Hill Station Club - Freetown

Hill Station Club is a little piece of Sierra Leone's history that we felt deserved a home on the Internet. Sierra Leone was part of the British Empire until it gained independence on 27th April 1961. Hill Station Club was a gentleman's club popular with the British rulers of the country. The club continued to function after independence. The history of the club is not well documented, although it is mentioned in a well known book. It is believed that Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited the club during the independence celebrations.

The club is located in the Hill Station area of Freetown, with commanding views of the surrounding area and the atlantic coast. Hill station was originally served by the Sierra Leone Railway, with the station itself less than 100 metres from the club. Only the station sign now remains, although the track bed is clearly visible. The railway was closed in 1974.

The club is a 2 story building. The bar, main lounge, snooker room and balcony are on the upper floor, the library and currently a nightclub are on the lower floor. A covered walkway runs from the car park, giving protection from inclement weather.

Sadly, much of the club has fallen into disrepair. During the recent war, the club was looted and further damage done to the building. The library has suffered badly with the potentially valuable collection in a pile on the floor. The club has a large room with two full size snooker tables. Again these are in very poor condition. The room still sports a notice board listing prize winners from many years ago.

The small bar has fared rather better. It is operational and in reasonably good condition. There are a number of shields on the walls commemorating visits by Royal Navy ships in the past. The management are trying to stop the club from declining further but are hampered by lack of resources. A successful night club, Jay Bees is operating on the lower floor.