After 114 years at the old location on Maple Avenue, Orchard Shade moved 2½ miles down the road to Hewins Street. The "new" Orchard Shade is a lovely 1846 house with three guest rooms, furnished with antiques. There is a charming living room, with fireplace, large porch and two acres of scenic property, on a quiet country road.
Sheffield, noted for its historic homes, is a center for antiques, with over fifty shops and auctions at the famous Bradford Antique Gallery. More energetic activities include bicycling on a variety of terrains, canoeing on the Housatonic River and golf and tennis at the Egremont Country Club and the Cranwell Resort, which are open to the public.
The Appalachian Trail runs through Sheffield, but there are also other opportunities for hiking, from a quiet walk around Bartholomew’s Cobble to climbing Monument Mountain and visiting Bash Bish Falls.
The Berkshires offer the closest serious downhill skiing to New York City at Catamount and Butternut. There are also many opportunities for cross-country skiing in Berkshire County, such as Cranwell and Butternut, as well as from our own property.
"America’s Premier Cultural Resort" is the Visitors’ Bureau’s appellation, warranted by the area’s many artistic events. Tanglewood, the Berkshire Choral Festival and Jacob’s Pillow are some of the nearby music festivals. Shakespeare and Company performs in Lenox. Edith Wharton’s home in Lenox, "The Mount", which has been restored and is very worth seeing on its own merits. Barrington Stage summer stock performances are in Sheffield and the Berkshire Theater Festival in Stockbridge. Chesterwood, (the fascinating studio and home of famous sculptor Daniel Chester French), the Shaker Village at Hancock and the Norman Rockwell Museum are also nearby. The town of Great Barrington, six miles from Orchard Shade, has become the Berkshire’s center for smart shopping and dining out, and is the home of both the classic, restored old Mahaiwe Theater and the charming new Triplex and Cafe.
A healthy breakfast
is served at Orchard Shade, with fresh fruits, cereals, local breads and
other baked goods . Family-style dinner, served in our lovely dining room,
is available on Saturday by reservation. There are also fine restaurants
within a few minutes.
The facilities at Orchard Shade are perfect for family reunions, weddings
and business meetings.
Orchard Shade
nestles in the lee of a steep hill, which affords our guests the
opportunity to hike to its crest for a view of the Housatonic River valley
and Mt. Everett, the tallest peak in the Southern Berkshires.
The porch is a comfortable spot to relax and enjoy this tranquil setting.
Comfy rooms are attractively furnished with antiques. Rates are from $65 to $125 for a room for two, including breakfast, depending on the accommodations and season. Please phone for special group rates and for ski packages. One night’s deposit is required, (two nights’ deposit on holiday, Tanglewood and foliage weekends), which is refundable on two weeks’ notice.
Orchard Shade is located on Hewins Street, just off Route 7. We are two and a half hours from New York and Boston and just over an hour from Albany and Hartford, which are the closest airports. Train service is within an hour, at either Dover Plains, NY, (Metro North), or Hudson, NY, (Amtrack), and Bonanza bus service is from the Port Authority Terminal straight to Sheffield.
ORCHARD SHADE
Bed & Breakfast
999 Hewins Street
Sheffield, MA 01257
Phone: (413) 229-8463; Fax: -2711
Toll Free: (877) ORCH-ADE/(672-4233)
DIRECTIONS TO ORCHARD SHADE
Debbie and Henry Thornton have now operated Orchard Shade for eighteen of its 114 years.
© 1999-2007 Orchard Shade
All Rights Reserved