Water under the covered bridge

Bridgetown marked the head of navigation on the Annapolis River, meaning that commercial shipping could sail upriver to this point. Before the first bridge was built, this area was served by a ferry connecting the north and south of Annapolis County.

The Bridgetown Wharf at the head of the tide.

It takes 20 minutes to drive between Annapolis Royal and Bridgetown on NS Highway 1 today. How long did it take to sail up to Bridgetown, we wonder.

This meandering river increased valuable river frontage in a time when rivers were the only highways. Witness this loop in the River at Round Hill: there has been farming here for almost 400 years. The first European arrivals, after dyking and draining the salt marshes, intensively farmed all along the river.

Explore the early communities that grew up around the River here.