His Majesty's Antigua Naval Yard at English Harbour dates from 1725. Its function was to maintain the Royal Naval warships that captured valuable sugar islands of the Eastern Caribbean thus cutting off enemy trade and increasing Britain's own wealth.
By 1889, the Yard had completely wound down and released by the Admiralty to the Colonial Government in 1906.
From the beginning of restoration in 1951, the yard became known as Nelson's Dockyard in honour of Admiral Horatio Nelson who had served as a Captain from 1784-87.
In 2016, it inherited the prestigious UNESCO ‘World Heritage Site’ status.