Miles River Country Inn is Closed

See 3 Riverview Hill for Weekly Summer Rentals
<www.riverviewhill.com>

Miles River Country Inn -- formerly a Bed & Breakfast Inn
823 Bay Road - Hamilton, Massachusetts 01936
E-mail: Gretel@milesriver.com or Call (978) 468-7206

No longer taking Guests.  We are closed for the foreseeable future.  Our 200 year old, rambling colonial on 30+ acres adjoins many more of meadows, woodlands and marshes. The Inn, with its sweeping lawns, terraces and woodland walkways, is graced by 10 gardens and two ponds. The Miles River flows past the property.

 

Set among Boston's fabled North Shore estates, the Inn is a haven for travelers and wildlife alike. Great Blue Heron, the American Egret, varieties of duck, Great Horned and Screech Owls are seen right from our windows. Beaver, otter, muskrat, possum and Canada Geese live in or near our ponds. Snapping and Painted Turtles come up on the lawn in spring to lay their eggs; red fox and deer live with us year round.  [Keep scrolling or click on blue words (below) to move directly to information.]

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The 19th Century secret garden is a favorite location for meditation. Four terraces for relaxing.

 

A glassed-in porch, framed by giant iron filigree panels from New Orleans, is a cheery spot for afternoon tea in the winter sun or a cool spot for drinks on a summer's eve.

 

There are shaded garden terraces where breakfast is served in warm months.

Lawns and perennial gardens surround the inn, yet there is a 200 year old beech forest on the property.  The varied habitat of meadow and woods pushing out into the Miles River marshes, making birding a favorite sport.  Over 175 species were spotted by a Scottish birding group during their 6 day stay at the Miles River Country Inn.

 

Our flock of chickens lay fresh eggs for your breakfast. The gardens and orchard provide fresh fruit for your cereal, and Gretel's apiary oozes with golden honey for the morning's hot scones, fresh muffins, pancakes/waffles, and/or home baked bread.

Much of the decoration in this 24 room house is authentically colonial American, inherited from Peter's ancestors.

The center section of the Inn is a colonial farmhouse, moved to its present location in the 1920's.  At the time two wings were added to create a hunt breakfast room and two bedrooms on the right, a sunken living room on the left, with the master bedroom paneled with leaded glass windows and timbers from the family copper mine.

The Inn recently opened its caretaker's cottage for weekly rentals.   Nestled among the gardens, the cottage is a quiet spot for the family interested in longer stays on the estate grounds.

 

One room's walls are covered with 19th century wooden bedsteads imported from Brittany. Four of the ten guestrooms have their own fireplaces (12 in the house) and all but two bedrooms have private baths.  Visit us any time of the year to see and experience our environment in the glory of all its seasons. Bring your skis or curl up by the fire with a good book. You will always be welcome.

      

Gretel & Peter Clark - Innkeepers

Miles River Country Inn -- a Bed & Breakfast Inn
823 Bay Road - Hamilton, Massachusetts 01936
For Reservations e-mail: Gretel@milesriver.com or Call (978) 468-7206
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THINGS TO DO:

The Inn is surrounded by opportunities for those who wish to hike, bike, bird-watch, bathe on ocean beaches, sail, or cross country ski. One can antique, golf, watch whales (on special day long cruises) and see world class horse events -- such as carriage driving competitions, polo matches, and pre Olympic three-phase eventing (dressage, cross country and jumping).

The historic communities of Salem, Ipswich, Gloucester, and Newburyport offer a glimpse of the past in museums, house tours and visits to estates and farms preserved by The Trustees of the Reservations and other conservation groups.

 

Hiking - Trail maps are available as guides for many short and long hikes in country, shore and woodland settings. Biking - We provide "highlighted" maps of 10, 20 or 50 mile day trips tailored for mountain or road bikes along the coast or down the Merrimack River Valley. Bikers can ride through farming countryside to tiny villages with cozy pubs, past North Shore/Cape Ann estates and "castles" with gardens and heart warming views. Birding - is at its best here in the heart of the Atlantic migration flyways for both land and shore birds. We loan guests a birder's reference book, compiled especially for the Inn, and provide directions to prime birding locations. One may otherwise choose to stay right on the property to observe the resident avians that live in our varied habitat. Beaches - The Inn is a ten minute drive from Crane's Beach with its 6 miles of pristine shoreline and dunes. It is 40 minutes from Plum Island and the Parker River Wildlife Refuge with 9 miles of uninhabited ocean marshes, beaches and dunes. Three additional intimate beaches of Cape Ann are only minutes away. Antiques and Art - The Inn sits among towns whose main commerce is antiques: Essex and Georgetown provide dozens of antique shops for the aficionado. Newburyport, Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea have exclusive shops and artist studios. Gardens - We can introduce guests to wonderful Northshore gardens that the casual tourist would never see.

