Situated high above a bend in the Muskoka River, the 1882 octagonal house, Woodchester Villa is approached by a steep winding drive. Henry J. Bird gave his new home the name Woodchester Villa, after the fondly-remembered village in England which was the place of his birth. If the design of the residence seemed unusual to his fellow-townsmen, Mr. Bird was ready to explain that he wanted to build "a bird cage to keep my Birds in." The historic site houses a museum that contains the Rene M. Caisse Exhibition.
