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Click below to explore your next fun getaway in our Great Northumberland Road Trip digital guide.

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Front cover of the Great Northumberland Road Trip guide with a car driving down a country road away from the camera

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Historic Sites & Plaques

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History is alive in Northumberland County. Seek out some memorable landmarks, famous historic figures or early transportation routes. They connect all of us in many ways.

Explore the History of Northumberland

Couple looking at brochure in front of Victoria Hall in downtown Cobourg

A Sense of Place

Find out about our place in our history. It’s the towns, villages and water that connect us. Today, we have movies, TV shows and commercials seeking out our unique character.

Ontario Heritage Trust historic plaque at Victoria Hall Cobourg

Historical Plaques 

Stop to see the sites and read the stories on some of the 23 historical plaques in Northumberland County. These blue-and-gold plaques were  erected by the Ontario Heritage Trust.  

Large monument to toonie in park in summer

Toonie Monument

Take a photo in front of Canada’s Giant $2 Coin, a monument commemorating the coin designed by a Campbellford artist in 1996.

Hand holding glass of Church-Key beer with vintage keys on rustic red door in background

Church-Key Brewing

Take a tour to see how Church-Key Brewing turned a little country church near Campbellford into an artisan brewery.

Locks at Ranney Falls Lock 11 and 12 in summer with boats and Canada flag

Trent-Severn Waterway

Stop near Hastings to visit locks 11 or 12 of the Trent-Severn Waterway, part of one of Canada's most-celebrated heritage waterways.

White canoe sitting on shoreline of Trent-Severn Waterway at Percy Reach

Percy Portage

Drive along portions of the Percy Portage, which Samuel de Champlain took in 1615 to avoid the rapids of the Trent River in Hastings and Campbellford.

Teenager on indoor carousel at Roseneath Fairgrounds

Roseneath Carousel

Take a whirl on the Roseneath Carousel, one of the last operating merry-go-rounds in North America. It's beautifully restored, and open on select weekends for everyone to enjoy.

Gazebo on Gore's Landing dock in summer on Rice Lake

Gore's Landing

Take a break at Gore's Landing, a peaceful meeting point. It also has a rich past. Paleo-Indian spear points were found here dating back 11,500 years.

Susanna Moodie plaque on wooden fence in front of farm field

Susanna Moodie

Find out about Susanna Moodie in Hamilton Township. Learn more about the homesteading challenges of Canada's beloved pioneer author.

White Victorian house with green trees around

Catharine Parr Traill - Mount Ararat

Continue on in Hamilton Township to see a site associated with Moodie's sister Catharine Parr Traill, who chronicled the botany of Rice Lake.

White cardboard box with scalloped edge filled with popcorn on white background

Port Hope Drive-In Theatre 

Entertain your family or friends watching movies from your car at the historic Port Hope Drive-In. Check out the summer hours of operation.

Looking for even more history? Check out these Northumberland County gems.

Ganaraska Trail

Follow the route of the historic Midland Railway. Just take the portion of the Ganaraska Trail near Port Hope's town hall.

 Rice Lake Rail Crossing

It was a real engineering feat in 1860, but the railway trestle across Rice Lake failed in its first year and was never used again. Remnants of the route are still visible from the shore at Harwood. 

 James Cockburn

One of the most influential political figures in Cobourg, James Cockburn was one of the Fathers of Confederation who created Canada as we know it today.

 Murray Canal

The Murray Canal took years of political wrangling, but this short cut through the very eastern edge of Northumberland was finally finished in 1889 so that ships could avoid the worst of the treacherous waters at the eastern end of Lake Ontario.

 J.D. Kelly

The most famous artist to grow up in Warkworth, J.D. Kelly's renderings of pivotal moments in Ontario history still have resonance today.  

 Wreck of the Speedy

Plans to make Presqu'ile a regional capital were scuttled when a ship carrying court officials and politicians sank just offshore in 1804, now known as the Wreck of the Speedy.  

 Danforth Road

This road, still in use, was conceived as a military road, far enough from Lake Ontario to be secure from American attack. Yes, it's the same Danforth as in Toronto.

 William Weller

William Weller was a colourful character who ran the stagecoach line from Hamilton to Montreal in the pre-railway era. Gained renown for driving the governor-general from Toronto to Montreal in a record 37 hours.  

 Alderville First Nation

When this Ojibway band adopted an agrarian way of life, they found their island in the Bay of Quinte unsuited to agriculture. The current reserve, known as Alderville First Nation, provided much better opportunities.

 Gerald Hayward

An artist who gained fame for miniature portraits of royalty and other famous people. Always held a soft spot for Gore's Landing and built the house that was Victoria Inn, now a private residence. Read more in this "Gore's Landing: Shadows of the Pioneers" blog.
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