Outside of the capital, Banjul, Georgetown is the oldest town in The Gambia. It is seldom visited by tourists, though, as, from the coastal resorts, getting there involves a trip on the Barra Ferry and at least a five-hour drive on the other side. If you do make the effort, however, you will be rewarded, not only by learning some more about The Gambia’s history, but also by the appreciation and friendliness of local people who love the fact that you are visiting their town.
Georgetown stands on an island in the middle of the Gambia River and is reached by a regular vehicle ferry service. Both the town and the island were renamed Janjanbureh in 1995, but locals still tend to stick to the colonial names of Georgetown and MacCarthy Island. There is little hard evidence to support local claims that Georgetown played a significant role in the slave trade. On the contrary, the town which exists today dates from 1823, when Captain Alexander Grant, acting on behalf of the British crown some 16 years after abolition, leased the island from the king of Kataba to create a settlement for freed slaves. The island was named after Sir Charles MacCarthy, the incumbent British governor to West Africa and a dedicated enforcer of abolition. The fort and the town established by Captain Grant were named after King George IV.
During the colonial era, Georgetown was the most important administrative centre upriver of Banjul and the second largest town anywhere in The Gambia. Since independence, though, the town has suffered a sharp economic decline and the population has shrunk to only about 7500, meaning that it is now outside a list of the country’s 15 largest towns.
Visiting Georgetown today, you discover a sleepy backwater with run-down buildings and dusty roads. The only exception is the impressive newly-built district chief’s residence and office which looks wholly out of place amongst the dereliction and decay.
There is life and colour to be found, however, notably in the town’s vibrant market where colourfully-dressed ladies sell their home-grown vegetables and smoked and dried fish. Here, I found myself giving the vendor several times the asking price when I bought a handful of limes – she had asked me for only 5 Dalassi (about 8 pence)!
Join our mailing list
Sign up to receive our monthly newsletter. Keep up with what we're doing and be the first to receive special offers and insider tips.
