Mon.
2 November: Merrickville: Trail meets Canal
Trail meets Canal |
The only downside is that it’s largely a road
walk. But there’s so much to see along
the way, that the miles slip by, and the roads are not busy.
My route headed east out of Merrickville along the
south side of the Rideau River/Canal, on the route of the Rideau Trail. At the Lower Nicholsons Lock, I crossed over
the canal and returned to the start on the north side of the river. This made an ideal loop of about eleven kilometres.
What better place to start a hike than the canal-side
park in the centre of Merrickville. It
was a little tempting not to head straight for one of those cosy-looking cafes
across the street, but I was here to do a hike.
Here in the heart of town, The Rideau Canal runs
through a series of locks, which had been drained for the winter. I enjoyed strolling along the edge of the
canal, carefully crossing the final closed lock gate, the empty, rocky canal
bed below my feet.
There were plenty of interesting old buildings and
beautiful homes along the road out of town.
Soon I was turning off onto a quiet side road, Burritts Rapids Road, which
paralleled the canal and river to my left.
Along this stretch of road were two cemeteries worth visiting. First the Union Cemetery, and then further
along the road, a gate leads to the tiny, haunting McGuigan Cemetery, where early
settlers buried their children, and Irish
navvies, who died building the nearby canal were laid to rest beneath simple
field stones.
I continued along this pretty country road as far as
Lower Nicholsons Lock. It would be hard
to select the most scenic lock along the Rideau Canal. They would all compete for the prize. But the two Nicholsons locks, and the old white-painted
Andrewsville road bridge, would be high on the list. This made an ideal stop for lunch. The canal bed was drained, but some picnic
tables still sat out on the green grass, and it was as warm as some September
days.
Turning north, I crossed the Rideau River on an old
metal bridge, climbing a short hill to reach Highway #2, which was not a busy road. Now heading back to Merrickville, I walked
down what looked like a private driveway, but which was the entrance to one of
the more spectacular places along the Rideau Canal. Here at Clowes Lock is a wide, curving weir,
the water making a loud roar as it poured over the low dam. Beside this weir
was the canal lock, making a very scenic setting.
A straight stretch of road headed directly into
town. Beside the road were some large
horse farms and one or two beautiful old and new stone houses. Ahead of me a noisy train raced across the
road on its way west to Perth and beyond.
On my right the Rideau Trail emerged from the forest. A sign warned that there was an “Active Hunter”
in the area. This is now hunting season - a very good reason to be road walking.
The Rideau Trail follows some pretty side streets
before returning to the canal-side park in the middle of Merrickville. Here in summer, tourists and hikers can visit
the canal blockhouse, built to protect the canal from American attack. I relaxed in the park, in the warm sunshine.
Could this really be November?
Note: single-click on the first picture above to scroll through the photos separately.
Statistics:
Statistics:
Total Distance: 11.7
km (hike)
Height Gain: Say 50 ft.
Time on Trail: 2 hrs. 27 mins.
Merrickville: 11.51 am
Lower Nicholsons Lock: 12.52 pm
Ret. to car: 2.18 pm
Temp: +12C
Weather: Cloud, sunny breaks, warm.
Barrier at upper end of Merrickville Locks |
Merrickville basin looking east... |
...and looking back to town |
Crossing the canal at Lower Nicholsons Lock |
Upper Nicholsons Lock swing bridge |
View west at Upper Nicholsons Lock |
Andrewsville bridge crosses the Rideau River |
Weir from Clowes Lock |
Close-up of weir |
Sunlight glinting on the Rideau Canal at Clowes Lock |
A warning to be heeded |
Reflections at Merrickville |
My route |
Also enjoy this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3MUMTZeCbQ
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