1.  It’s a great location

2.  You can bring your horse

3.  The accommodations are stunning!

4.  The glories of nature will surround you

5.  You can make yourself at home in our kitchens

6.  We have great staff and helpful neighbors

7.  The regional attractions offer entertainment, education and adventure

8.  You can eat good food that you did not have to cook

9.  You can drive through some of the most charming countryside in America

10.  You can decide for yourself whether the Charlottesville area deserves its ranking as the #1 Place to Live in America

1. It’s a great location

Wolftrap is about 30 minutes northeast of Charlottesville, Virginia, about halfway between Orange and Gordonsville, Virginia, only a half-mile off a major highway, U.S. Route 15.

 

You can drive to the farm from Washington, D.C. in less than two hours, from Richmond in less than one hour, and from Hampton Roads in less than three hours.

 

Once you are here, you are located:

• 30 minutes from Charlottesville, rated the Number 1 place to live in Cities Ranked and Rated, 2004 (attractions include Monticello, Ashlawn, Michie’s Tavern, UVA and the fabulous Paramount Theatre - see www.charlottesvilletourism.org

• 15 minutes from Montpelier (home of James and Dolly Madison)

• 10 minutes from Orange County attractions (Exchange Hotel Civil War Museum, Barboursville Vineyards, Horton Vineyards, Madison Museum, Antique Shopping, Art Galleries in Barboursville and in Orange, Barboursville Ruins, etc.)

• 35 minutes from Culpepper (Commonwealth Park Showgrounds, Historic Downtown)

• 45 minutes from Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway

• 45 minutes from the fabulous new Short Pump Mall just north of Richmond

• within the territory of the Keswick Hunt

• less than one hour from the fixtures for numerous Virginia hunts.

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Our two barns contain 18 stalls, a lounge and tack room. We have five turnout paddocks with new, board fencing and automatic waterers.

We have over three hundred acres of park-like hardwood forest that is laced with riding trails. Pasture areas are also open for riding. Our new riding ring offers panoramic views of the farm and mountains.

We are within the Keswick Hunt, and numerous other prestigious hunts are within an hour’s drive.

Commonwealth Park, Keswick and the Barracks are each roughly 30 to a 35-minute drive away, and other show venues are nearby.

The Virginia Horse Center is about one hour, forty-five minutes drive, and the trail systems of various National Forests are also within reach.

Our nearest neighbors include horse professionals, including a farrier, a former college riding instructor, a teaching and “horses for hire” operation, and a training center. Help is nearby, including excellent equine veterinary services.

We do not offer rental horses, but rentals, guided trail rides and lessons are offered at a neighboring farm.

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The Manor House dates from 1856, with its newer wing having been added in 1902. After its complete renovation in 2004, the Manor House offers four bedrooms, four baths, a formal living room and dining room, two working fireplaces, a den, and a patio with hot tub.

One of the bedrooms in the Manor House is a suite with its own separate entrance, its own small kitchen, and a second-floor sleeping porch with the best mountain views on the farm. This suite, with its oversized bath and double-whirlpool tub, is perfect for romantic couples, or can be combined with the upstairs “Bunkroom” to accommodate a larger group or the children.

The two first floor bedrooms are elegantly furnished, as are all the public spaces of the Manor House.

The kitchen is spacious and comfortable. It will be obvious to our guests that our interior designer is an avid equestrian.

The Pond House, one hundred-fifty yard beyond the Manor House, was also totally rebuilt in 2004. This more modern, two-bedroom cottage overlooks a wonderful pond and hillside, which can be enjoyed for hours on end from the large screened and roofed deck we added to the house. The Pond House is more casually furnished. Its bedrooms contain one queen bed and a bunk bed with a double bed on the bottom. In the den, there is a sleeper sofa that will allow the Pond House to accommodate up to six guests.

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The mountain views are very nice, but there are also numerous ponds (find all twelve, if you can), creeks for summer wading, rolling hills, green pastures, cattle and horses, frogs, lightening bugs, deer, wild turkeys, owls, groundhogs, buzzards, hawks, beaver, wild geese and ducks, and other crawly critters we’d rather not mention.

And there are boxwoods, magnolias, holly, apple and pear trees, walnut trees, locust trees, many cedars, berry bushes, hickories, oaks, pines, and all sorts of pond plants.

And there are fish (bass and bluegill) in the larger ponds.

And there’s the effect of the changing light on the ponds, sunsets behind the mountains, views of morning fog on the mountains, dim forms of the horses in the dark of dawn, the lights glowing from within the barn, views of the stars far from city lights, and a thousand other opportunities to experience beauty and wonder that do not come to you in a motel room.

