top: these are known locally as "safaris". Traveling by bus can be less expensive than having a taxi to oneself, and is often an option when travelling from the airport to Road Town, or from town to either end of the island. History On 1 August 1834, the Slavery Abolition Act was read at the Sunday Morning Well. In 1853, a town-wide fire destroyed nearly every building in Road Town. The fire spread because of angry rioters who protested an increase on the cattle tax. Rioters eventually set fire to most of the plantations across the island. On September 4, 2017, the most intense tropical cyclone to hit the British Virgin Islands, Hurricane Irma, hit and devastated the islands leaving behind multiple casualties . Geographical limits There is some ambiguity as to the precise geographical extent of Road Town. Approaching the town from the west, a sign at the bottom of Slaney Hill greets visitors to Road Town. But traditionalists assert that the town itself only starts from Road Reef and Fort Burt, and that Prospect Reef Hotel (which covers almost all the land in between) is not technically in Road Town. Approaching Road Town from the east, there is similar ambiguity if Road Town begins at the Port Purcell roundabout below Fort George, or whether it also includes Baughers' Bay. Fort Burt and Fort George were the historical markers of the western and eastern limits of the town which benefitted from the protection of the Crown. Gallery See also Government House, the official residence of the governor of the British Virgin Islands located in Road Town Notes External links article from Encyclopædia Britannica Real Travel/Frommer's Travel Guide to Road Town Populated places in the British Virgin Islands Capitals in North America Capitals in the Caribbean Capitals of British Overseas Territories Roadsteads