart among others.”