▵180 Acre Retreat House ▵ Yoga, Trails, Skating

Farm stay in Townshend, Vermont

  1. 8 guests
  2. 3 bedrooms
  3. 6 beds
  4. 2 baths
Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars.7 reviews
Hosted by Eliza
  1. 7 years hosting

Listing highlights

Ready for meals at home

This home has what you need to cook and dine in.

Self check-in

Check yourself in with the lockbox.

Unbeatable location

100% of guests in the past year gave this location a 5-star rating.
Rent a private house at a retreat center situated on a scenic 180-acre property. Trails for hiking crisscross the meadows and forest. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing as well as swimming in or skating on the pond are all at your doorstep (conditions permitting). Perfect for an active weekend or a relaxing escape in the country. Five minutes from the center of town and 30 minutes to both Stratton Mountain Resort for skiing and Brattleboro's restaurants, cafés, shopping and arts.

The space
Our family runs full-service retreats at our property for part of the year, and we make The Garden House available for groups to create their own gatherings the rest of the year.

In the warm months, hiking trails lead from the base of the property up to the ridge line. In the summer, blueberry and peach picking in the sunny upper field and swimming in the pond are a must. In fall, the foliage is incredible and the asian pears, apples, and hardy kiwi ripen. In winter, the site is ideal for cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating (dependent on conditions). In spring, blossoms are everywhere.

The Garden House is the most newly renovated of the houses on this old farm property, but it still has spaces yet to be updated. It's best suited for people looking for a warm, homey feel rather than a pristine, hotel-like experience.

There are three bedrooms and two full bathrooms (one with a bath/shower, the other with a shower). The two larger rooms each have one queen bed and one twin bed. There is also a trundle bed suitable for a child under one of the twin beds. The smaller room has one double bed and one twin bed. The downstairs is an open floor plan with a chef’s kitchen and a large living room/dining room with a wall of glass doors opening onto a south-facing wraparound deck. In the warm months, the deck has a table that seats 18-20 and looks out onto the lawn with peach and apple trees (the outdoor furniture is put away during winter). This house has a TV with streaming services as well as a projector connected to a Roku Streambar with streaming services. The projector is suitable for evening viewing when the sun is not bright.

Guest access
Guests are welcome to exclusive use of the main part of the Garden House. There is an apartment off the side (which houses our chef when onsite). The apartment will be vacant and closed during single house bookings. You are welcome to roam the property enjoying the trails and sampling from the fruit trees and bushes in season. The hosts live in a separate house on the 180 acre property. We'd be happy to give you a tour and suggest trails and activities, or give you complete privacy, just let us know.

Other things to note
We welcome groups to come find a tranquil respite at our center. We ask that guests who stay respect the space and land. We are not suited to hosting parties or raucous events.

Road:
Many Vermont roads, including the one leading to our property, are unpaved and on an incline. We’re on a town road which means all maintenance including snow plowing is done by the town and we don’t have control of the schedule. There are times after snow that we have to wait for the roads to be plowed. We recommend checking the latest weather forecast and planning your trip accordingly. Please exercise caution, especially in wet or freezing weather.

Internet/Phones:
There are no landlines, and cellphone reception works over wifi. We have high speed WiFi. There is limited cellphone reception in the surrounding towns.

Outdoor activities:
All outdoor activities are completely weather dependent and cannot be guaranteed to be available given New England's varied climate. Since the skating pond is an outdoor natural pond and not a covered rink, it is only available for the lucky guests that arrive during just the right conditions. Feel free to check in with us before you arrive. If the conditions are right for outdoor activities you will need to bring your own skis, snowshoes, and/or skates.

Vermont is known for active wildlife which you may encounter during your stay. There are deer, foxes, coyotes, porcupines, and more. Black bears may be on the property (but hibernate during the winter). They are not known to be aggressive. You are unlikely to come close to one of these animals because they generally avoid humans. If you do, please give them their space for everyone's safety.

There are also lots of mice everywhere in the country and we do everything we can to keep them out of the houses. We provide a sealed pantry closet for your unrefrigerated food storage. By keeping your food put away (especially at night), you should avoid attracting any mice.

Hunting and target practice are legal in Vermont but not allowed on our property. There is a chance you may hear these activities from neighboring land.

Rentals from this listing take place when our retreat center is closed. Please contact us if you have any questions about the property or about which amenities might be available during your visit.

Where you’ll sleep

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What this place offers

Mountain view
Valley view
Kitchen
Wifi
Free driveway parking on premises – 6 spaces

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5.0 out of 5 stars from 7 reviews

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Overall rating

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Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for cleanliness

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Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for check-in

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for communication

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for location

Rated 5.0 out of 5 stars for value

Where you’ll be

Townshend, Vermont, United States
This listing's location is verified and the exact location will be provided after booking.

Neighborhood highlights

Most people come to the center to be in nature, but there are also lots of activities in the area and neighboring towns:

West Townshend has a small Friday evening farmers market where you can get wood-fired pizza straight from their outdoor oven. Live music is often featured and the cookies from Bread from the Earth are not to be missed.

Brattleboro is the artistic and energetic hub for Southern Vermont. There are cafes, food-trucks, galleries, live music, breweries, museums, boutiques, an Art Deco movie theater, a Food Coop, and fantastic dining options. Brattleboro has a rich and diverse range of cultural resources, including a wide array of performing, literary, and visual arts organizations, performing venues, galleries, and museums, and a strong community of independent artists and craftspeople. Smithsonian Magazine named Brattleboro "One of the 20 Best Towns in America," saying "We think any best place worth traveling to should have one quality above others: culture". Brattleboro, which sits next to the beautiful Connecticut River with a view of Mount Wantastiquet, has independent bookstores, a record shop, antique/ second-hand shops, sporting goods stores, a world-class circus school, an art deco movie theater, breweries, cafes and coffee shops, a coffee roaster, an art school (with lots of weekend workshops), a cheese shop, a music school, art galleries & and a museum featuring Vermont artists. There are many restaurants many featuring food from local farms, yoga studios, and bakeries.

Grafton is a quaint town with a great country store, a yoga/movement studio (Mountain Mind Movement), a renowned cheese maker, tennis, cross-country skiing, a nature museum and more.

Stratton Mountain is a top Vermont, New England ski and snowboard resort, offering 97 trails, 100+ acres of glades, 600+ acres of skiing and snowboarding terrain including top ranked terrain parks, the fastest fleet of lifts in the East, convenient lodging, slope-side Village, Training & Fitness Center, Spa and a full slate of winter and summer events and activities. SKI Magazine rate Stratton in the Top 10 for snow, grooming, lifts, terrain parks, service, on-mountain food and dining. During the warm season, Stratton has golf, tennis, hiking, concerts, antique shows, and beer and wine, BBQ, Yoga, and Music festivals.

Manchester has local shops, cafés, and restaurants, as well as designer outlets, The Weston Playhouse Theater, The Manchester Music Festival, an arts center, a recording studio, and an adult education center with lots of one-day workshops.

Meet your hosts

Lives in Townshend, Vermont
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Things to know

Cancellation policy
House rules
Check-in after 3:00 PM
Checkout before 12:00 PM
8 guests maximum
Safety & property
Exterior security cameras on property
Nearby lake, river, other body of water
Heights without rails or protection