An estate on the north coast of Dominica surveyed and sold by the British in the 1760’s and named by it’s first owners after the London suburb of Hampstead. The Caribs called the area Batibou. As with all of their main sugar estates on Dominica, the Hampstead sugar factory was powered by water, in this case from the Hampstead River. The works still stand with the equipment in place and it is one of the best surviving examples of the 18th century technology on the island. Produce on the island was shipped from it’s own port on Hampstead beach. A small gun battery with one mounted cannon guarded the bay. The cannon now stands in the foyer of the Arbeedee Cinema in Portsmouth . In the late 19th century the estate shifted to growing limes and cocoa and in the 20th century changed to coconuts and copra production. From the late 19th century the estate was owned by the McIntyre family, but in the 1930’s due to McIntyre’s indebtedness to the Government Loan Board, the government took over the estate and managed it until it was bought by R. B Douglas in 1946 whose descendants now own the estate. Photo taken Abby Shapiro.
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True, there is an exceedingly large amount of “idle” land all over Dominica. But Hampstead Estate is not among them. The Douglas family is developing Hampstead totally in keeping with the country’s current development thrust. The Douglases ARE developing their property without seeking any quick fixes, which is so often tempting.
Indeed, many have offered the family millions for their estate. But as proud, patriotic Dominicans who firmly believe that “black people must seek to own and manage their resources”. Selling out is not an option.
Having said that, we are pleased to inform that as I write, approximately 34 people earn their living daily from working at Hampstead Estate, which is engaged in both tourism and agriculture.
Hampstead Organic Farm products have been on the market for some time now. A great deal of organic water, cocoa, sorrel, avocado, guavas, grapefruit, oranges and other citrus are organically produced on the estate. There is also over 100 poultry reared organically for eggs and meat, and at least 3 individuals from the surrounding villages rear their livestock and do subsistence farming on the estate.
It is a largely coconut estate and coconut meal is harvested for export. The production of coconut milk and oil is also on the cards for this year. As recently as December 2013, DEXIA (Dominica Export Import Agency) needed 13,500 seed nuts for export overseas. Hampstead Estate alone supplied 10,600 of that order.
Efforts are also being made to develop the tourism potential of the property. Not too long ago, quite a few efforts were made to develop what could have been the Caribbean’s foremost eco resort on Hampstead. More than once, partnerships have been attempted, which fortunately or unfortunately did not materialize.
For tourists, over 10 tours have been developed on the estate, which now sports one of the best brochures on the island. These brochures detail the myriad tourism activities such as agro, heritage, nature hikes and pwi pwi rides. Retreats and seminars are also popular events on the estate.
Great effort has been made to retain the pristine character of Hampstead Estate. For example, Batibou, among the cleanest and most beautiful beaches in Dominica is among its many natural attractions, complete with a beach bar offering the most exotic, gourmet food and drinks on the island. A similar plan is underway for Number One, another attractive beache, where sea and river meet in a wild, magical fantasy.
Hampstead Estate is managed by the last daughter of RBD, a licensed, clinical professional counselor and run by the Douglas family.
So what appears “idle” is not so idle after all.
Organic water? Please forgive my ignorance for not having heard of that one before.
Nice piece of history. Please leave untouched. We gave destroyed too much already. Thanks DNO.
i hope they don’t destroy out history because history is important
I think it would be an added tourist atraction with a rum distillery, if it would be bought back to life as a museum of some sort! Would generate some income for persons in that area
The description is taken from Lennox Honychuch: http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com/heritage.cfm?Id=64
so why it’s being conserved and retained,as a tourist attraction?
Great work DNO, now am counting on you all to dig out some more interesting areas like these on our beautiful Island. there is also something similar to this one near to the North Eastern funeral Home at Powell between Wesley and Woodfordhill, it would be nice to know more about it and many others. keep up the good work.
The description was taken from Lennox Honychurch’s website. For more information, see his 2004 article about the watermills of Dominica: http://www.lennoxhonychurch.com/article.cfm?id=427
Can this be restored and generate some tourism income.
Never knew the history…Nice pic
thanks for the information about the history of this estate. L C M I good not have said it better.When ever i go to dominica i have to shake my head driving pass this place as i think of the days when R B D was alive .om many occasions on my way from longhouse i would be stopped by his household help who would ask me to take mr Douglas lunch to hamstead in a three tier carrier which i gladly did . another thought comes to mind. R B D once told a few of us young men from wesley that we should never give up agriculture because we will never be making bycicles in Dominica .one thing he did not think of was international begging as we have tody replacing agriculture.
oops i meant i could not have said it better
Nice peace,we can bring it back in an operable state,officials take the stand,ian are you onboard?
