“The mountains are calling and I must go.”
-John Muir
Seronera will soothe your soul. Named after a wild and beautiful area of the Serengeti where big cats roam free, Seronera was designed as a private family sanctuary for a renowned wildlife photographer who traveled the world. Seronera has a special Rappahannock ambiance with a sense of time and place that makes it a quiet and relaxed refuge. The landscape is surrounded by 360-degree views of mountains, foothills, fields and rolling pastures, with the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah National Park dominating the horizon to the west.
Although in a traditional vein, the brick and stucco home defies conventional characterization. Its architecture is intended to nurture a comfortable and refined country lifestyle. Porches, terraces and lawns surround the home creating spots for unwinding, reading and visiting.
The main floor includes an open kitchen/family room that adjoins a southeast facing covered bluestone terrace. Excellent appliances, quality cabinetry and granite counters are accentuated by warm wood floors and tall ceilings.
Opposite the bluestone terrace, the dining room is reminiscent of an old English Cottage with arched brick walls and a large brick fireplace that invites you to pull up a rocker and toast your toes. The dining room has French doors that open to another bluestone terrace with pastoral views of farmland at the foot of Red Oak Mountain.
There is a substantial living room with a fieldstone fireplace, large windows to drink in the view and exotic hardwood floors. One wall is lined with built –in shelving for books and three-dimensional art and the tall ceilings are ornamented with ogee crown moldings.
The main floor also includes a bedroom and full bath in a quiet corner of the home.
The upper level has three large bedrooms, one of which is a luxurious master suite. The biggest of the bedrooms has a wide second story balcony for enjoying the mountain views.
The lower level has high ceilings and exposed brick walls. Although currently used for exercise equipment, this level has great potential as a wine cellar and tasting room. Conveniently, there is a full bath and a guest room on this level.
Behind the house is a garage/barn that, in addition to automobiles, is handy for feed, tools, lawn equipment, canoes, kayaks and sporting equipment.
Large shade trees and mature landscaping featuring mostly native plants surround the home. Similar to Olmstead’s Sheep Meadow, there is a wide level lawn on the southern side that transitions to the wilder grassy meadows that comprise much of the property. The owners planted many native trees including hawthorns, yellowwood, honey locust, river birch and pin oak. About 75% of the land is a series of open meadows punctuated with small groves of shade trees that provide cover for ground birds, habitat for woodpeckers and nesting places for songbirds. The northern portion of the property is mature forest that rises to the crest of Little Mason Mountain.
True to their love of wildlife, the owners have managed the property as a refuge for wildlife, especially birds. They typically mow the fields only in fall after the ground nesting birds such as meadowlarks have nested. The old rustic locust trees that prick the landscape are a valuable part of the ecosystem providing homes for birds and insects. Five bluebird boxes are scattered throughout the property where the owners have counted over 70 species of birds.
Walking trails have been established throughout the property so one can be immersed in this special sanctuary. Almost every turn in the trail reveals a new splendid vista of one of the most beautiful areas of Rappahannock County. As the owners are fond of saying, “What is special about Seronera is not that you observe the great views (which there are many), but you become one with the landscape.”
Seronera includes two ponds that are integral to the ecosystem. Animals of the evening like deer and beaver are often seen on the banks of the ponds, and birds and bats dart through the air feasting on insects. Creatures of the night like raccoons and opossums scurry about their business after dark. Herons and eagles are often seen silently fishing.
For dog lovers there are about 7 acres protected by invisible fencing so your canines can run free. The equipment is included.
The property includes a barn that could be used for horses or other animals. The barn has a garage, shop and three large bays for farm equipment.
Seronera is located 3 miles south of the village of Sperryville, recently voted the best small town in Virginia. Sperryville features restaurants, a coffee shop/wine bar, a whiskey distillery, two breweries, a yoga studio and gym, art galleries and a nine-hole golf course.
Seronera is only about 20 minutes from the town of Culpeper where the historic Main Street thrives with restaurants, bakeries, and interesting shops. Culpeper has most of the standard big box stores as well as multiple grocery stores.
Located 90 minutes from Washington, DC, and about an hour from Charlottesville, it is an easy drive for a weekend getaway yet it will feel a world away.
