Do you long for a quiet, peaceful and tranquil atmosphere away from the stress of your daily life? Buckley Hall Inn is just that place. The Inn, located a short distance from the shopping area of Mathews Court House, Virginia, where you can wile away the hours however you like. The country town boasts many opportunities both on the water, being near the Chesapeake Bay, and on land.

     When one enters the driveway at Buckley Hall Inn, the manicured lawn with lovely age-old oaks and shrubbery welcomes you. I parked in the spacious graveled area and admired the white hipped-roof house with dark green shutters, dating back to the first half of the nineteenth century. The railing around the lower portion of the porch offers some privacy to those who enjoy the rocking chairs. One may sit and listen to the birds singing, especially early in the morning. Or perhaps you prefer reading; and if don’t have any reading material, you’ll find quality magazines and a well stocked library in the living room. The porch is the perfect place for afternoon tea in the summer.

     A Buckley family built the house in the in the first half of the nineteenth century. In later years Spruel P. James, an insurance salesman, purchased the home and lived there with his wife until their last days. James named what is now Buckley Hall Road, Millionaire Avenue in the 1930’s, but this was never official. 
Melvin and Ava Landers purchased the homestead when he retired from working in the educational system in Northern Virginia. Landers, having lost his wife, found he needed to move nearer his children. When the house went on the market, Barry and Beth Thompson knew it appropriate for the Bed and Breakfast they had wanted. 

     Some of Barry’s happiest childhood and adolescent memories were the summers he spent at his grandfather’s farm in Mathews. After he married Beth, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, they continued to make frequent visits to the county. They knew that they would retire in Mathews, away from the busy city where they had both worked and raised a family. Before they found a house suitable for a Bed and Breakfast, they purchased a house a few doors from the present location.

     After the Thompsons purchased Buckley Hall Inn, they installed central heat and air and new plumbing with an air purifying system. Baths were added to all three upstairs bedrooms, one of which has a whirlpool tub.  

     Furniture from the 17th and 18th centuries adorn the rooms. The bedrooms offer your choice of queen-size beds or twin beds in the third room—all four poster. Other furnishings match the decor. The cozy living room, with a fireplace for cheer on blustery evenings, provides comfortable seating to relax alone or join old and new friends. The large formal dining room table will seat all quests at one seating. It is not a stiff formal atmosphere, but relaxing. Beth serves a full country breakfast—some of which may be cooked on an 1880’s wood stove. Tea will be served at the same table in the afternoon with the fireplace aglow if it’s chilly.

     Some may ask, “What is there to do in a rural area with no stop lights?”

     One has many choices: There is a local museum on Gwynn Island in what used to be a school house. It not only has items from Gwynn Island but from other parts of the county, dating back to the 1800’s. It opens in late spring on weekends and is fully air conditioned.

     Mathews Court House has a country store, a unique antique shop and several other shops, carrying the old and collectibles, a large gift emporium and an Art Gallery operated by local artists, who paint and create the unusual. Hardees sits on Hyco corner but you don’t have to eat fast food. There is an Irish Restaurant, Andy’s hand-made barbecue with other choices of entrees, a Café on Church Street and Lynn’s Family Restaurant on Highway 198 near the Route 14 intersection. 

     Thompson offers complimentary bicycles to guests for rides on the quiet shady roads. If you prefer boating, kayaks and canoes are available a short distance from the Inn with planned tours or you may paddle on your own. Offshore fishing and sightseeing trips to Chesapeake Bay locations are available nearby. Ride to Bethel Beach in your auto or pedal a bicycle and observe the more than 200 documented species of birds in the Nature Sanctuary or see New Point Comfort Light House.

     Mathews has many special events: Market Days on September the first Friday and Saturday after Labor Day each year, Tour de Chesapeake in May, Fourth of July celebration with fireworks, Garden Tour in April, Christmas tours and more.

     The Lord called Barry to his Heavenly home in the spring of 2001, but Beth carries on with a smile and her cheery disposition. It is a joy to be in her company.

     If you just want to stop and relax, Buckley Hall Inn is the place to be. Get away from all the things that bring stress to your life. Coming into Mathews on Route 14, where one turns left, intersects Route 198 at Wards Corner. At Hyco Corner keep straight on Route 198 until you see the Buckley Hall Inn Sign on the left. See ad for telephone number and web site address. 

© 2001 Catherine C. Brooks All Rights Reserved