Wow!!!nice pic hope it is preserved……wasn’t it part of pirate of the caribbean ?
Very informative piece of history. Good to know.
Isnt that the old mill at Castle Comfort?….hmmm..
No, this is Hampstead. If you’re coming from Calibishie, the mill is on the other side of the river, at the bridge. It’s hard to see the water wheel from the road, but it’s very easy to walk to.
Thanks DNO for that little piece of history.
The same can be found on the Londonderry Estate.
The old Buildings still stands there; the old round roof owners house still stood on the hill overlooking there area they called The Works, I do not know what condition its in right now, but the last time I visited home it was in good living condition, though it dates back to the sixteenth hundreds.
Goblets, which was used for retaining water, and clay decanters were also manufactured there and ship to Europe, and the test of the Caribbean, patterns of clay china plates, and tea cups were found in the rubble when they were clearing the land for the cultivation of Bananas, in the late 1950’s
There was also a rum distillery there, where the last owners the Laville’s distilled run until the early 1960’s, the rum drinkers name the rum LCJ “Londonderry Cane Juice.”
However, that should not mean an encouragement for agricultural produce such as bananas, Now if the suggestion is sugar cane and sugar production; I think that might be worth talking about. However the Banana industry shall never become an productive industry as it was in the late 1960/1970’s.
And if someone submitted that photograph to focus attention on Ian Douglas, it has not worked okay:
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!
Next topic.
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Your comment was interesting until the last section about ian douglas…smh.
You should know by now I do not intend for Ian Douglas to have any peace!
I whip him every time; I called him my whipping boy, he made a bad mistake when I told him to relay a message to Skerrit regarding, a friend of mine a movie producer, who wanted to make Dominica a permanent venue for an annual film festival, my whipping boy could not even deliver a message to his boss.
As a result of his failure, Dominica missed the opportunity! That is why I hound him like a hound-dog, and intend to be his nightmare until both of us depart this earth. If he die before me I will continue to hound his memory until I die, and when I die I will find his sprit, and still hound him eh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
So, you see how wicked I can become when one offends me? Just kidding: kid Douglas is the only man I will haunt even in death oui!
And little young twelve year old teacher Liz, don’t worry to comment onthis one, and say I do not like Ian. (And doh haunt me with any mail such as that of yesterday, cause I doh going to respond); I will not; even if you chain me behind two of your wild horses and drag me.
FET.
Seven (7) idiots gave me the thumbs down; I wonder what I said they do not understand that warrants the thumbs down.
I mean the evidence to substantiate what I said exists on the Londonderry Estate, South of the Village of Wesley. If the Bridge is still over the River, maybe the old mill Water Mill, used for grinding the sugar cane is still there, and to my knowledge, more than one, and the largest one is larger than that belonging to Ian Douglas oui!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Anybody who wish to view those historic artifacts, if they are blind and cannot find the place where they were installed, all they have to do is go to Wesley, and ask for Labor clone, me cousin Johnson Agray Telemaque, self-appointed watchman to the Estate when the coalition headed by the late Prime Minister Douglas siege Dominica.
From the time they form the coalition Government, kid Johnson started patrolling Londonderry Estate.
Anybody want to know how he was paid for his services volunteered services?
Well, I know but. ( I doh talking eh), I doh saying dem give de man wan free house eh!
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Anyway any of you seven puppets in a string who want see these artifacts, retain the services of Johnson, if he can still walk and let him give you all a tour. Don’t be cheap either; pay the man for his time, with money, and not simply thank you!
Francisco Etienne-Dods Telemaque
Nice pic and nice history.
Shame to see some of the prime agri land in dominica currently lying idle.
History have a nasty way of repeating itself. Might be about time for another government intervention an a sell off. It should be a crime for an estate with so much economic potential to lie idle for more than ten years.
Hater!! There is soo much agricultural land in Dominica lying idle…why do we need Government intervention for the Hampsted Estate? The owners have a right to do whatever they want with their property. Soo much land in Dominica with economic potential. Agriculture in Dca is now dead. Give the people and their estate a break.
Wow, never knew that is how Hampstead was named. Thanks, very informative.