In England, there is a tiny village that was created in the late 1800s to house families brought in to work the nearby coal mines. Ninety houses were built in blocks of ten, conveniently located to “two sister pits” just outside Nuneaton in Warwickshire — Griff Clara, to the southwest, and Griff Number Four to the northwest.

Despite its stark differences from our island paradise, the “poor, working-class mining village” was named Bermuda. The idea was to pay homage to Sir Edward Newdegate, who was Governor of Bermuda from 1888 to 1892 and whose family owned the land and the mines.

“It was a coal mining area and the Newdegate family lived, and still live, at the nearby Arbury Hall, which is just a couple of miles outside Nuneaton,” explained David Paterson, an area historian who is currently editing the diaries of Sir Edward’s father, Francis Newdigate, for publication by the Dugdale Society. The family’s surname was changed to Newdegate by Royal licence in 1887.

Nuneaton is likely most famous for being the birthplace of George Eliot, a leading writer of the Victorian era whose father was the land agent for the Newdegates.

Bermuda Village was born sometime around 1892, as the coal pits were expanding and more miners were needed. The terraced houses were set in blocks on either side of the road.

Although “basic”, they provided the necessary accommodation for the miners, many of whom had wives and several children.

“It didn't have much in the way of the village,” Mr Paterson said. “There wasn't a proper pub or church or anything, it was more like a hamlet.”

In 1882 Sir Edward’s cousin, Charles Newdegate, owned the property and was “financially strapped”.

“He ran the local school, and he was trying to offload his responsibility for that. He liked to control everything and pay for everything and he was finding it too much, so he sold the coal mining rights to a company which became [Griff Colliery Company],” Mr Paterson said.

The business was bought by the family of George Melly, a renowned jazz singer and critic who died in 2007.

“They were a Liverpool family. They bought the coal mines. I think the Newdegates still owned the land, but they ran it for them. And so, when they built these houses, they decided to acknowledge the fact that the Newdegates had been so closely involved.”

By 1892 Charles Newdegate had died and, as he was a bachelor, left his estate to his cousin who was the Governor of Bermuda at the time.

“As a mark of respect, because they were all very deferential and cap tossing to the local gentry, they decided to call it in his honour, Bermuda Village.”

The irony, of course, is that the “village” was nothing at all like its namesake.

“The contrast couldn't be greater, really,” Mr Paterson said. “Not long after it was built you had great big spoil heaps ― which you get with mining. Even by Nuneaton standards it was not a very pretty area. The contrast would create some local amusement, I would think: that you’ve got what was seen to be one of the ugliest places in the area, and it was called Bermuda ― which, of course, has the image, and we all know how true it is, of being the most beautiful place.”

Although Bermuda Village itself covers “quite a small area”, the name has been adopted by a neighbouring development.

A large, modern housing estate called Bermuda Park has an artificial hill known as Mount Bermuda.

There’s also Bermuda Lake, Bermuda Road and the Bermuda Phoenix Centre, which shares the name of the pharmacy here, but is actually a community club.

“In 1960 Griff Number Four, which was the main employer, closed. Coal mining was starting to decline. People moved out, the houses got run down, and a lot of them were boarded up and shut.”

The late Reggie Ming was reportedly intrigued by the “decaying old pit town” when he paid a visit in 1981 and was given a tour by Walter Lees, a member of the Nuneaton Local History Group.

Interviewed by The Coventry Telegraph after, Mr Ming, a cultural historian, said the village was “certainly different” than his home in the middle of the Atlantic.

“I am absolutely fascinated. The islanders will love this,” he said. “I hadn’t for one minute visualised it being anything like this. But obviously I knew it would have no features in common with Bermuda.”

Back in Bermuda, Mr Ming launched a $50,000 appeal, hoping to place a life-size bronze statue of Sir George Somers in the English village.

Mr Paterson, a resident of Nuneaton, couldn’t recall anything in the village that highlighted its connection to the island, but said that significant changes came four years later.

“A businessman from Coventry bought the whole thing ― a sort of Elon Musk of his day. He let the people buy the properties. They were greatly improved and became just a place to live, not necessarily anything to do with mining.”

Bermuda Park was developed in 2025. The estate also boasts a cinema, some industrial facilities, a couple of restaurants and a KFC.

“So the name Bermuda has lived on, past the village now in this area,” Mr Paterson said. “Its future, if you like, is assured.”