The Valley is the capital ofAnguilla, one of its fourteendistricts, and the main town on the island. As of 2011[update], it had a population of 3,269.[1]
The Valley has few examples of colonial architecture due to the relocation of Anguilla's administration toSt. Kitts in 1825, thoughWallblake House, built in 1787, still stands and is used as arectory by the adjacent church. New shops have opened in new buildings and renovated West Indian-style cottages. Old shops have been modernised and have enlarged their stocks as well as their space.
The ruins of the Old Court House are located on Crocus Hill, the island's highest point. All that remains are the broken walls of a few basement jail cells. At Cross Roads at the western edge of The Valley is Wallblake House, a plantation home built around 1787 that is now owned by theCatholic Church (the parish priest lives there) and St. Gerard's Catholic Church, with its highly original façade of pebbles, stones, cement, wood and tile.
The Valley has atropical wet and dry climate (Aw) under theKöppen climate classification.[2] The area has a shortdry season that covers the months of February and March, and awet season that covers the remainder of the year. However the wet season, though lengthy, does not quite see the heavy precipitation that is commonplace in other Caribbean cities such asSanto Domingo andSan Juan. Average temperatures in The Valley are relatively constant throughout the year, ranging from 26–29 degrees Celsius.
Omololu International School, a primary and lower secondary private school, is in The Valley.[6] It was Anguilla's first private school, and opened in 1994 as the Teacher Gloria Omololu Institute. It adopted its current name on 1 April 2013. It uses theInternational Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.[7] The name "Omululu" means "Child of God" in theYoruba language.[8]
