Nelson's Dockyard, Antigua
English Harbour, situated in the south-east corner of Antigua, contains the best-preserved colonial dockyard in the Caribbean, and provided hidden and sheltered deep water protection against enemy ships and hurricanes. Its first use dates back to 1671, and construction of the Dockyard proper began in 1725. Most of the buildings that have survived were built between 1785 and 1792. They include extensive fortifications, including those on the adjacent Shirley Heights, which were built as a defence against the French fleet, and a Capstan House where ships would be hauled onto their sides for careening. The picture shows the pillars of the Boat House and Sail Loft. The building has lost its upper storey, in which sails would be laid out for repair. The harbour was the main British base in the Caribbean for a century, but its use declined as British interests waned and steam ships became the norm. It was finally closed by the Royal Navy in 1889, but reopened as a National Park in 1961 after extensive restoration.
Nelson would certainly not have been gratified by his name being associated with the docks. He was stationed here between 1784 and 1787 and described it as a 'vile spot'. His task at the time was to stop illegal trading between the British Leeward Islanders and the newly independent United States. He approached the task with such zeal that hatred was quickly aroused in the local planters, whose income suffered greatly, and Nelson had to be confined to his own ship for safety. The Americans turned to the French and Spanish sugar islands instead, and this in turn provoked diversification on the British-held islands, including the introduction of new crops such as coffee, spices, breadfruit and mangoes. The rejuvenation of the Harbour is another example of local adaptability, and it is now a major sailing and tourist destination.
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