If Bermudians surrender, or fail to find a formula for accommodating change that preserves their society's uniqueness, they will cease to occupy 'another world'. And the world will be a poorer place for It. – Duncan McDowall, Another World, Bermuda and the Rise of Modern Tourism, 1999.

Once upon a time, "Devil's Hole", or rather "Neptune's Grotto" as it was more classically and originally named, was a small Bermudian building on a bend of the limestone "jail nuts" road around Harrington Sound, surrounded by lush vegetation.

That is the scene depicted in an old postcard, which may here be compared with the modern vista, which might well, in comparison, be called "Lucifer's Hellhole", the coastline subsumed under buildings facing others across what has become a tunnel of a road, with not a tree in sight. None, excepting the altered Devil's Hole original building, may be said to be of much architectural merit, if assessed for the visual contribution to what was strongly considered in earlier times, a "very unique" place, that is to write, the Bermuda of another, older world.

The Devil's Hole is perhaps a clear example of where "arrested development", that is to say, a cessation of development, should have been a planning department, or rather government, policy of earlier times, since planning departments are but a very recent phenomenon. "Arrested development" has had different meanings over several centuries, but in 1983, it was defined as a mental issue "consisting of severe mental impairment, as a lack of intelligence". That was too much for some, so the phrase gave way to the euphemistic "development disorder", which might be a description for some planning decisions, or perhaps a national disease in some countries.

Needful to say, many countries have appreciated that "arrested development", to use the expression for heritage purposes, is not only good for the souls of their citizens, but is essential for a unique tourism. To preserve what is unique about a place, societies have reached the stage where it is necessary to arrest development, in terms of replacing heritage structures with modern buildings, so that historic monuments will remain as unique features of the landscape for centuries to come.

In the early years of tourism, the character of Bermuda was so described in The Bermuda Pocket Almanack, Guide and Directory (Illustrated.) for the Year of Our Lord 1905, to give the book its full title in its sixty-second year of publication.

"Very Unique: Bermuda has been thus not inaptly characterised. True as to its grand ocean position, regarding the whole Atlantic coast line of the North American Continent; true as to its peculiar conformation and the richness of its landscapes and its glorious multi-coloured shades of ocean water; true as to its semi-tropical climate, exhibiting a richness of vegetation, capable of being turned to a better commercial account, and possessing a purity of atmosphere kept so by the keen sea breezes that blow across and round the charmed group of isles . . . and, generally true in almost any leading particular that can be adduced without any equivalent in what can be found elsewhere; yea, without a rival."

In that view, much of the charm of the island devolved from its natural accoutrements: "Bermuda presents a series of pictures of an entirely novel character, neither impressively grand nor wanting in expression. The pictures are largely panoramic, with here and there numerous little titbits for a sketch book." We are advised that the "taste of the visitor will largely determine the extent and nature of his excursions. It is really astonishing how much will be found to arrest the attention of the tourist."

In 1905, the emphasis was more on the natural wonders of Bermuda and postcards of the period underscore that prejudice. Exotic plants, like the paw-paw (papaya) and century plants appeared on such mementos, to be mailed home by visitors, as do images of the limestone caves, which are concentrated in the Walsingham area of Hamilton Parish. Some of the major buildings, such as churches are mentioned in the Almanack, but the concept of Bermuda's unique vernacular architecture and other man-made monuments, as "natural wonders of humankind" was to be some decades hence in its establishment as an equally valid idea of island heritage and tourist assets.

That vision continues into modern times. For example there is an entire government department that is devoted "To promote the conservation and sustainable use of Bermuda's natural resources", and "To assess the status of Bermuda's unique habitats and species and to promote the preservation and restoration of threatened species and habitats." The job of that department is largely to arrest or curtail development, so as to ensure the survival of what is left of Bermuda natural environment and living. The famous "fish pot ban" is an example of such curtailment. (It might be said by some, however, that live fish on the reefs are more valuable as a unique tourist experience, than as dead ones on a dinner plate and that the ban was not enough of an arrested development.)

It would be great if there was a government department of historic monuments to preserve, conserve, and restore the unique built heritage of Bermuda, which is in fact the predominant aspect of the island today, for much of the natural habitat was destroyed over the centuries to build the features of the manmade landscape.

Such heritage is what the discerning tourist wants to see. Such a department could also deal with the island's extensive archaeology under that landscape, for which presently there is little in the way of protection under the law.

Like a number of places in Bermuda, Devil's Hole could have benefited from an arrested development, but perhaps due to a lack of intelligence (in two senses of the word), we have neglected to see fully the connection between the preservation and restoration (arresting historical features) of built heritage and the sustaining of a unique cultural tourism.

To paraphrase Professor Duncan McDowall, it may be suggested that the world of Bermuda is the poorer for that. A continued degradation of Bermuda's built heritage, both materially and spiritually, may in fact put us in a unique tourism poorhouse.

Edward Cecil Harris, MBE, JP, PHD, FSA is Executive Director of the National Museum of Bermuda, incorporating the Bermuda Maritime Museum. Comments may be made to director@bmm.bm or 704-5480.