Heritage in Stone: A New Wall at Hamilton Sugar Estate
Gina Empson, Vanilla Paradise Nevis Founder and Judah
The Estate’s Welcome in Stone
As the road climbs towards the Hamilton Estate Sugar Mill, the chimney tower still stands tall above the landscape. Beside it, visitors and travellers now notice the sweep of a new dry stone wall. It honours a centuries-old skill, supports local craftsmanship, and quietly frames the site with strength and dignity.
A wall that welcomes!
Finding the Right Hands
The wall was entrusted to Dwight “Judah” Browne, a Rasta stonemason known across Nevis for his skill and his thoughtful approach to heritage sites. For this work, Judah was joined by Aquan Chapman, who also works at Vanilla Paradise Nevis and brought steady hands to the project. And when it came to shifting the heaviest stones, Mishkin Brooks, whom we first met when he cleared the land for our shade houses, lent his strength and his heavy machine to the task.
Judah’s Wall
Each stone of Nevisian volcanic rock was chosen with care, fitted one against another without mortar. Judah “reads” the face of each stone to understand where it belongs, relying on judgement, patience, and years of experience.
“When I work with stone,” Judah explains, “I’m not just building a wall. I’m connecting the past to the present, creating something that will outlast us all.”
For Judah, the wall is more than a structure. It is a way of remembering and honouring those who built and laboured here before him, including his own ancestors. He hopes visitors will see not only the skill in the stonework, but also the deeper story of the people behind Hamilton Estate.
The Craft
Judah’s work continues a tradition recognised by UNESCO in 2018 as part of the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Across the world, dry stone walling has long been used for field boundaries, terraces, and shelters, a practice that also took root in the Caribbean.
“A dry stone wall is a prime example of the bonds between people and nature”
The strength of such walls comes not from cement but from the balance of stone upon stone. Flexible, breathable, and durable, they have long been used here for terraces, animal pens, and estate boundaries. Records from the Wingfield and Romney Estates in St Kitts mention stone walls as early as the 1680s.
The Vanilla Café, the new wall with the Sugar Mill in the background
In Nevis, volcanic stone offers both strength and character. A well-built dry stone wall weathers storms more easily than a mortared one, draining water naturally and moving with the ground instead of against it.
Watch Judah as he explains how he built the dry stone wall
A Wall That Welcomes
The new wall at Hamilton Estate does more than mark a boundary. It frames the café as a place of gathering and signals a way forward: valuing heritage, supporting local skills, and building with thought for the future.
For visitors to Vanilla Paradise Nevis, crossing the threshold into the Hamilton Estate Sugar Mill is an invitation to slow down and connect—with history, with craft, and with the people who continue to shape the island’s story.
Visit the Vanilla Café
Judah’s wall now frames the entrance to the Vanilla Café at Hamilton Estate, a gateway that marks both heritage and renewal. We look forward to welcoming visitors through this new landmark. Sign up for updates here on our site, or follow us on Facebook, to be the first to know when the café opens its doors.
The new wall wraps around the Vanilla Café
Book your visit to Vanilla Paradise Nevis today and be among the first to enjoy our new Vanilla Café when it opens. Follow us on Facebook or sign up for updates to find out when!
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