James Town

Looking from coastline to pier in distance

Location: James Town Fishing Village
National Canoe Fisherman Council
Chief Fisherman: Nii Asere
Tel:0276 13 99 34

The editor recieved a warm welcome from from Nii Asere when I reported to the Fisherman Council building to ask if it was Ok to look around the village.

Any tourist wishing to look around the village should also first report to the Fishermans Council building, which is on the left near the bottom of the slope as you enter the village.

View standing on pier looking back to coast and fishing village

Not only is this a sign of respect but you will be allocated an official guide by the Chief and Council who can speak fluent English is very knowledgeable, and will look after you.

There is no fixed fee to be escorted around instead a donation of around 10- 20 Cedis would be considered acceptable, depending how long you want to be escorted around ,and what you want to see.

My guide was Evans Mark-Hansen who was very flexible in what we looked at and appreciative of my time limits.

James Town was the first port established by the British with goods being transported from all over Ghana to James town by rail. The railway line ending at the pier end to be transfered to boats to transfer to the main ship.

Original lighthouse which is at top of slope, leading down to fishing villageFront view of Lincoln Hotel

The remains of the railway line can still today as two parallel lines running along the length of the pier, All sorts of goods then were taken directly from the railway carriages at the end of the pier to the boats.

However for the trade in slaves the route from the coast to the loading ships was kept much more discrete.

I was told they were secreted away through a hole in the harbor wall out of site to the boats, hat would take them to the main ship and them to their destination such as Jamaica.

I also learned a lot about the Ga people, Mark told me the Ga people believe they were originally from a part of Israel and that they migrated ending up first in Nigeria when they became known as the Elefei tribe, and then settling along the coast from Togo at one end along to Kokrobite on the west of Accra at the other end.

Gap in harbor wall where slaves passed through to boats

Just as the City of London was the original "London" also the areas where the Ga people settled such as James town is the original " Accra " .

Sites around the fishing village include the James Town Fort , this is now empty but is ear marked as a possible museum building. I idn't have time to go inside but this can be arranged through your official guide. The original lighthouse can be seen, nearby is the customs building and the Ga Mantse palace

Festivals that occur in the fishing village include the Homowo, which takes place between the 11th to the 13 of August. They cook corn and spray the corn at the threshold of every door in the village for their ancestors to come and eat. The fishermen also sing and dance during this festival