– gentle beauty & peace found in the run-of-the-mill –
We had decided to spend a quiet day exploring a few small towns in and around Castlemaine. There’s nothing grand about them and they wouldn’t qualify as major tourist destinations, but it was so nice to slowly wander taking a peek at some lovely old properties and just enjoying the mild autumn sun. We were staying at a beautiful property in Chewton, so this seemed the most obvious place to start. A lovely view to wake up to in the morning!
chewton
Chewton sits on the outskirts of Castlemaine. We had downloaded some information prepared by the Chewton Domain Society before we had left on our trip. It included some information about the history of the town, interesting sites and a walking map and we used this as our guide. Click on the map below to access the link.
The Pyrenees Highway is actually the main street of the township and this is where most of the walk is focused. There are some pretty little buildings thoughtfully preserved and maintained by the Society.
Also be sure not to miss the four carved wooden sculptures around the township created by local sculptor, Richard Yates.
They commemorate various personages from Chewton’s history. There’s an interesting article on Richard Yates in the Bendigo Advertiser which provides some context for the work and his passion for this traditional artform.
We decided to stop before the cemetery and turned right (if you’re heading towards Castlemaine). It took us a little way up the hill along a pretty walking path which ended up back at our accommodation at the Red Brick Barn.
If you’re feeling energetic enough you can continue on and walk to the Garfield Water Wheel from here, as well as a number of other mining sites of interest.
taradale and malmsbury
Next, we hopped in the car to visit a few other locations, intending to spend the afternoon in Kyneton. In hindsight, it would have been better to cut Kyneton out altogether and just focus on the smaller towns.
Our first stop was at Taradale. The first thing to attract our attention from the main road was the unsually large spire on the church on a hill just outside town. We drove up to it only to discover, unfortunately, that it was yet another property sold to private interests and was now an event venue. Oh well, I guess that stops it from crumbling away. But that spire certainly attracts attention.
Our main focus at Taradale was the viaduct.
This is a really impressive railway bridge from the 1860’s, though you may notice additional supports compared to the photo of the original bridge. Apparently these were added in 1933 due to the higher loads from heavier trains using the track.
Next stop was the Malmsbury viaduct which is of a similar age to the Taradale bridge, though more squat and much smaller. Nonetheless, it’s still the largest masonry bridge in Victoria.
We approached the viaduct via the Botanic Gardens which were quite beautiful in late Autumn. We followed this up with a visit to the Malmsbury railway station.
The old station dating from 1860 is now closed and a new platform has been built beside it. It’s a lovely old bluestone building and looks to be well preserved. Malmsbury township has some cute cafes and antique stores to visit as well.
castlemaine
The final part of our day was spent walking around Castlemaine township. If you’ve read our last post on exploring the gold diggings, you’ll be familiar with the audio tour recommended there. There’s also one on Castlemaine which we had fun listening to as we explored the main historic buildings on foot.
Once again, I would recommend it highly. It really brings the place to life. The story of Lola Mendez was one of our favourites. Her life story kept us entertained at dinner that night – I’m amazed they haven’t made a movie about her! You’ll find the audio guide tour of Castlemaine here.
our final take
If you’re looking for some time off from a long driving tour then a day’s amble around these villages will be the perfect tonic! Don’t expect anything whizzbang – just enjoy the beauty to be found in the run-of-the-mill.
