Lime Kiln of the Loyalists

This escarpment ruin can be found in an area bypassed by the Bruce Trail, and thus remains largely unvisited. It has weathered tremendously in the last 15-20 years and most of it has now collapsed. With the original masonry between the stones completely eroded away, the rest will likely follow very shortly.

The ruin is a lime kiln which aided in the construction of buildings for the families of the United Empire Loyalists, who settled the area in the 1790s. During the War of 1812, the old building on top the hill was rumoured to have a three gun battery and occupied the heights to take full advantage of the superior view of the surrounding land. There were rumours that the kiln was used to burn bodies of dead troops. I searched the area once and found several old uniform buttons. The historian for Niagara Falls and I excitedly analysed these; disappointingly, they turned out to be the backs of old 12-gauge shotgun shells.

Sadly, a construction crew has descended on the area just this year, blocking off the old house with temporary fencing and clearing a large area beside it. It is left to be seen what the future of the house is, but hopefully the rich history will result in its survival.

Entry to the area from main roads is here: 43.143276, -79.167473