Battersea

Battersea is a community in the township of South Frontenac, Ontario, 20 km north of Kingston. Battersea is well known for its fishing and outdoor activities as it is close to Loughborough Lake, Dog Lake and the Rideau Canal Waterway.

Understand

History

Henry Van Luven, a veteran of the War of 1812 Battle of Lundy's Lane, was the founder of the village of Battersea in 1840 when he bought 1,200 acres (4.9 km²) of Crown land at the time of the development of the Rideau Canal. He called it Van Luven's Mills, then Rockland. The post office requested it be renamed to avoid confusion with a similarly named city elsewhere in the province. His first choice was to name it after a section of London, England and that was accepted. He gave 200 acres (0.81 km²) to each of his six sons and lots in the village of Battersea to his daughters. Henry built the stone mill in Battersea.

The large Van Luven family home is on a rise at the entrance to what is now Battersea. In 1912 the home was converted into a fishing lodge, now called the Holiday Manor Northern Lodge.

Get in

From Kingston and Kingston Mills, take Battersea Road (Montréal Street, 401 exit 619) northbound to Battersea.

From elsewhere in the Rideau Canal system (including Smiths Falls), take 15 south and cross the canal near Brewers Mills (any of Burnt Hills Road, CR12 - Sunbury Road or Washburn Road join Hwy 15 to CR 11 - Battersea Road). While the Battersea Road continues north to end at Highway 15, this becomes a winding road and progressively more difficult as one continues north through Frontenac County.

From Westport, take CR 10 - Perth Road south to Inverary, then turn east.

By boat

• 1 Loughborough Lake Marina, 2279 Loughborough View Road (off Battersea Road), ☏ +1 613-353-6205, fax: +1 613-353-2543. Shop M-F 8AM-4PM, Summer rental dock M-Su 8AM-5PM. Docking and storage, boat sales and rental, ATVs, trailers, fuel. Adjacent to Loughborough Inn. (updated Sep 2023)

Get around

This is a large rural area with small villages, most or all of which are only reachable by car.

See

• The Rideau Canal. A UNESCO World Heritage Site. 
  • The 1 Upper Brewers Locks are east of Battersea, on the Cataraqui River south of Cranberry Lake. Parks Canada operates a few "oTENTiks" (platforms with semi-permanent tents) at this location, and launch points for canoes or kayaks.
  • 1 Lockmaster's House Museum, 1661 Chaffey's Lock Rd. 9:30AM-5PM (summer only). For generations, the Lockmaster's House was at the centre of Chaffey's Lock, a small community where the old Cataraqui Railway (now a trail) crossed the canal near lock 37. Today, it hosts a small museum that showcases the history of the area. 

Do

Frontenac Provincial Park

• 1 Frontenac Provincial Park, 1090 Salmon Lake Road, Sydenham, ☏ +1 613-376-3489. 30 minutes north of Kingston by car, provides opportunities for walking and picnicking, fishing, canoeing, wildlife viewing, boating, swimming and cycling. Winter activities.  

Eat and drink

• 1 Creekside Bar & Grill, 2261 Wellington St, ☏ +1 613-353-1102. W-F 4-10PM, Sa noon-10PM, Su noon-7PM. Live music on the weekend, homemade pub food (with vegetarian choices), good selection of drafts and beverages, great summer patio. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 The Junction Restaurant, 295 Highway 15, Seeley's Bay (15 km NE at the junction with Highway 32), ☏ +1 613-387-3232. Diner with lots of gluten-free choices. (updated Sep 2023)
• 3 The Opinicon, 1697 Chaffey’s Lock Road, ☏ +1 613-359-5233. An historic lodge and residence, now restored as a restaurant and pub, with a cafe serving ice cream. (updated Feb 2023)

Sleep

• 1 Loughborough Inn, 2340 Loughborough View Rd, ☏ +1 613-353-2600, toll-free: +1-800-201-2837, fax: +1 613-353-1932. Lakefront cottages and chalets near marina on Loughborough Lake. Cabins from $250/night, with 3 night minimum. (updated Sep 2023)
• 2 Burnt Hills Lakeside Resort, 1109 Burnt Hills Rd (Seeley's Bay), ☏ +1 905-260-9864. Tent and trailer campground on Dog Lake, connected to the Rideau Canal. (updated Sep 2023)

Go next

• Westport — a rural village with various stores selling crafts on the main street, as well as motel and bed and breakfast accommodation.
• Kingston — on Lake Ontario, at the end of the Rideau Canal.