Saint Thomas Lowland is one of 5 Nevis parishes which are in turn part of the 14 administrative

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

that make up the Federation of

Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Kitts and Nevis (), officially the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, is an island country and microstate consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of ...

Leeward Islands french: Îles-Sous-le-Vent , image_name = , image_caption = ''Political'' Leeward Islands. Clockwise: Antigua and Barbuda, Guadeloupe, Saint kitts and Nevis. , image_alt = , locator_map = , location = Caribbean SeaNorth Atlantic Ocean , coor ...

Lesser Antilles The Lesser Antilles ( es, link=no, Antillas Menores; french: link=no, Petites Antilles; pap, Antias Menor; nl, Kleine Antillen) are a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. Most of them are part of a long, partially volcanic island arc betwe ...

, West Indies. The coast of this parish consists primarily of sand beaches, most notably the 3-mile long Pinney's Beach. Behind the sandy coastline are several small

lagoon A lagoon is a shallow body of water separated from a larger body of water by a narrow landform, such as reefs, barrier islands, barrier peninsulas, or isthmuses. Lagoons are commonly divided into ''coastal lagoons'' (or ''barrier lagoons'') a ...

s, including the freshwater lagoon of

Nelson Nelson may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Nelson'' (1918 film), a historical film directed by Maurice Elvey * ''Nelson'' (1926 film), a historical film directed by Walter Summers * ''Nelson'' (opera), an opera by Lennox Berkeley to a lib ...

's Spring, which is next to the village of Cotton Ground. Some of the island's most important hotel developments are located in this area, including the Four Seasons Resort Nevis. The small but steep hill at Cades Point is a weathered remnant of an ancient volcanic core. Further inland, many small villages and homes are located on the gently sloping landscape which gradually rises up towards

Nevis Peak Nevis Peak is a potentially active volcano which is located in the centre of the island of Nevis of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the West Indies. The stratovolcano rises to a height of and is the highest point on the island. There ...

. Further inland as the elevation increases, the vegetation becomes more lush because of higher rainfall on the steeper slopes of Nevis Peak. The summit of the Peak is the Parish's interior land boundary.

Settlements

The parish capital settlement is

Cotton Ground Cotton Ground is a town on the island of Nevis in Saint Kitts and Nevis. It is the capital of Saint Thomas Lowland Parish Saint Thomas Lowland is one of 5 Nevis parishes which are in turn part of the 14 administrative parishes that make up the ...

. Other villages within the parish are Westbury, Barnes Ghaut and Jessups. There is also a small section of Craddock Road that is part of the parish, even though most of the Craddock Road community is in St. Paul's Parish. Capital –

Other Villages: *Barnes Ghaut *Jessups *Stuarts *Westbury The southern end of the parish embraces the northern fringe of Charlestown, the capital of Nevis, including the Community Center (which was previously the cinema), the ruins of the Rest Haven Hotel (heavily damaged by Hurricane Hugo in 1989), and Pinney's Beach Hotel at the southern end of Pinney's Beach.

Economy

Saint Thomas Lowland parish can arguably be viewed as the heart of the Nevis economy. This is because the island's main economic sector is tourism, and this parish is home to the island's largest hotel, the Four Seasons Resort, which is the largest single employer on the island, second only to the Government. The Four Seasons golf course is considered to be one of the best in the Caribbean. Several other hotel developments are also located on the coast of this parish.

History

Saint Thomas was the first established Parish on Nevis, and was home to the first British settlement, Jamestown.

Legend A legend is a Folklore genre, genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions, believed or perceived, both by teller and listeners, to have taken place in human history. Narratives in this genre may demonstrate human valu ...

has it that Jamestown was lost in a tidal wave in the late 1680s, but there is no archeological evidence that would support that story. In any case the first settlement was abandoned, but St. Thomas' Church, on higher ground, remains.

Future developments

The parish of Saint Thomas Lowland is the premier development area in Nevis at present, with a large hotel and golf course construction in progress, the most expensive such development in the Federation.

Tourist attractions

Museum of Nevis History The Museum of Nevis History is a museum in Charlestown, Saint Thomas Lowland Parish, Saint Kitts and Nevis. History The museum building was originally built around 1680. It was the birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, a Founding Father of the U ...

References

* ORDNANCE SURVEY, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED KINGDOM, 1984, Nevis, with part of St. Christopher (Saint Kitts). Series E803 (D.O.S. 343), Sheet NEVIS, Edition 5 O.S.D. 1984. Reprinted in 1995, published by the Government of the United Kingdom (Ordnance Survey) for the Government of Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis. * ROBINSON, DAVID & JENNIFER LOWERY (Editors), 2000. The natural history of the island of Nevis.

Nevis Historical and Conservation Society The Nevis Historical and Conservation Society is a nonprofit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) based in the Caribbean island of Nevis, founded in 1980 to protect the cultural and natural heritage of the island. Mission and funding The Societ ...

Press, Ithaca, New York. * HUBBARD, VINCENT K., 2002. Swords, ships, and sugar: a history of Nevis, Premiere Editions, Corvallis, Oregon. 5th Edition. {{Authority control Parishes of Saint Kitts and Nevis Nevis