Bettys Hope Details Part 2

Sugar Mills, Bettys Hope, Antigua

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Bettys Hope Details Part 2

In the last post we started to look at some of the details of the Bettys Hope windmills.  (click here to learn more about life on a Caribbean Sugar Plantation). We left that post with a view of the entrance into the windmill to where the mechanism for grinding the sugar cane can be found.  As we see in the image above, this appears to be in very good condition and, if there were full sails on the vanes of the windmill, would probably work.  The vanes, though, now consist of just the main strut with no ability to move with the wind.

Sugar Mills, Bettys Hope, Antigua

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The housing at the top of the windmill has a control rod which connects the back of the housing to the ground.  At the end of this rod is a wheel which would have allowed the housing to be turned to better catch the wind and grind the sugar cane more efficiently.   The rod and wheel are still there, as can be seen below, although as with the rest of the windmill, this is no longer operable.

Sugar Mills, Bettys Hope, Antigua

–  Click on the image to enlarge or purchase  –

Summary

Article Name

Bettys Hope Details Part 2

Description

Bettys Hope was the largest sugar plantation in Antigua. These Black & White shots show some of the details of the preserved windmills.

Author

Mark Summerfield

Publisher Name

Mark Summerfield

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