If you love exploring B.C.’s Victorian-era history, there’s no better place to start than the lavish Craigdarroch Castle, and the turn of the seasons is a great time to do it. Tucked away in Victoria on the traditional lands of the lək̓ʷəŋən People (today’s Esquimalt and Songhees Nations), the massive estate is now a National Historic Site, carefully restored over the years to showcase the life of luxury and privilege enjoyed in the 1890s.
History of the castle
During the industrial age, “Bonanza Castles” were built for entrepreneurs who rose to great wealth and status. Such is the case for Robert Dunsmuir, a Scottish immigrant who made his fortune from Vancouver Island coal, according to the castle’s website.
He built his mansion from 1887 to 1890 on a hill overlooking Victoria to signify that he was the richest and most important man in Western Canada. While he died in 1889 before his “Bonanza Castle” could be completed, he left the entire estate to his wife, Joan, who lived in the castle until her passing in 1908.
“The immense fortune of the Dunsmuir family is reflected in the four floors of exquisite stained glass windows, intricate woodwork and fabulous Victorian-era furnishings,” reads the castle’s website.
Architecture and stained glass
The 1880s and ’90s saw a “Romanesque revival” in architecture, and Craigdarroch Castle showcases what later became known as the “Richardsonian Romanesque” style – named for American architect H.H. Richardson.
According to the castle’s website, this revival style pays homage to 11th and 12th-century southern French, Spanish, and Italian Romanesque characteristics, which include strong and “round-headed” arches, smaller entryways, cylindrical towers, and blank walls contrasted with bands of windows.
Art glass windows are also a stand-out detail of the castle, with the majority of these windows depicting floral themes in what has become known as one of North America’s finest collections of stained glass.
Produced by San Francisco’s Pacific Art Glass Company, the stained glass windows at Craigdarroch contain complex glass cuts assembled in “unusually thin” lead joints, using cut crystal jewels to make them even more exceptional.
However, sometime after Joan Dunsmuir’s death, several art windows went missing from the castle. Today, 32 of the 47 original art glass windows remain, though the Castle Society plans to install reproductions of all the disappeared stained glass windows.
Guided and self-guided tours
Ready to see some of the finest stained glass around? Guided tours of the castle are available at select times throughout the year, and self-guided admission is $23.50 per adult and $11 to $16 per child, depending on age.
Tickets can be purchased online or via phone.
The castle is currently open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Wednesday to Sunday.
Enjoy your trip to the Victorian era!
Where: Take the ferry from Tsawwassen, Vancouver, to Swartz Bay, Victoria, and drive 44 minutes to Craigdarroch via Patricia Bay Highway.
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