Hellvelynn House was built by Alister Gleam, the current owner's grandfather who also made the furniture. The house dates from 1941 and was built by Alister Gleam, a self-taught engineer, sailor and electrician.
All of the stone came from a local quarry and had been intended for a fort.
This is a perfect place for a West Indian lunch and breathtaking views of the Grenadines.
From the garden you can see Caribs’ Leap in nearby Sauteurs, where the Caribs in 1652 chose death rather than capture by the French.
The gardens are beautifully laid out with flowering trees such as frangipani and flamboyant. Fruit trees of golden apple, passion fruit, soursop and papaya border the garden.
Hellvelynn House garden has a large selection of fruit and flowers: bougainvillea, carambola, calabash, golden apple, plum, citrus, pawpaw, sugar apple, even stinking toe.
Taking center stage is a large mahogany, providing shade during the heat of the day.
A calabash tree hangs heavy with gourds and air plants that look like part of the tree itself, and not just using it as a host.
A stone terrace looks north toward the underwater volcano called Kick em Jenny, the cays called The Sisters, and islands farther up the chain.
The food is Caribbean by ingredients and inspiration, but never so extreme as not to appeal to a wide variety of tastes from abroad.
A typical lunch would include callaloo soup and / or green banana salad, curried chicken / creole fish, a wide variety of vegetables in season, followed by home made ice cream (maybe nutmeg or mango), or a local cake (e.g. carrot, sweet potato pudding...)
The present owner is Karen Maaroufi, grand-daughter of Alister Gleam.
Together with her husband and willing staff, she will see to it that you feel right at home.
Lunch is served 11 am-3 pm, Monday to Friday, and on Sundays for brunch.
Visiting by reservation only, as this is a popular spot with tour parties; 473-442-9252.
