Alley

History

 

Deep in the central sugar-producing regions of the Clarendon plains is the small village of Alley, a tiny community at times dwarfed by the towering sugarcane stalks of the Moneymusk Estate. Since the 17th century, Alley has been an important sugar village, since it is located in the heart of the Clarendon sugar belt and closely associated with the neighbouring Moneymusk Sugar Estate. As the capital of the parish formerly known as Vere, Alley is home to one of the oldest churches in Jamaica, St Peter's Anglican Church, which was built in 1671.

 

Local Flavour

 

The church bell at St Peter's Anglican Church in Alley weighs approximately three-quarters of a ton and is solid cast iron. Brought to Jamaica from London in 1857, the bell, which still tolls on Sunday mornings and on special occasions, was crafted by the same company that created London's most famous landmark, "Big Ben". Within the church, one of the oldest pipe organs in the Caribbean still plays in tune.

 

Famous For

 

Alley, like many other rural villages in southern Clarendon, is surrounded by the vast cane fields of the Moneymusk Estate, one of the largest sugar-producing operations in Jamaica. The area is particularly fertile, being naturally irrigated by the many tributaries of the Milk River and the Rio Minho.

 

Don't Miss

 

St Peter's Church is certainly worth a stop, but do also stop at the Moneymusk Library in nearby Amity Hall. The library is located within a brick windmill that was once the centre of the sugar factory works. This is the only brick windmill in Jamaica - all other windmills were made of locally-quarried limestone. To date, historians are still trying to understand why the owners of the estate put themselves to such great expense to import bricks from England, but in the meanwhile, the building is open to the public, allowing passersby to make their own estimations.