The Hermitage site located in the Dundas Valley which features what’s left of a burnt out abandoned stone mansion (Forsyth, 2020). The site can only be reached via a hiking trail and is not accessible by vehicle. The hike in the most direct route to the site of the abandoned mansion takes about 15-20 minutes, and is well worth it. The mansion is tied to paranormal activity which brings tourists from all over to visit the 165 year old ruins (Forsyth, 2020). William Black was found hanging in a barn that was located on the property which is the reasoning for many to believe that the Hermitage ruins are haunted (Forsyth, 2020). As someone who has done a lot of hiking in the trails surrounding the ruins and visits them quite often, I myself have never experienced anything to lead me to believe the site is haunted. Although, legend has it that on a moonlit night, Black can be heard crying for his lost love (Forsyth, 2020). The property is now owned by the City of Hamilton and in 2015 the “Save the Hermitage” campaign was implemented to preserve the ruins.

Work Cited:

Bruce Forsyth. (2020). “Ruins of The Hermitage a popular attraction in the Hamilton area”. Hamilton Military History.