Travel back in time to bygone days spent relaxing on the front porch, strolling through pastures, hunting wild mushrooms in the forest, and jumping in the pond on a lazy summer afternoon. Belle Meade Farm invites you to slow down and embrace gracious country living in beautiful Rappahannock County, Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Belle Meade’s restored Victorian home and 130 acres of rolling pasture and forest will take you far away from the bustle of the everyday to a more gentle, bucolic existence.
Originally built as a modest farmhouse in 1890, a Victorian-style addition substantially expanded the home in about 1909. Lovingly restored and expanded again in the 1990s by the current owners, Belle Meade’s Victorian farmhouse is a historical gem. The owners have shared this remarkable home as a popular bed and breakfast since the restoration, as well as offering a kids’ summer camp and products grown on the farm. With seven roof gables and many bay windows, the home in its current incarnation blends the newer owner’s quarters seamlessly with the original structure. The front portion of the home consists of a sitting room, formal dining room, and a main floor bedroom, with three additional bedrooms upstairs. The owner’s quarters, added to the back of the home, features a great room with kitchen and dining area, a separate commercial kitchen for the bed and breakfast, and an expansive owner’s suite upstairs.
Come sit a spell on the covered front porch, perhaps with a cold glass of lemonade, and feel the slower pace of country living. Heading indoors from the cozy porch, you will find a surprisingly capacious two-story entrance hall with a grand staircase. The staircase is painted with a stunning, original faux bois finish and gracefully wends its way to the upper floor. Delightful details will meet your eye throughout the home, including original faux bois-painted doors and original moldings, mantles, and oak and heart pine floors. The high ceilings and ample windows give a light and airy feel.
To your right is the sitting room with a stunning, unique antique wood stove and one of the home’s many immense bay windows. It’s the perfect place to curl up with a good book on a rainy day. Just down the hall is the formal dining room, large enough to accommodate a long dining table, and with another bay window. The dining room also has an interesting antique wood stove, this one flanked by original built-in china cabinets. A convenient powder room adjoins the dining room. On the other side of the hall is the first of four bed and breakfast guest rooms, all of which have ensuite full bathrooms. This main-floor bedroom brings the outdoors in with its bay window overlooking the gardens.
Ascending the grand staircase to the upper floor, one finds an open and airy landing with three more guest rooms leading off of it. Each has mountain views and an ensuite bath. Two are situated in the oversized bay windows at the front of the home. The guest room in the front left corner also features a wood stove and a clawfoot bathtub.
The generous owner’s quarters encompass the back half of the home with convenient access to the guest areas both upstairs and down. The main floor great room enjoys two of the glorious bay windows and has a back deck that steps down to the pool area. This open-floorplan room has a kitchen at one end with locally made, custom cabinets and beautiful hardwood counters. One of the bay windows creates the dining area and the other is the sitting area. Between the two there is a stunning soapstone tulikivi wood stove, complete with wood-fired baking oven. Around the corner from the great room is a tiled garden room with a sliding door. This door leads to a small side porch under stately shade trees. Rounding out the main floor of the owner’s quarters is the commercial kitchen for the bed and breakfast, a full bath, and a mudroom with a pantry area.
On the upper floor of the owner’s quarters, the owner’s suite mirrors the two bay windows of the great room. This abundance of windows, along with the high ceilings, creates a light and airy space. The suite looks out over the pool, pastures, and Old Rag Mountain beyond and includes a sitting area and a separate office/library. The owner’s bath features an extra-long walk-in shower and a clawfoot tub with a view of Old Rag Mountain. The convenient and roomy upper floor laundry sits between the owner’s quarters and the guest area of the bed and breakfast.
The grounds present wonderful options for pleasant diversion, from a 60-foot swimming pool, a hot tub, and a sport court, to flower gardens, several pastures, and a riding ring. Stroll a bit further afield, up the hill, and there is a secret swimming pond complete with dock and ladder. The 130-acre parcel is approximately half open pastures and half forested. Continuing your exploration beyond the swimming pond will reveal a wooded trail leading up the mountain to a hidden spring bubbling out from between boulders. Heading back down, enjoy the expansive view from the upper pasture across Kilby’s Creek and over Belle Meade Farm’s home, grounds, and stately old barns. This beautiful property is protected by a conservation easement, conferring peace of mind and a property tax break to its owner.
A little under 85 miles from Washington, DC, and about 45 miles from Charlottesville and even closer to both airports, Belle Meade Farm allows you to get away from it all without being too far off the beaten path. Rappahannock and surrounding counties offer endless recreational possibilities. Shenandoah National Park and Old Rag Mountain are nearby. The park is home to scenic Skyline Drive with its overlooks as well as many miles of trails. There are wineries and breweries, great restaurants and cafes, antique stores, peach and apple orchards, and much more. Looking for cultural activities? Visit one of the many art galleries, attend a play or a concert at one of the theaters, or visit the Rappahannock Historical Society’s museum.
The adjoining parcel with the Belle Meade Schoolhouse and Cottage is also available. Please click here to view.
