Researchers from Britain are considering a return trip to the Town of St George as part of a five-year study of world heritage sites with links to British colonialism.

Professor Emma Waterton, of the University of York, and Professor Jason Dittmer, of University College London, visited Bermuda for the first time in August when they spoke to householders and surveyed tourists.

An advertisement that invited Olde Towne residents to take part in focus groups said then that the talks would cover “how British colonial heritage is navigated, mobilised and resisted within the context of Unesco World Heritage sites”.

Mr Dittmer explained last week: “It’s part of a much larger study of Unesco World Heritage sites around the world that commemorate, in one way or another, British colonialism but in places that aren’t in Britain.”

Ms Waterton said interest in the subject was “galvanised” with the reignition of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020.

She said: “It became exceedingly obvious that colonial heritage matters, but it matters in very different ways to different people.”

Mr Dittmer pointed out that as Unesco World Heritage sites, the study locations were deemed to be of universal importance.

He added: “At the same time, the sites are actually sites that are in specific places that have their own histories and might feel very differently about that commemoration.

“We thought of it as a kind of study that allows you to bring together the global, the national and the local in really interesting ways.”

Mr Dittmer said the study of each site comprised interviews with people involved in the governance or upkeep of the site, surveys of tourists who visited and focus groups with “local stakeholders” — those who live or run businesses there.

He added: “The idea was to take those three groups, talk to each, find out what each is hoping to get from the site and what they’re actually getting from the site.”

Other study locations that could feature over the five-year research period include the Australian Convict Sites and Tr'ondëk-Klondike in Yukon, Canada. A PhD student involved in the project is studying the Mountain Railways of India.

The professors called upon the Bermuda National Trust for assistance before their visit to the island, which turned into “brilliant collaboration”, Ms Waterton said.

Anyone over 18 who lived within the boundaries of the World Heritage site that comprises the Town of St George and its related fortifications was invited to take part in August’s focus groups.

The advert explained: “During our discussions, we will ask you to discuss your own stories, memories and responses to the British colonial heritage that lies within the neighbourhood in which you live.”

Ms Waterton said last week: “I think anybody who lives even in a heritage area, let alone a heritage area that has the additional layering of policy that comes with World Heritage, can quickly get a bit tired of being told what they can and can’t do to their own properties because of a World Heritage designation, and that extends across a huge area in St George town.

“There were definitely things that are happening in that area that weren’t pleasing everybody.

“There is, of course, the new big hotel — that was a topic of conversation, and the implications that had for people.”

She added: “The people we were talking to seemed to like living in a town that was given that level of protection because they liked the way the town looked.

“I think World Heritage is like a double-edged sword. It provides that protection but also is limiting at the same time.”

Mr Dittmer said: “It felt like people were really proud to be associated with St George and they were proud that St George had gotten this classification but the actual benefits hadn’t really played out so clearly.

“It’s not like the tourists are coming in droves now.

“I think, in some ways, they’re proud of the heritage of St George and the Unesco part is the cherry on top.”

Ms Waterton added: “We’ve got this as one case study in eight, but you could spend your whole five years in Bermuda.

“We definitely want to come back in the nearer future because we didn’t finish what we set out to do.”

She said: “We would be interested in … hearing more from people who live in, among, beside the World Heritage site — how they think about the site.

“I don’t think we’ve covered off on that nearly well enough.”

Charlotte Andrews, the Bermuda National Trust’s head of cultural heritage, said heritage research could enhance management and advocacy work carried out by the charity.

She added: “Research is about understanding your stakeholders, in this case, so I think it’s extremely important to be doing this sort of work.

“We’ve long collaborated with partners on different forms of research, whether it be archaeology, built heritage conservation, historical research and also a lot of museum and heritage research previously, so this really continues that legacy of collaborating with local and international scholarly partners.”

Dr Andrews said: “BNT is one of many partners in the World Heritage site which is a complex site in terms of its management but my hope is that the work that they’re doing has implications for our World Heritage site management.”

• To contact the researchers, e-mail emma.waterton@york.ac.uk or j.dittmer@ucl.ac.uk