Nestled within the verdant landscape of Tobago’s western interior, the Arnos Vale Waterwheel stands as a striking testament to the island’s 19th-century industrial and colonial history. Constructed in the 1850s, this large cast-iron waterwheel, believed to have been manufactured in Scotland, harnessed hydropower to drive the machinery of the once-thriving Arnos Vale Sugar Estate.

A symbol of Victorian engineering ingenuity, the waterwheel also serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of sugar production built and operated through the labour of enslaved Africans and, later, indentured workers. Though the estate has long ceased operation, the wheel endures as one of the few surviving structures of its kind in the Caribbean, now enveloped by secondary forest and tropical flora.

Today, the site invites visitors to reflect on a complex past while enjoying the serene beauty of the surrounding ecosystem.