- Newcastle, Jamaica
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Newcastle is a settlement in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica. Formerly a military hill station for the British Army it is now a training centre for the Jamaica Defence Force.
Newcastle became a military centre in the 1840s when Major General Sir William Maynard Gomm, Lieutenant Governor of Jamaica (and Britain's longest serving soldier), observed that yellow fever, a major cause of death among the British troops stationed in Jamaica, was far less prevalent in the mountains.[1] After unsuccessful attempts to persuade the government to pay for the construction of a military barracks up in the hills, Gomm went ahead with construction of the barracks at the Newcastle coffee plantation on his own initiative. Construction was subsequently authorised by the Board of Ordnance. The death toll among the troops posted to the West Indies garrison, formerly regarded as virtually a death sentence, declined dramatically.[2]
During the colonial period until 1959, Newcastle was used as a "change-of-air camp" by British regiments stationed in Jamaica. In 1959 Newcastle became the Training Depot of the West Indies Federation's Federal Defence Force. When the Federation was dissolved and Jamaica achieved independence in 1962, Newcastle was part of a general transfer of all military lands in Jamaica to the Jamaican Government. The Newcastle Barracks are still used by the Jamaica Defence Force as a training centre.[2]
The Blue Mountain and John Crow Mountain National Park in which Newcastle is located was established in 1992. Newcastle lies on the Kingston to Buff Bay road through the National Park. The Blue Mountains are criss-crossed by trails connecting villages to farms and plantations and other villages and trails from Newcastle to Catherine’s Peak and Mt. Horeb are among the attractions for hikers and other visitors to the Park.[3][4]
References
- ^ The Blue Mountains - Newcastle, Jamaica Travel and Culture website, accessed 18 March 2011
- ^ a b Camps and Bases - History of Newcastle page at the Jamaican Defence Force website, accessed 18 March 2011
- ^ Adventures Great and Small website, accessed 18 March 2011
- ^ "Jamaica - Hikes Around Newcastle & Holywell", at Guide to Caribbean vacations website, accessed 18 March 2011
External Links
- Picture of Newcastle at Jamaica Defence Force website (accessed 18 March 2011)
- View of Newcastle in the hills overlooking Kingston at Jamaican Family Search website (accessed 18 March 2011)
- "New Castle (sic) Training Depot" page at Jamaica National Heritage Trust website (accessed 18 March 2011)
Settlements in Jamaica
For the definition of city, town, etc see Settlements in Jamaica. Cities Towns Above Rocks · Albert Town · Alexandria · Alligator Pond · Anchovy · Annotto Bay · Balaclava · Bamboo · Bath · Bethel Town · Black River · Bluefields · Bog Walk · Brown's Town · Buff Bay · Bull Savanna · Cambridge · Cascade · Cave Valley · Chapelton · Christiana · Claremont · Clarendon Park · Clark's Town · Coleyville · Constant Spring · Croft's Hill · Dalvey · Darliston · Discovery Bay (Dry Harbour) · Duncans · Easington · Ewarton · Falmouth · Frankfield · Franklin Town · Frome · Gayle · Golden Grove · Gordon Town · Grange Hill · Green Island · Guy's Hill · Hagley Gap · Hayes · Hartland · Highgate · Hope Bay · Hopewell, Hanover · Islington · Kellits · Lacovia · Linstead · Lionel Town · Little London · Lluidas Vale · Lucea · Lucky Hill · Maggotty · Malvern · Manchioneal · Mandeville · Maroon Town · Mavis Bank · May Pen · Moneague · Moore Town · Morant Bay · Nain · Negril · Newcastle · Ocho Rios · Old Harbour Bay · Old Harbour · Oracabessa · Osbourne Store · Petersfield · Point Hill · Port Antonio · Port Esquivel · Port Maria · Port Royal · Porus · Race Course · Richmond · Rio Bueno · Riversdale · Rocky Point · Runaway Bay · Saint Ann's Bay · Sandy Bay · Santa Cruz · Savanna-la-Mar · Seaforth · Sherwood Content · Siloah · Southfield · Stonehenge · Trinity Ville · Ulster Spring · Vineyard Town · Wakefield · Whitehouse · Williamsfield · Woodpark · YallahsVillages Accompong · Aeolus Valley · Airy Castle · Barking Lodge · Bog · Big Woods · Boscobel · Bull Bay · Carmel · Cattawood Springs · Cotterwood · Duckenfield · Duncans · Haddersfield · Hodges · Hopewell Hall · Hopewell, Clarendon · Hopewell, Manchester · Hopewell, Saint Andrew · Hopewell, Saint Ann · Hopewell, Saint Elizabeth · Hopewell, Westmoreland · Hopeton · Long Wood · Mavis Banks · Nanny Town · New Holland · New Roads · Nine Mile · Old Pera · Paynes Town · Port Morant · Roxborough, Manchester · San San · White Hall · Wood HallNeighbourhoods Kingston
and
St AndrewAllman Town · Barbican · Beverly Hills · Bournemouth Gardens · Camperdown · Cassava Piece · Cherry Gardens · Cockburn Gardens · Constant Spring · Cooreville Gardens · Cross Roads · Delacree Park · Denham Town · Duhaney Park · Eastwood Park · Fletcher's Land · Four Mile · Grants Pen · Greenwich Town · Half Way Tree · Hannah Town · Harbour View · Havendale · Hope Pastures · Hughenden · Jack's Hill · Jones Town · Kencot · Kingston Gardens · Kintyre · Liguanea · Manley Meadows · Mannings Hill · Maxfield · Meadowbrook · Meadowbrook Estate · Molynes Gardens · Mona · Mona Heights · Mountain View Gardens · Nannyville Gardens · New Haven · New Kingston · Newport West · Norbrook · Norman Gardens · Olympic Gardens · Papine · Patrick Gardens · Pembroke Hall · Perkins Estate · Queensborough · Queensbury · Rae Town · Red Hills · Richmond Park · Rockfort/Rennock lodge · Rollington Town · Seaview Gardens · Shooters Hill · Six Miles · St Mary · Stony Hill · Three Mile · Tivoli Gardens · Trench Town · Vineyard Town · Washington Gardens · Whitfield Town · Woodford Park · Ziadie GardensCoordinates: 18°11′17″N 76°44′06″W / 18.188°N 76.735°W
Categories:- Populated places in Jamaica
- Jamaica geography stubs
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