 

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RATES

Rooms	Per night rates: 2005 Season Weekends April, May, June
Liesl's Room - Queen, four poster bed; view of gardens & river,   2 easy chairs by fireplace, private bath with claw foot tub/shower.	$175
Jock's Room (ballroom wing) - Twin beds, view of garden & river, 2 Hitchcock easy chairs and desk, private bath with shower.	$160
Ivy Room (ballroom wing) - Double bed, rocker and easy chair by small fireplace, views, private bath with claw foot tub/shower.	$150
Heidi's Room - Queen bed, view of Secret Garden, chair and rocker by large fireplace, desk, private bath with shower.	$175
Lilac Room - Queen bed with 5 casement windows set in lilac grove. Private bath with claw foot tub/shower.  Rocker and easy chair.	$160
Hearthside Room - Sitting room with single bed, antique love seat and rocker by raised hearth fireplace. Shares bath and entrance with Lilac Room.	$95
Hearthside Room - As a Suite (w/Lilac Room)	$225
Bryn's Room - Queen bed, desk, views of lawns, gardens and river. Two easy chairs, a Hitchcock wingback and possible shared bath with The Nook; claw foot tub with hand held shower.	$140
The Nook - Queen bed. A cozy, garret room with view of river, rocker and desk. Possible shared bath with claw foot tub/shower, if Bryn's room is occupied.	$120
Housekeeping Suite - Queen bedroom, nursery with crib and changing table, sleeping loft with queen bed.  Kitchen, cathedral ceiling living/dining room with convertible queen couch.  Bath with tub/shower.  Small deck in the lilac grove. Also available for nine month winter rental during 2003/04 season.	$240 up to 4 people; 1 or 2 additional people + $60 $1,200 per month in winter, including utilities
Ask about... our Town House rentals in a rural setting on a hill overlooking the Essex River, its town, boatyard and marshes. Or see our web page: <www.riverviewhill.com> for more details.	$1900 and $2100 / week June-August	$2100/ month Sept.-May

• High season rates apply to all Holidays.
• Room rates are per night/room and include a full farm breakfast.  Children of all ages are welcome.
• Smoking is not permitted.
• Check in after 3:00 p.m. or by special arrangement.  Check out by 11:00 a.m. Please let us know your expected time of arrival.  Extra bed/crib: $15.  Rooms subject to 5.7% State tax and 5% service fee..
• Reservation Policy - Weekly rates available.  Prepayment or submission of a major credit card number will confirm your reservation, returnable if you notify us 2 weeks in advance.  If less than 2 weeks remain before a cancellation, we refund all but $25 if the room is subsequently rented.

 

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DIRECTIONS: Click on the Northshore Map to locate routes, landmarks and MRCI.

From the South and/or West: (*) Route 128 North to Exit 20 North onto Route 1A, (marked Hamilton/Beverly, not the Route 9 Exit 20 from 128 west of Boston). Follow Route 1A (Bay Road) about 5 miles north.  #823 Bay Road is the second drive past the Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School on the right (about 2.5 miles north of the center of Hamilton). Look for our sign and come down the quarter mile drive to the end.

From Logan Airport: Take Route 1A North a mile or so to Route 60. Then follow 60 to Route 1. Do not stay on Route 1A or you will wind through all the urban centers taking an extra half hour.  Instead take Route 60 to Route 1, go north (right) onto  Route 1. Then after an underpass, go east (right) onto Route 128 going towards Gloucester.  Stay on 128 following directions above(*).

From the Northwest:  The simple directions: Find Route 495. Take  it to Route 114 South until you reach Route 128, then follow directions above (*).

More complex directions from the Northwest, but shorter route: Take Route 495 East. As you are passing Lawrence, take the Massachusetts Avenue Exit south (Exit 43) toward Andover. About half-a-mile up Massachusetts Ave., turn left onto Route 125 (North). Go north on 125 to Route 133. Go right on 133, which will wind through old New England towns to Route 1A in Rowley. Proceed south on Route 1A through (+)Ipswich. Leave Route 133 where Route 1A splits off from 133 just south of Ipswich. Stay on 1A for 2 miles until you see our sign on the left. If you find yourself passing the School on your left, turn around in the school drive and, go back toward Ipswich. Take the second driveway on the right. It is a stone entrance with a quarter mile driveway.

From the North: Take Route 1 or Route 97 to Route 133 South. Route 133 joins Route 1A in Rowley. See directions (above) from Ipswich (+).

When all else fails, call us at the telephone number listed below.

Miles River Country Inn -- a Bed & Breakfast Inn
823 Bay Road - Hamilton, Massachusetts 01936
For Reservations e-mail: Gretel@milesriver.com or Call (978) 468-7206
TOP - THINGS TO DO - RATES - DIRECTIONS

Photos #2,3,4,5 from top are Copyright © Eric Roth
Copyright © 1999 Miles River Country Inn

 

 

 

 

 

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