Information
Landmark: Gunthorpes Sugar FactoryCity: St Johns
Country: Antigua and Barbuda
Continent: North America
Gunthorpes Sugar Factory, St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda, North America
Overview
On Antigua’s northwestern coast, near the quiet village of Gunthorpes, the Gunthorpes Sugar Factory stands as a significant piece of the island’s history, its weathered walls still catching the salt-laced breeze, equally important it’s one of the last traces of the island’s once-bustling sugar trade, a business that powered Antigua’s colonial-era economy and filled the air with the scent of boiling cane.As it happens, The crumbling factory still looms over the shore, a silent witness to the island’s sugar-producing days and the deep mark they left on its economy and way of life, as a result here are the key features of the Gunthorpes Sugar Factory, from its tall brick chimneys to the steady hum of its grinding machines.The Gunthorpes Sugar Factory once stood at the heart of Antigua’s sugar industry, a driving force in the island’s economy from the 1600s into the early 1900s, also built to meet the soaring demand for sugar, rum, and molasses, it turned out vast shipments for export, fueled by the labor of enslaved workers who cut and processed the cane.Today, the site lies in ruins, though the tall brick chimney, rusting boilers, and fragments of machinery still catch the eye and hint at its industrial past, furthermore you can wander through these weather-worn remains, but there’s no guided tour or tidy pathways-just stone walls baking in the sun and weeds pushing through cracked floors.In its prime, the factory processed cane from the surrounding fields, using steam-powered engines to grind and boil it down into raw sugar, rum, and molasses; elsewhere on the island, some mills still spun with wind or water, but here the hiss of steam once did the work, to boot if you’re curious about Antigua’s past, you can wander through the crumbling walls of the timeworn Gunthorpes Sugar Factory and discover how sugar once powered the island’s economy and shaped daily life.The weathered stone stands in sharp contrast to the lush green of tropical plants, with glimpses of the coastline shimmering in the distance-a striking scene for photography, along with you’ll find the site just outside Gunthorpes, a quiet village on Antigua’s northwest coast.Gunthorpes Sugar Factory sits about a 25–30 minute drive from St, at the same time john’s.Tucked away from the main roads, the crumbling stone ruins can be tricky to find without a local guide or clear directions, as a result parking’s scarce, so most visitors join a tour that adds history to the walk among rusted machinery and quiet fields.Nearby, you can climb Fort Barrington for sweeping coastal views, swim or snorkel in the calm, blue water at Deep Bay Beach, or head back to St, simultaneously john’s for shops, cafés, and other historic spots.Come here for a tangible glimpse into Antigua’s sugar production era-industrial relics framed by green hills and sea breeze, where the past still lingers in the warm air.
Author: Tourist Landmarks
Date: 2025-09-09
