Wingfield River and Water works

Description

Wingfield River and Water works (located in the village of Old Road) When the English arrived in the seventeenth century, and were allowed to settle between the two rivers (Wingfield and East Rivers) at Old Road, the Caribs were concentrated in the area around Wingfield River. After the evictions of the Caribs in 1629, the English settled the lands in the area and cultivated tobacco, ginger, indigo and cotton. With the introduction of sugar in the 1640’s, Wingfield developed into a major sugar plantation and one of the very few on the island to use water to power its factory works. The aqueduct is a unique architectural feature on the island and found only at Wingfield Estate Yard. The nearby river and its forested watershed has always been a major resource for the area. Like all plantations on St. Kitts, Wingfield provided for its own fresh water needs. Since the 19th Century it has formed part of the public water supply system serving the population on the leeward side of the island.