The Abbey Ruins

 Returning today to the Mackenzie King Estate. I find myself wondering what animals- like deer, moose, or bears, all of which are known to roam the Gatineau Hills- think of this.

This is the first time I noticed this structure, half buried in the soil, behind the arch.

The trail led me on towards the Abbey Ruins, Mackenzie King's masterpiece.

It evokes the ruins of an ancient abbey, though the stones that make it up are more recent.

They include a mantlepiece from the original Centre Block, with a hearth containing stones from the  printing press building belonging to Mackenzie King's grandfather inside. The crest above is that of a former Speaker of the House of Commons in Britain. So much history together.

These also come from the original Centre Block, destroyed in the 1916 fire.

Two remaining elements of the Abbey Ruins come from the same place, the Batson House, which was being demolished in the 1930s. Mackenzie King acquired sections and brought it here for his design, another deliberate choice, as the house had once been owned by a Quebec premier, a nod to his appreciation of support from French Canadians.