Darnley Cascade facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Darnley Cascade |
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Darnley Cascade
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| Location | Hamilton, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 43°16′35″N 80°00′25″W / 43.27648°N 80.00685°W |
| Type | Cascade |
| Total height | 4 m (13 ft) |
| Total width | 22 m (72 ft) |
| Watercourse | Spencer Creek |
Darnley Cascade is a beautiful waterfall located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It's about 4 meters (13 feet) tall and 22 meters (72 feet) wide. This makes it a wide, gentle cascade, where water flows over rocks rather than dropping straight down. You can find it in the Crooks Hollow Conservation Area, a great place to explore nature and history.
Nearby places you might enjoy include the Bruce Trail, Dundas Valley Conservation Area, and the Royal Botanical Gardens. You can also visit Dundurn Castle and the interesting Hermitage ruins.
The Story Behind Darnley Cascade's Name
The waterfall gets its name from the Darnley Grist Mill. This mill was built in 1813 by a Scottish settler named James Crooks. He admired a historical figure called Lord Darnley and believed he was related to him. A grist mill is a place where grain is ground into flour.
After James Crooks passed away in 1860, the mill was sold to James Stutt. Because of this, Darnley Cascade is sometimes called Stutt's Falls. You can even see this name on old postcards from the area. The mill itself burned down in 1934, but you can still see its ruins today.
What Was Crooks Hollow?
The area around the waterfall, known as Crooks Hollow, was once a busy industrial center. In 1829, the Darnley mill grew to include many other businesses. These included a distillery, a factory for making linseed oil, and a cooperage (where barrels are made).
There was also a factory for card clothing (used in textile machines) and a fulling and drying works for wool. Other businesses included a tannery (for leather), a woollen mill, a foundry (for metal casting), and a factory for farm tools. It even had Upper Canada’s first paper mill!
The community around these mills also grew, with a general store and an inn. People lived along the valley road. Today, the mill ruins are considered some of Ontario's oldest. They show us what was once a big industrial area started by James Crooks.
Another mill built by James Crooks nearby was also important. It was destroyed by fire in 1875. This mill is thought to have been "Upper Canada's First Paper Mill," built in 1826.
How to Find Darnley Cascade
Finding Darnley Cascade and the old grist mill ruins is not too difficult.
- From Highway 403, take the Highway 6 North (Guelph) exit.
- Travel about 3 km (1.8 miles) until you reach Highway 5 East (Dundas Street East).
- Turn left onto Highway 5 East, then turn left again onto Ofield Road South.
- Turn right onto Harvest Road. Harvest Road will then become Crooks Hollow Road.
- You can park on the right side of the road, just past the Spencer Creek bridge, near the Darnley Mill ruins.
