The mystery walls of Bayers Lake have long stumped local historians and archeologists, but an even greater mystery has emerged: Who vandalized them?
Jeff Turner of the Nova Scotia Archeological Society regularly makes the hike up the hills on the side of Chain Lake Drive where the old ruins lie. “I’m disgusted,” he says. “Why do people do this to these sites? They just go in and destroy it.”
Turner says that despite being designated under the Nova Scotia Special Places Protection Act, vandalism has increased in the area. He thinks people are likely looking for artifacts to sell. There are signs of digging and parts of the stone foundations have been moved and walked on.
“Walking on the walls is not good for them and compacts them down and causes them to collapse,” says Turner.
Originally discovered in the 1980s when construction was taking place in Bayers Lake area, many think the walls—likely old foundations of buildings—can be traced back to the 1700s or 1800s, during the early settlement of Halifax. The site includes a five-sided foundation for the building, several hundred metres of stone wall and a staircase.
No one knows why they’re there. Archeological crews from HRM and Saint Mary’s University have done surveying in the past. Turner guesses it may have been a site for military exercises, in preparation for the storming of the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1758, or part of an actual defence network for Halifax in the War of 1812.
“Disturbing archeological remains—which includes digging—without a heritage research permit is a violation of the Special Places Protection Act,” says Glen Friel of the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. “There are signs on the site of the mystery wall that indicate the area is protected. It’s against the law to knowingly destroy archeological resources.”
Here’s a video of the historic site:
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This article appears in Mar 7-13, 2013.
History wonks are furious.
Trail/wildlife cams with lots of storage and more than ample battery life, that are motion detection driven, are quite inexpensive. You’re curious as to who is digging or wrecking? Set up a couple of these.
motion sensing cameras are a good idea, but I like sentry guns with paintball shells too.
Pretty sure they were found by Coleen Mercer-Clarke, a landscape architect who was scoping out the site for development. I think I was the second person after her to see them. I have always thought them to be basic Irish farmer type ruins, as the building foundation was in that 5 sided almost boat shape that I’ve seen at other sites where they knew what it was. But the location was prime for a lookoff in three long view directions, so maybe a military regiment consisting of Irish soldiers?
Many, many people have come across the walls over the years. They’re not exactly hidden.
The reason for this posting is to set matters strait. I was the first person to bring the Bayers Lake Mystery Walls to the publics attention.
Chronicle-Herald Saturday, November 10, 1990 by Parker Robinson as follows: “Mr. MacNab came upon the ruins in late October after being tipped off to its existence by a local aerial survey company.”
It took a lot of work for me to orchestrate, getting newspaper, TV, etc., to do cover this story. It was more than just a tip. I had been looking for ancient walls for a number of years. It so happened I had made contact with a survey company in Burnside, just at the right time.
I do believe if I had not contacted Chronicle-Herald at that time, the Mystery Walls would have been destroyed long ago. It was then that the “Special Places” sign was nailed to a tree. Jack Mac Nab
The layout of the ruins takes advantage of the natural defences afforded by the steep section of the rise from the plateau of Bayers lake (now a commercial park). The wall links two sections of cliff and has a gap designed into it, possibly to allow a retreat to higher ground through the wall. The wall is the precise height needed for kneeling and firing from behind its protection. The fort (itself) would allow a high vantage point for the entire region, but it is not at the highest point which would profile it against the the sky. Instead, its design allows it to be hidden from view from the entire Bayers lake drainage area. In the early days it could potentially defend Fairview which dates back to the mid 1700’s and had numerous farming and timber interests. Perhaps it was a defensive position for patrols should a massed attack come from that region. The thickness and construction of the wall, including the angles built into it, are the same as the remains of walls beside the Heart Shaped Pond (Princes Lodge) dating from the time of John Wentworth. i would guess later 1700’s, possibly earlier.
Needless to say it is worthy of preservation and respect.
Although what I’m about to speculate lacks significant inference, I would say that at some time a full British regiment at the dawn of colonialism built those walls in an EXERCISE where the soldiers were shown hands on how to do something even though those walls might never have strategic purpose. Modern regiments have always done this on off time. Why sit around listening to officers tell you how to do something when those officers have the duty to see that you can do it. Documenting it’s location would simply have been extra paperwork for something that was done in what the officers would have seen as the middle of nowhere.
Hello, Jeff and John, I would like to make something clear, I am not saying that I was the “first person” to set eyes on these “Walls.” Yet, there is no doubt in my mind, that I was the “first person” to bring these “Walls” to the publics attention. As was recorded in Chronicle-Herald Sat. Nov. 10, 1990 by Parker Roberson. Plus, I was the “first person” to have people come out from St Marys University and the Museum in Halifax, to view this site. It was during this meeting of minds, that resulted in the Special Places Act being enforced on that site. And that is why those signs are there today for all to see.
I would like to make it clear, this was not an easy task on my part to bring this attention to these “Walls.” I have ever reason to believe, if I had not done so at the time, these “Walls” would have been plowed over long ago.
Plus, I should mentioned the name “Mystery Walls” was coined by me. Then later they became known as the “Bayers Lake Mystery Walls.” Since that time I have come to hear stories from a number of people who had “viewed” these “Walls,” long before my story hit the News Stands. One report goes back as far as 1955.
My posting this information is not intended to put anyone down. Nor as a bragging rights for me. All I am saying is that the “proof is in the pudding.”
Hello Jeff and John, I would like to make something clear, I am not saying that I was the “first person” to set eyes on these “Walls.” Yet, there is no doubt in my mind, that I was the “first person” to bring these “Walls” to the publics attention. As was recorded in Chronicle-Herald Sat. Nov. 10, 1990 by Parker Roberson. Plus, I was the “first person” to have people come out from St Marys University and the Museum in Halifax, to view this site. It was during this meeting of minds, that resulted in the Special Places Act being enforced on that site. And that is why those signs are there today for all to see.
I would like to make it clear, this was not an easy task on my part to bring this attention to these “Walls.” I have ever reason to believe, if I had not done so at the time, these “Walls” would have been plowed over long ago.
Plus, I should mentioned the name “Mystery Walls” was coined by me. Then later they became known as the “Bayers Lake Mystery Walls.” Since that time I have come to hear stories from a number of people who had “viewed” these “Walls,” long before my story hit the News Stands. One report goes back as far as 1955.
My posting this information is not intended to put anyone down. Nor as a bragging rights for me. All I am saying is that the “proof is in the pudding.”