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Canada > Prince Edward Island > Cavendish > Cavendish travel guide

Cavendish Travel Guide



Cavendish is an area on the north shores of Prince Edward Island close to the Prince Edward Island National Park. Cavendish is characterized by undulating plains, and is a major tourist attraction on the island because it is credited with inspiring the literary blockbuster, Anne of Green Gables.[1] In the late 1800s, author Lucy Montgomery grew up in this area, and often visited her cousins’ farm named Green Gables, and she used much of her experiences in the rural region to write her novel series,[2] the first of which was published in 1908. The series focused on an orphan girl named Anne Shirley who was red-haired and freckle-faced. The children’s series was an incredible success. The little girl Anne, the main character of the stories, captured the hearts of people from around the world. Mark Twain called Anne the most lovable childhood heroine since the immortal Alice from Alice in Wonderland.[3]

Throughout the 19th and early 20th century, Cavendish was a small farming community, and it was not until after WWII when it turned into a resort community. Today, Cavendish is part of the Prince Edward Island National Park, and features restaurants, bars, shops, amusement parks, and shopping facilities.[4] Each year, tens of thousands of tourists come to the area.

Cavendish’s main attraction is at Green Gables House, located on the western end of Prince Edward Island National Park. The house evokes warm thoughts and nostalgic reminders of the rural 19th century setting of the Anne of Green Gables novels. Built in the mid-19th century, the two-story green and white farmhouse served as the main setting for the series of books and belonged to the author’s cousins. The farmland and house were preserved by the federal government when it was designated part of the Prince Edward Island National Park in 1936. The home was restored and authentic furniture from the 1890s brought in to reconstruct the book descriptions as best as possible, with each of the main characters being allotted bedrooms.[5]

The farm’s woodland haunt, inspiration for author Montgomery’s romantic settings,[6] are open to the public for strolls. The forest was dubbed “Haunted Woods” by the author and is the location of the “little low-eaved” schoolhouse attended by Montgomery as a girl. The only remains from her childhood home are the foundations and scrap quotes from her journal. Another spot in the woodlands you should visit is Lover’s Lane, which figured prominently in the book, was a favorite sanctuary of the author. She wrote, “This evening I spent in Lover’s Lane. How beautiful it was – green and alluring and beckoning! I had been tired and discouraged and sick at heart before I went to it – and it rested me and cheered me and stole away the heartsickness, giving peace and newness of life.” Lover’s Lane stands along the Balsam Hollow Trail on its windy way towards a “shady babbling brook”. Signs along the trail mark the natural beauty of the area that inspired the various settings of Montgomery’s novels.[7]

Today, the area around Green Gables House is no longer owned by Montgomery’s family but by the Government of Canada. The government has also restored and relocated a similar period home to serve as the Green Gables Post Office. The Cavendish United Church nearby was where Montgomery met the minister she married. The two are buried in a cemetery near the church.[8]

References:
“Cavendish, Prince Edward Island.” < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavendish%2C_Prince_Edward_Island>

“Green Gables.” < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Gables>

Simpkins, Mary Ann. Canada. New York: Prentice Hall Travel, 1994. ISBN: 0671882783.

[1] Simpkins, 190
[2] Cavendish
[3] Simpkins, 190
[4] Cavendish
[5] Simpkins, 191
[6] Green
[7] Simpkins, 190-91
[8] Id. at 190







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