The Village of Golden Grove on the East Bank of Demerara

Published: 17th of August, 2023 by Patrick Carpen.

Last updated: August 17, 2023 at 16:26 pm

The village of Golden Grove is located on the East Bank of Demerara between the villages of Great Diamond and Craig. When driving from Georgetown, Golden Grove is located right after Great Diamond, and when driving from Timehri, Golden Grove Village is located right after Craig on the East Bank Public Road.

Golden Grove or “Grove”?

Many persons living both in and out of the East Bank area argue that the name of the village is “Grove,” and not “Golden Grove.” Many persons within the village itself refer to it as simply “Grove.” However, this shortened form of reference is just a habit that stuck. The official name of the village is “Golden Grove,” as you will see from several government signboards below.

Golden Grove is said to be the biggest village with the largest population along the East Bank of Demerara. One resident said it is perhaps the biggest in the country. Golden Grove Village stretches for one mile along the East Bank Public Road between the villages of Craig and Great Diamond in a north/south direction. The village extends about 4 miles eastward where it is bordered by savannahs, and about 500 meters west where it is bordered by the Demerara River.

The Golden Grove Public Road is a bustling commercial artery. Either sides of the one-mile stretch of road is strewn thick with business places such as clothing stores, general stores, and other businesses. It boasts a concentration of businesses which is much higher than any other part of the East Bank Public Road. This, coupled with the fact that the four-lane road in Diamond connects to the two-lane road in Grove, results in a heavy concentration of vehicles and high traffic congestion. At the time of this writing (last updated August 2023), vehicles crawl along the Golden Grove stretch of road, and crossing the road is often challenging. Residents often signal oncoming traffic to slow down and give them a break, which they do, so they can cross the road at Golden Grove on the East Bank of Demerara.

Golden Grove sports a nursery and primary school, but no secondary school. The closest secondary school to Golden Grove is in the neighboring village of Great Diamond. Golden Grove has a masjid and several Christian churches, but no Hindu Temple. There is, however, a Hindu Temple just as you step into the neighboring village of Craig.

Presently, there is heavy squatting along the banks of the Demerara River at Golden Grove by both Guyanese and Venezuelan re-migrants/refugees. This publication understands that the government is the process of relocating the squatters to turnkey houses.