Saint Mary Cayon Parish
Encyclopedia
Saint Mary Cayon is one of 14 administrative parishes
that make up Saint Kitts and Nevis
. It is located on the main island of Saint Kitts
and the parish capital is Cayon
.
There are many notable ravines in the parish, indicating that it may be one of the oldest parts of island, after the South East Peninsula. Lodge ghaut is the largest ghaut on St. Kitts and is home to the Lodge Rail bridge, the highest bridge in the federation, nearly 100 feet (30.5 m) above the ghaut floor. The Cayon river, around which the town of Cayon
is situated, is one of only four year-long watered rivers on the island, and the only one on the island's East Coast (the other three being Wingfield River and East River in Saint Thomas Middle Island and Stone Fort River in Trinity Palmetto Point). The water systems around Cayon however, like those on the East Coast, have been tapered off for local consumption. The Southern border of the parish is marked by Wash Ghaut, a deep, wide, canyon-like ravine.
Capital - Cayon
Other Villages:
nery, which was opened in 1901. It made history as its home estate, Spooner's Estate
, became the first one in the Caribbean to successfully change from sugar production to cotton. The factory remained open until its acquisition by the government in 1970, shortly after which it was closed down. Since then, no significant industrial development has taken place in the parish, despite Cayon being a sizeable town.
Agriculture dominates today's parish economy. The main crops produced are fruits and ground provisions
, with livestock production in the parish being especially high. The second industry of the parish is tourism. A mile inland from Ottley's village lies Ottley's Plantation Inn, a former plantation house and one of the premier hotels on the island. The parish is also noted for its large water stores, which supply much of the East Coast.
The parish is home to the main campus of Windsor University School of Medicine
.
Parishes of Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis is divided into 14 parishes. Nine parishes are located on the island of Saint Kitts and five on Nevis. The parishes are drawn like pie-slices from the ridgeline of the central mountains of both islands....
that make up Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Kitts and Nevis
The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis , located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign state in the Americas, in both area and population....
. It is located on the main island of Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts
Saint Kitts Saint Kitts Saint Kitts (also known more formally as Saint Christopher Island (Saint-Christophe in French) is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean...
and the parish capital is Cayon
Cayon
Cayon is a town on the northeast coast of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean. It is the capital of Saint Mary Cayon Parish. The 2010 estimated population was 805.Cayon is home to the campus of Windsor University School of Medicine.- References :...
.
Land
The parish's 6 square miles (15.5 km²) offer forest-draped mountains in the northern interior, with the more scrub-like covered Canada Hills near the southern interior borders. The coastline is marked by the beautiful (but dangerous due to Atlantic Waves) black-sand beach of Hermitage Bay on the North Coast. Sheer cliffs dominate the rest of the coastline, but to the extreme South of this lies a 6 miles (9.7 km) long continuous strip of sand that stretches from Saint Mary Cayon, into Saint Peter Basseterre and eventually into Saint George Basseterre, the sands lightening in hue as one descends southward. The beaches of Saint Mary Cayon are used by Leatherback turtles to lay their eggs. The town of Cayon dominates the central portion of the parish, with the smaller villages of Lodge and Ottley's to the North. All the lands surrounding these villages are covered in peasant farms and abandoned sugar cane estates, up to 1000 ft (304.8 m) above sea level, when forests take over.There are many notable ravines in the parish, indicating that it may be one of the oldest parts of island, after the South East Peninsula. Lodge ghaut is the largest ghaut on St. Kitts and is home to the Lodge Rail bridge, the highest bridge in the federation, nearly 100 feet (30.5 m) above the ghaut floor. The Cayon river, around which the town of Cayon
Cayon
Cayon is a town on the northeast coast of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean. It is the capital of Saint Mary Cayon Parish. The 2010 estimated population was 805.Cayon is home to the campus of Windsor University School of Medicine.- References :...
is situated, is one of only four year-long watered rivers on the island, and the only one on the island's East Coast (the other three being Wingfield River and East River in Saint Thomas Middle Island and Stone Fort River in Trinity Palmetto Point). The water systems around Cayon however, like those on the East Coast, have been tapered off for local consumption. The Southern border of the parish is marked by Wash Ghaut, a deep, wide, canyon-like ravine.
Town/Villages
The parish capital is the town of Cayon. Other villages are Key's, Ottley's and Lodge. There are all located near the main road in the parish central zone. The fertile farmlands are also in the zone.Capital - Cayon
Cayon
Cayon is a town on the northeast coast of Saint Kitts in the Caribbean. It is the capital of Saint Mary Cayon Parish. The 2010 estimated population was 805.Cayon is home to the campus of Windsor University School of Medicine.- References :...
Other Villages:
- Lodge
- Ottley's
- Little Italy
- Spooner's
- Keys
Economy
The Saint Mary Cayon Parish was historically one of the main industrial areas in Saint Kitts, home to the island's Cotton GinCotton gin
A cotton gin is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibers from their seeds, a job formerly performed painstakingly by hand...
nery, which was opened in 1901. It made history as its home estate, Spooner's Estate
Spooner's Estate
Spooner's Estate is a historical site in Saint Kitts and Nevis.It is located near the Southern entrance of town of Cayon. The site is noted as being one of the finest examples of agro-industrial history on Saint Kitts, and contains the only surviving cotton ginnery on the island.The estate began as...
, became the first one in the Caribbean to successfully change from sugar production to cotton. The factory remained open until its acquisition by the government in 1970, shortly after which it was closed down. Since then, no significant industrial development has taken place in the parish, despite Cayon being a sizeable town.
Agriculture dominates today's parish economy. The main crops produced are fruits and ground provisions
Ground provisions
Ground provisions is the term used in West Indian nations to describe a number of traditional vegetable and fruit staples that are planted in the ground, such as yams and cassava. They are often cooked and served as a side dish in local cuisine. Caribbean recipes will often simply call for ground...
, with livestock production in the parish being especially high. The second industry of the parish is tourism. A mile inland from Ottley's village lies Ottley's Plantation Inn, a former plantation house and one of the premier hotels on the island. The parish is also noted for its large water stores, which supply much of the East Coast.
The parish is home to the main campus of Windsor University School of Medicine
Windsor University School of Medicine
Windsor University School of Medicine is a private medical school located in Cayon, Saint Kitts, in the Caribbean. Windsor confers upon its graduates the Doctor of Medicine degree. The university also has clinical education campuses in Carbondale, Illinois, Houghton Lake, Michigan, and Sidney, Ohio...
.