Last month I spent a delightful overnight at Briar Barn Inn in Rowley, Massachusetts. Rowley is situated between Newburyport and Ipswich and this time around I decided to explore the latter.
Where to Stay
Ipswich is an easy day trip from Boston by car or on the MBTA Commuter Rail, which drops you right in town. If you do want to savor the experience, I had a wonderful time staying at Briar Barn Inn, just a 15 minute drive from central Ipswich. The property offers a restaurant, a spa, and, of course, the Inn with cozy rooms featuring fireplaces and soaking tubs.
Closer in to Ipswich you can stay at the Inn at Castle Hill which is actually located on the Crane Estate, a historic property that I delve into below. This traditional bed-and-breakfast, upgraded with contemporary features, allows you to spend a few days in the shoes of the houseguests of the former wealthy Crane Estate owners.
What to Do
Though the weather was dreary during my stay, I still visited the Crane Estate, a historic home and property right on the Ipswich waterfront. The property is quite extensive, spreading across 2,100 acres including Crane Beach. There’s a lot to do at this site. Typically you can tour Castle Hill, the mansion on site, though right now it’s closed due to COVID-19. The immediate grounds of the home feature a number of gardens and outbuildings that are a delight to explore, especially when in bloom. You can also head down to Crane Beach to bask in the sun where Massachusetts’ wealthy elites used to summer. In non-COVID times they host a huge Roaring Twenties party every year on the estate grounds, costumes encouraged. It’s an absolute blast.
You know I can’t go anywhere without checking out some art, so I headed over to Ipswich Pottery. It’s only about a 15 minute walk from Briar Barn Inn, although the sidewalk disappears once you cross from Rowley into Ipswich and I wouldn’t call the side of the busy road particularly scenic. But it’s absolutely worth the trek to see the work by artist Nancy Kemp-Soucy.
Nancy has been throwing pottery for more than 35 years. She uses a traditional form and the colors and glazing technique reflect the ocean environment she lives in. Her well stocked shop is attached to her studio and features a diverse range of pieces in an equally diverse price point. I find pottery to be a wonderful introduction to art collecting because it’s functional as well as decorative.
Antiquing is another pastime of the area. There are several antique shops within a stones throw of Briar Barn Inn and dozens more within driving distance. If you love treasure hunting, this is absolutely the place to do it.
Where to Eat
I wasn’t in Ipswich long so I sadly can’t provide a complete catalog of restaurants. Whether you’re staying at Briar Barn Inn or not I would recommend visiting Grove. It’s an excellent restaurant in its own right with craft cocktails, an elevated menu, and beautiful ambiance. It’s a perfect spot for a romantic dinner or a fun brunch with friends.
About a ten minute walk from Briar Barn you’ll find Village Pancake House. This is a lovely breakfast and lunch spot owned and operated by locals. It oozes small town charm and provides prompt service and delicious, hearty, diner-style meals. Something to note – they only accept cash, although there is an ATM on site.
I highly recommending stopping in at 1634 Meadery. They don’t serve food but they craft a huge variety of meads on site using primarily local ingredients. Mead is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey, and often including additional ingredients like fruit or spices. Don’t worry! It’s not sickeningly sweet, they offer a range of dry and sweet flavors. I went home with three bottles of mead, to be totally honest with you. So far the jalapeño is my favorite.
The small shop and distillery is run by the owner, Dan, and a small team. You can order a flight of meads, pictured above, to get a sense of what you like. It’s always wonderful to visit these small, local spots and hear the origin story directly from the owner. The passion comes through.
COVID-19 shutdowns have caused me to turn inward and explore more of what Massachusetts has to offer. Ipswich is a lovely getaway where you can experience, art, history, cuisine, and mead (!) all in one simple trip.