Admirals Bridge

A few days ago I posted a photo of Tillicum Bridge, the fourth bridge to cross the Gorge. Moving upstream westward the next and final bridge is the Admirals Bridge or Admirals Road Bridge. Some time ago I posted a photo taken from this bridge but have not before posted a photo of the bridge itself. VirtualVacationGuide.com has posted a nice 360 degree panorama of this bridge that you can see by clicking HERE. The bridge connects two of Victoria's most significant historical sites, Craigflower Manor and Craigflower School. The school is the white building visible through the trees on the far left of the above photo. Craigflower Manor was directly behind the photographer in the above photo. Both of these sites have been featured extensively on this blog in the past.

Craigflower Manor

Craigflower Farm was initiated in 1853 to provide food for the fort, the growing colony and the ships of the British Navy. In that year the foundation was laid for Craigflower Manor, intended for the manager of the farm, Kenneth MacKenzie, his wife and large family (4 boys and 4 girls). The house was completed in the Georgian Revival style after the arrival of the MacKenzies from Scotland and they moved in in 1856. This is not the oldest house in BC but it is the oldest house in this style and one of the very earliest to remain standing today. It was extensively restored and furnished with period items but suffered from a fire last year. Though the fire was small the damage from smoke and soot was extensive throughout the house and all of the artifacts have been moved into storage to allow the structure to be cleaned. Consequently it is not possible to view the interior. However, there are photos of many of the interior rooms before the fire on the BC Heritage website. There's lots of other interesting information there as well about life in early Victoria. Wikipedia also has a good article about Craigflower Farm and School. And, about 18 months ago I published a few photos and a bit of information on this blog. Craigflower School, a separate building, was not damaged by fire and I was able to go inside and look around at the restored classroom and other rooms. I'll post some photos of this tomorrow.

Upper Gorge - Craigflower Manor and School

This photo is meant to serve as an introduction to the next few days' posts. Here we are looking up the Gorge from the Craigflower Bridge. To the left just out of the frame is Craigflower Manor, one of the earliest extant colonial houses in British Columbia, built in 1856. Off camera to the right and behind me is Craigflower School, the oldest schoolhouse in western Canada (1855). Together they constitute a National as well as a Provincial Historical Site. During my visit I was fortunate to encounter a guide both informed and patient who took me inside both of these old buildings and gave me some insight into their history. Thank you, Cailin Glenn, for the great tour. Between them, these two buildings provide a wonderfully evocative snapshot of life in Victoria's earliest days and tomorrow we'll have a look at them as well as what's behind their doors.