Christiana, Jamaica

Christiana is a settlement in Jamaica. The town was originally called Barracks as it was first established as a British military outpost. During the British colonial era it was a popular destination for British citizens because of its cool climate. The name was later changed to Struan Castle. It is rumored that the Allens, who migrated to Jamaica in 1840 from Miserden, Gloucestershire, England, changed the name of the town to Christiana after purchasing a significant amount of land and settling there from Huntley, Manchester. The town is mainly an agricultural one although there is the occasional tourist looking to cool down at Blue Hole, a river located in Lower Christiana on land still belonging to descendants of the Allens. It is generally open to the public, although it is advised that visitors swim at their own risk. Popular ground provisions from the area include yams, potato, banana, and ginger among other fruits and vegetables such as scotch bonnet pepper, tomato, pak choy, lettuce and callaloo (amaranth of the green variety). The altitude and cool climate is also ideal for growing coffee, although production has declined over the years. Many attribute this to lack of profit caused by overregulation and monopoly by the Jamaica Coffee Board.

Musician Byron Lee[1] and actor Roger Cross[2] are originally from this settlement.

Christiana

Location of Christiana in Jamaica