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We will prepare breakfast for you, but you also have access to our kitchens, equipped with the tools you need to prepare and enjoy pleasant meals, including gas grills, microwaves, and dishwashers. There are grocery stores about 4 miles away both to the north and south of the farm, and convenience stores are even closer.

If you are ambitious, there is an elegant dining room in the Manor House where you can serve a feast.

The patio at the Manor House and the deck at the Pond House are each ideal for grilling and eating outside.

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Our farm maintenance staff is on site each weekday. A Hunter/Jumper professional in residence at Wolftrap, and can be available for instruction and training by appointment.

Our horsy neighbors include a farrier, a former college riding instructor, members of the Keswick Hunt, an equestrian training center, and a farm that offers livery mounts, lessons and guided trail rides. You won’t find a more friendly and helpful neighborhood of equestrians.

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Tour the historical sites, including Monticello, Montpelier, Ashlawn, Michie Tavern, numerous Civil War battlefields, the University of Virginia, the Madison Museum, the Barboursville Ruins, and the Exchange Hotel Civil War Museum, for starters.

Follow the Monticello Wine Trail, and participate in enjoying tastings at some of the finest vineyards in the country, including the Barboursville, Burnley, and Horton vineyards, just minutes away.

Enjoy performances at the fabulous Paramount Theatre in Charlottesville, just reopened in December, 2004. If you cannot get a ticket there, try one of the many musical or theatrical events offered elsewhere in and around Charlottesville.

Visit the art galleries in Orange and at Barboursville, and the Fine Art Print Shop at nearby Somerset, and numerous artsy craft shops.

Go Hot Air Ballooning or Skydiving at the Orange airport.

Go tubing, rafting or canoeing on the Rappahannock River.

Go bicycling or take a drive on the local scenic byways.

Go shopping on Charlottesville’s thriving Historic Downtown mall (30 minutes drive), or at the fabulous new Short Pump Mall just north of Richmond (45 minutes drive), or make a day trip to Potomac Mills for outlet shopping at its best (1 ½ hours toward Washington).

Go antique shopping in Orange, Ruckersville, Gordonsville, Culpepper, or anywhere in Central Virginia.

Play golf at Meadows Farms Golf Course, Somerset Golf Club, Shenandoah Crossing or other area courses.

Take day trips to Shenandoah Valley attractions such as Luray Caverns, or the Frontier Life Museum in Staunton.

Ski at Masannutten.

Visit Skyline Drive and Shenandoah National Park

Watch polo matches in Charlottesville.

Take in outdoor theatre performances by the Four County Players at Barboursville.

Enjoy Atlantic Coast Conference Sports at the University of Virginia.

Enjoy folk music at the Prism Coffeehouse in Charlottesville, or go Contra dancing in Crozet or at the Municipal Arts Center in Charlottesville.

Fish at Lake Anna, at Lake Orange, or in our ponds.

Buy vintage lumber at Mountain Lumber near Charlottesville.

Visit the Plough & Hearth Catalog Outlet in Madison.

Shop for horse stuff at Horse Country (Warrenton, one hour’s drive), Dominion Saddlery, The Gifted Horse in Charlottesville, or at Crawford Saddlery (Ruckersville, 30 minutes drive).

Enjoy “pick your own” orchards and berry farms.
See a livestock auction (including horses) just five minutes from the farm at the Orange County Livestock Auction.

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8. You can eat good food that you did not have to cook

There are several excellent restaurants nearby, including both gourmet establishments and down-home country fare. You will find a list of our recommendations at the farm. You won’t find a Starbucks in Gordonsville or Orange, but we’ll tell you where to find the great little coffee shops.

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9. You can drive through some of the most charming countryside in America

As you drive around the area, you will constantly encounter Virginia Scenic Byways, quaint villages, historic estates, gorgeous horse farms and pastoral vistas of mountains, pastures, fields, rivers and rolling hills. You will find lists of suggested scenic drives at the farm. No one should leave the area without driving Route 231 from Keswick to Somerset, which is said to be the most beautiful drive in Virginia. Just imagine how it all looks during fall foliage season.

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10. You can decide for yourself whether the Charlottesville area deserves its ranking as the #1 Place to Live in America

Your visit to Wolftrap Farm may help you decide where your next home should be. Use Wolftrap to try the lifestyle of Central Virginia for yourself. Learn why so many people who can afford to live anywhere have chosen Virginia’s Horse Country and the Charlottesville area for their primary or second homes.

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17379 Wolftrap Drive, Gordonsville, VA, 22942   (540) 832-1803    Copyright © 2007 Wolf Trap Farm, LLC. webmaster