Gloucester Place - Review Page 4
Swimming Pool & Grounds
Immediately below the main house, and with direct access from Essex Cottage, is a small (8.7 x 3.5m at widest) attractive infinity-edge swimming pool. With Parlatuvier beach offering reasonably protected swimming just down the road, there is absolutely no need for anything larger. The pool is set into a lovely flagstone surround and a couple of sun beds and chairs are provided for those who judge their holiday by the degree of tan achieved.
The extensive hillside grounds of Gloucester Place are well maintained and a true place of beauty. They will be quite stunning in years to come when the gardens have matured and the landscaping, planting and general hard work come to fruition.
The grounds are full of fruit trees, including mango, banana and coconut. The ground in between the trees is neatly trimmed bush grass. It must be hell brush cutting the steep hillside, but the hard work certainly pays off in terms of the presentation gained.
An easy grass path zigzags its way from the house and cottage to the bottom of the gorge. Here, the tiny River Creighton splashes its way over the rocks and down to the sea. A delightful, small waterfall and bathing pool invite you to take a dip. It is a place of serene quiet and peace; a place to sit and ponder and reassess your hectic life at home.
Beach
Although it can’t be seen from Gloucester Place, Parlatuvier Bay is immediately adjacent to the property. A 1-minute walk takes you to the Parlatuvier Bay lookout point. From there the walk to the beach will take no more than 5-6 minutes. Be warned, however – the walk back will take 10-15 
minutes. It’s all up-hill and will severely task all butthe very fittest, even when the sun is not out.
Parlatuvier beach is sandy and will almost certainly be deserted. You may be lucky enough to see the fishermen pulling in the seine nets. This is always a wonderful sight. However, please do not start taking photographs without permission. When treated with respect the fishermen will seldom refuse but bad manners are likely to cause offence.
The best swimming is just north of the jetty – between the jetty and the coral beds on the far side. The beach shelves quite steeply in some parts but this is not a problem when you are expecting it. Overall, the swimming here is as good as you will find along this coast.
Conclusion
Gloucester Place offers two very different types of accommodation. The only thing the two have in common is a location with stunning views and ambience, and caring hosts who will do everything possible to ensure that you enjoy a magical stay.
The guest house is quite unique. Without doubt there is nothing to compare with it in northern Tobago. It offers the very highest standards of comfort in an environment as near to nature as you could hope for.
Essex Cottage bears resemblance to several self-catering houses and apartments in Castara. The stunning Parlatuvier location gives this cottage a distinct and interesting edge.
Make no mistake; the accommodation offered by this property will not be to everyone’s taste. Thank heavens! This section of the Tobago coast is as near the ‘real’ Tobago as you can still get. No matter how comfortable the accommodation, you have to accept that you aren’t going to stroll to a local Tesco/Wallmart and take your choice from two dozen brands of coffee. You will have to drive for more than an hour to see a printed menu. This is raw, untouched, non-commercialised island life.
I suspect that a stay at Gloucester Place is a one-way trip. Guests staying here would never return to one of the large holiday resorts in the south-west of the island. Far removed from the back-packer accommodation that the north coast has tended to be known for, Gloucester Place allows visitors to experience the true Tobago in standards of comfort hitherto unknown in the area. Visitors no longer need to commit themselves to a week or more self-catering in an apartment or cottage; I can think of no finer way to experience Tobago than to combine several days at Gloucester Place with stays at two or three other small hotels/guest houses in different areas of the island.
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