Saint John Capisterre Parish

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Saint John Capisterre
Church at Saddlers on St Kitts - panoramio.jpg
Church at Saddlers
StKitts-Nevis JCA.png
CountrySaint Kitts and Nevis
Capital Dieppe Bay Town
Area
  Total25 km2 (10 sq mi)
Population
 (2011)
  Total2,962 [1]
  Density118/km2 (310/sq mi)

Saint John Capisterre is one of 14 administrative parishes that make up Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is the second largest parish on Saint Kitts (after Saint George Basseterre Parish), and the third largest parish in the federation (the largest being Saint James Windward Parish). The capital of the parish is Dieppe Bay Town.

Contents

Land

The parish's 5 mile coastline is one of the most impressive and varied in the federation. The northern coasts consist of long beaches with black volcanic sand. Large offshore reef formations almost completely surround Dieppe Bay Beach, creating the island's safest natural harbour. The other beaches, namely Parson's Beach and Sandy Bay, however, lack this protection and are battered by the turbulent waves of the Atlantic Ocean. The southern coasts contain one of the island's most noted natural features, Black Rocks. Stretching for almost 2 miles, these large metamorphic rock projections are the result of St. Kitts' last volcanic eruption (estimated to be in the 14th century) when lava poured down the slopes of Mount Liamuiga creeping until it met the Atlantic Ocean, where it cooled and hardened. Shaped and formed by wave action over the years, the many grottoes, pools and projections that now line the area are a testament to the island's volcanicity. Saint John Capisterre is also home to the tallest peak in the Leeward Islands, Mount Liamuiga, whose crater lake marks the boundary for Saint Paul Capisterre, Saint Anne Sandy Point and Saint Thomas Middle Island. The parish's interior is completely dominated by Liamuiga and other peaks of the North West and Central Ranges, covered with tropical forests. Below 1000 feet, the forests give way to small farm holdings and abandoned sugar cane estates. The parish is a main producer for tropical fruit on the island.

Towns and villages

The largest town in the parish is Saddler's, with a population of almost 2,000. The village of Tabernacle is the second largest settlement. Another main settlement in the parish is the town of Dieppe, the first French settlement on the island, and parish capital (although Saddler's functions as a second parish capital). Other settlements include Parson's Ground Village, Pogson Village, Lynch's Village, Harris' Village and Belle Vue. Due to the rough Atlantic coastline, only the reef-protected towns of Dieppe Bay and Parson's hug the coast. All other settlements are further inland. Tabernacle is further recognized locally, being founded by newly emancipated slaves in the late 19th century.

Capitals

Other Villages:

Economy

The main employer in the parish is agriculture. The fertile slopes of Mount Liamuiga are home to many small farms and a wide variety of tropical fruits are grown for local consumption, mainly acerola, avocado, banana, breadfruit, carambola, cashew, mango, papaya, sugar apple, and golden apple. Tourism is also a key industry here. The Golden Lemon Hotel, one of the island's most exclusive and expensive, situated on Dieppe Bay Beach, is a large employer of the population. The rich reefs of Dieppe are a major local fishing ground, and are also a popular snorkeling area. The rougher Sandy Bay has grown into a local surfing spot, and for those even more adventurous, climbing down the cliffs of Black Rocks to bathe in the elusive pools provides a challenge. The most recent addition to the parish is the Beaumont Park Race Track, hailed as one of the finest in the region, near the town of Dieppe Bay. The Race track offers horse and greyhound racing, as well as facilities for state-of-the-art gambling.

Port

In the 17th century, the port of Dieppe Bay Town, the island's most protected harbour, was a hub of activity, and served the former French region of Capisterre, from which the parish derives part of its name. After full British control in 1713, however, its functions as an international port ceased. Today, the harbour is used as a base for the local coast guard, for docking small fishing vessels, and also as a dock for small vessels in turbulent weather.

Community festivals

Saint John Capisterre is home to three community festivals, more than any other parish (except Saint George Basseterre which has the same number). They are la festival de Capisterre, Saddlefest, and Festab. Festival de Capisterre is held in Northern St. Kitts, a region formerly held by France (17th century) which was named Capesterre (land facing the wind, as opposed to Basseterre, meaning land sheltered from the wind). The four villages of the region (Newton Ground and Saint Paul Capisterre in Saint Paul Capisterre and Dieppe and Parson's in Saint John Capisterre) thus annually hold the festival in mid-September to celebrate the distinction. Saddlefest is a community festival held in the large village of Saddlers. It features calypso shows, beauty pageants, late night liming and street jam sessions. Festab is the final festival, with many similar activities to Saddlefest, but held in the village of Tabernacle, and with its own unique styles and charms.

Future

Beaumont Heights villas, surrounding the Beaumont Park area, is currently being developed as a high-end housing area. The Saddle Hill Adventure Park, which broke ground in January 2013, is also expected to further improve the parish as an area of fun and activity for tourists and locals alike.

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Saint Paul Capisterre Parish Parish in Saint Kitts and Nevis

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Capisterre is a region covering the Northern Coastal plain on the Island of Saint Kitts. It was originally colonized by the French in the early 17th century, with its capital on the only harbour, in the fishing town of Dieppe. The area was lost to the British in 1713. Significant numbers of French immigrants from the neighbouring island of Saint Barths came to Capisterre in the early 20th century, and became infamous for their illegal moonshine trade.

La festival de Capisterre is an annual festival celebrated in the region of Capisterre, St. Kitts. The Capisterre region was the earliest area in St. Kitts to be settled by Europeans and was part of French St. Christophe from 1625 to 1713. The area now holds four main settlements: Newton Ground village, St. Paul's village, Dieppe Bay Town, and Parson's Ground village, all separated from each other by miles of sugarcane fields.

Saddlers Place in Saint Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saddlers is a town in Saint John Capesterre Parish, on Saint Kitts island in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Dieppe Bay Town Place in Saint Kitts, Saint Kitts and Nevis

Dieppe Bay Town is a town in Saint John Capisterre Parish in the island of Saint Kitts, in the country of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. Settled in 1538, it is the oldest town founded by Europeans in the whole of the Eastern Caribbean. The original town only survived a few weeks before it was destroyed by the Spanish, but it was re-founded in 1625 by French settlers led by Pierre D'Esnambuc. Dieppe Bay Town is the co-capital of St. John Capisterre Parish along with Saddlers. Originally the northern part of the parish was ruled by France, in the region of "Capisterre de St. Christophe", of which Dieppe was the capital. The southern part of the parish was ruled by the United Kingdom, in "British Saint Christopher", which had its parish capital in Saddlers. When Britain took full control of the island in 1713, both capitals remained.

South Friars Bay

South Friar's Bay is a bay in Saint George Basseterre Parish, Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is one of the two bays that stretch along the coast of the isthmus connecting the Southeast Peninsula, with the rest of the island of Saint Kitts. It is longer than its northern neighbour. At their closest, the two coasts are less than one kilometre apart.

Black Rocks (Saint Kitts)

Black Rocks, also called Black Stone, is the name of a rock formation on the northeastern coast of the island of Saint Kitts. Located close to the town of Saddlers, the rocks consist of lava flow from the volcanic Mount Liamuiga which dominates the northern half of the island of Saint Kitts.

References

  1. "2011 Census". Department of Statistics, St. Kitts and Nevis.

Coordinates: 17°23′13″N62°47′49″W / 17.38694°N 62.79694°W / 17.38694; -62.79694