Exploring The North Side Of The Lower Don Trail And Discovering An 1800s brick oven

As someone who frequently commutes from the Danforth, I’m always amazed how after minutes of darkness, you’re suddenly greeted by a beautiful view of the green valley below, as the train crosses between East York and Toronto itself. Curiosity as to what could be below there, got the best of me and one lovely July evening, I decided to explore more of this park for a relaxing 2 hour hike, starting and ending at TTC’s Broadview Station.

I started my walk along the rather busy and noisy Broadview Avenue, simultaneously offering ample opportunity to stop for a coffee or get a packed lunch for your hike. It is also possible to rent a bicycle nearby from the Toronto bicycle sharing service and return it around 10 min later at the bottom of the pottery road near the Todmorden Mills Heritage site and trail crossing. 

After a few minutes of walking along the busy road, I noticed the sign leading to the Chester Lookout.

 I had heard of the lookout before from a friend, but had never visited it. After a short 5 minute detour, I arrived at this viewpoint, which to my surprise for such a nice July night, was not busy at all. 

The lookout offers a stunning view towards the Toronto skyline and the green valley below, particularly at night, but the constant highway noise and lack of a bench to sit down, made it a short visit. Chester hill lookout offers a 180 degree view, particularly of the Toronto skyline and also makes a fantastic photo backdrop. 

Continuing my hike from the Chester Hill lookout,and getting back to Broadview Avenue through this quiet neighbourhood, I had to walk a few more minutes before getting to the Pottery Rd intersection. 

Although unfortunately, when turning left, you’re greeted by a very busy road here, there is luckily a protected shared bicycle and pedestrian path and the walk down (although admittedly I am a fast walker), takes only around 10 minutes and offered plenty of shade even on a hot July night,  

After walking down the twisting road, one is greeted, just before the underpass, with the stunning Todmorden Mills Heritage Site, which started out as a lumber mill as early as 1790 and has a claim to fame as the place where many of Toronto’s (Or York as it was called back then), earliest newspapers were printed and was also home to a brewery at one point.

If you want to add a historical element to your hike, the Todmorden Mills museum at the historical site is free to visit, being open from Wednesday to Sunday between 11 AM to 5 PM. The museum even offers free 60 minute guided tours with times posted on the official Toronto website. There is also a small picnic area here and for those who want to explore the museum and nearby trails but can’t walk as far, a free public parking lot.

After a few more minutes of walking and continuing underneath the underpass, there is a crossing to either go north or south on the Lower Don River Trail. For this hike I chose to go north and make a loop around the Great Honey Kiln of 1800. The road crossing here is unfortunately dangerous as this is a very busy road and cars do speed past. Please look both ways before crossing and remember that although in my case, many cars did stop or slow down, it’s not an official pedestrian crossing.

The contrast from the busy road to this calm walking trail, is something I love about many of the green spaces in Toronto. Immediately I was greeted by a calm green oasis and saw people casually running or cycling as the trail continued deeper into the valley on this stunning July night.

After a few minutes of walking along the asphalt path, you may be surprised to find a rushing river and in my case I saw several people enjoying a relaxing picnic on the banks of the river or just enjoying the view from the trail.

 

Although one has to be careful, you can walk down towards the river bank and observe the mini dam from close up or just relax on the small beach and enjoy the sound of rushing water. The water in this part of the river is not suitable or safe for swimming in.

After a brief stop at the riverbanks, I continued on and got to an intersection, where it is possible to do a short loop visiting the Great Honey Kiln Of 1800, an old brick oven which was an integral part of the mill when it was open.  I highly recommend using Google Maps to find the exact location, as it is somewhat hidden and not sign posted.

At the intersection, it is possible to do a clockwise or counter clockwise loop to see the Great Honey Kiln. Going straight ahead before turning to the right again, there is a small bench to take a break under the shade.

The Honey Kiln itself (believed to the best preserved in the GTA), is probably a short visit in itself but makes for a fun detour or place to take pictures and see a part of Toronto’s history, as well as another fantastic photo backdrop. 

After finishing the loop, I opted to walk back to the Pottery Rd and Broadview avenue, but it is possible to walk all the way to Thorncliffe Park or or for those really adventurous, to continue all the way to York University’s Glendon Campus, walking back up through the forest there.

Practical information:

This part of the Lower Don Valley Trail is open all year round, although it may not be cleared of snow in the winter 

Unfortunately there is no dedicated public transport or parking lot for the trail, but one could opt to take an Uber or Taxi to the Todmorden Hills Heritage Site and walk a short distance to the crossing. Broadview TTC is the closest Subway station, although there is a bus stop at the top of Pottery Rd on Broadview Avenue, with various lines stopping there. 

At times, depending on availability, it is also possible to rent an electric bicycle from the Toronto Bicycle Share station just near the crossing, for the ride back up the mountain (just be sure to wear a helmet, as this is mandatory on electric bicycles!). The terrain is almost completely flat, mostly asphalt and suited for any type of shoes and activity level.

It is possible to rent or return a bicycle from the Toronto Bicycle Share station, with