Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Craigdarroch Castle
Craiglower Manor
Completed in 1856 using local lumber, stately
Craigflower Manor
on the Gorge Water-
way was built for Kenneth McKenzie, who employed colonists to farm the surrounding
land. It was one of the island's first farms and helped in the transition of the area from
a fur-trading camp to a permanent settlement. Surrounded by commercial and residential
sprawl, the scene today is a far cry from the 1800s, when the grand home was a social
hub for Victorian socialites and naval officers from nearby Esquimalt. Although currently
closed for tours, you can appreciate the pioneer architecture from the adjacent street and
admiretheadjacentgardenfilledwiththesamevegetablesandherbsthattheoriginalown-
ers planted.
Directly across the Gorge Waterway is Craigflower Schoolhouse, dating from a similar
era as the manor and built with lumber cut from a steam-powered sawmill operated by
the McKenzie family. It served children from the adjacent farm while the second floor
provided living quarters for the teacher's family.
