Milk River Spa

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Milk River Bath and Spa

Milk River Bath - In the south of Clarendon Parish, close to the border of Manchester Parish
Tel: - 902-4657
Milk River Spa

The Milk River Bath and Spa sits on the bank of the Milk River in Clarendon. The spa is reputed to have healing properties and attracts visitors from all over Jamaica to ameliorate ailments such as rheumatism, gout and lumbago.

The waters have radioactivity of 16m curries per litre (which is about 50 times as radioactive as the waters of Vichy in France and 54 times as radioactive as the waters of Baden in Switzerland).

According to legend, the baths were first discovered by a slave who worked for Jonathan Ludford. Mr Ludford had beaten the slave severely so the slave went to hide in the woods and bathed in a salty natural spring which he found. The slave's wounds were rapidly healed, he then returned to Mr Ludford who was so shocked at the recovery that he made a deal to never punish the slave again if he shared the secret of the spring's location.

The spring was used privately by Mr Ludford until his death when he willed it to the Jamaican Government. In 1974 public baths were constructed here, they have been open to the public ever since.

The Milk River Hotel

The Milk River Hotel is built above the baths, against a limestone cliff. The hotel offers fairly basic accommodation and access to the baths is included in the price of a room. There is also a cocktail bar and restaurant.

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