Belfountain Conservation Area

I had tried to visit this conservation area on numerous occasions on account of photographs I had previously seen of the waterfall, but there was always a line up and a one car out - one car in policy or "have you pre-booked?" On August 19th, 2024, we were in the area and there was no line-up, so we drove in.

What can I say?

It was far and away the most expensive conservation area that we visited on the day (or ever, for that matter). It was also the most crowded. The waterfall is fake, replete with concrete crest and "display rocks". The "grotto" was possibly the fakest folly I have ever encountered. The suspension bridge is a real suspension bridge, but it might as well be fake, just to round things out. There were plenty of white plastic chains to keep visitors off the carefully manicured grass and on the gravel paths. There were artistically placed sculptures at various locations along the route. There was a very well constructed boardwalk that took visitors from the car park to the suspension bridge and falls, but it had stairs to climb:- one would have thought that, when designing such a feature, it shouldn't have been too much to ask to put in ramps for visitors with mobility challenges.

All-in-all, it felt more like a failed attempt at re-creating an English stately home's gardens (which, allegedly, is what it originally was) than a conservation area. The only thing missing was the gift shop selling floral china tea-cups, cabinet plates decorated with photos of the reigning monarch, plush beavers dressed in mountie uniforms (shout out to it being in Canada), Mrs. Miggins' macadamia nut biscuits and other assorted tat. Or maybe I missed something.