Serpon Sugar Mill

Serpon was one of the sugar estates set up in southern Belize in the 1860s, largely by Confederate emigrants leaving the American South after the civil war, and it ran on imported steam machinery until the industry here collapsed towards the end of the century. The boilers, engines, crushing rollers and centrifuges are still standing in the clearing where they were installed, rusted and wrapped in vegetation, with interpretation boards explaining each piece.

Background

The Scotsman William Bowman bought the Serpon Estate, and in 1863 he and the owners of the Regalia estate started building two steam-powered mills, bringing the Industrial Revolution to Belize. Stewart and Company of Glasgow made parts of the Serpon mill, where the crusher, boiler, beam engine and furnace all ran on steam. At its peak the mill is estimated to have produced and shipped over 770 kilograms of sugar each month, and together with Regalia it is said to have carried the country's economy for about 30 years. Growers later found sugar paid better in the Corozal and Orange Walk districts, and both mills were abandoned in 1910. The ruins became an archaeological reserve in 2009.

Source: Wikipedia, "Serpon Sugar Mill"

Highlights

• The steam machinery - boilers, engines and crushing rollers standing where installed.
• The centrifuges - the equipment that separated the sugar from the molasses.
• The clearing - the mill site with forest closing in around the ironwork.
• The interpretation - boards explaining the process and the estate's history.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. Mornings are coolest. The access track is difficult after heavy rain.

Before you go

The machinery is rusted and sharp and there are no barriers. The site is small and the visit takes forty minutes. Mosquitoes are heavy and there is little shade at the clearing.

Nearby

Sittee River village is nearby, and Hopkins is north on the coast.

Key facts