"The Way a Bed & Breakfast Should Be"

Your hosts in Stillmeadow Bed & Breakfast are Margaret & Willie Mitchell. They have owned Stillmeadow since 2007 when they moved to the United States from Scotland, where they had owned a B&B for the previous twenty one years. Margaret is a fellow of the British Institute of Innkeeping and brings her own special expertise in providing first class service and accommodation to Hampstead.
Stillmeadow was originally built in 1850 by prominent local businessman J.D.Ordway and his wife Maria as their Honeymoon House. The fine exterior architecture has been fully retained, while internally many original features and fittings and styling still remain - although the property has been upgraded to 21st century levels of service and comfort, including central air conditioning.
Located on Hampstead Main Street the house sits in two acres of gardens, has a guest terrace and ample guest parking.
Our guests can enjoy their own Victorian parlor, complete with wood stove.
Across the hall from the parlor is the breakfast room, furnished with an antique dining suite
For Breakfast at Stillmeadow the emphasis is always on fresh, healthy and local. Our varied and substantial breakfasts feature home-baking and as much local produce as we can, including fruit from our orchard.
The garden at Stillmeadow extends to almost two acres, most of this space has now been landscaped and planted, although some areas are still a work-in-progress (a garden is never “finished”!). In 2007 two thirds of the garden had been left wild for many years, the intervening seventeen years have been spent building the garden as it is now.
Before moving to America Margaret had been a prizewinner in Scotland in Bloom competitions, but the garden in Stillmeadow was an entirely different challenge, bigger, the climate much more extreme, very different plants and an army of new bugs!
There have been many experiments, some successful and some not. These have, over time, developed their approach to the garden and determined how it looks now.
A main theme is sustainability, in both the environmental sense and how much ongoing effort is needed to maintain the garden. Most plants are perennials, native to New England or selected for this hardiness zone. Much use is made of hardscaping, with pea stone paths and many stone features, including rock garden areas and a replica Orcadian neolithic house. Garden lighting is solar powered.
They call themselves “the Wombles”, repurposing and reusing. The original kitchen sink and pump became a feature in the kitchen herb garden, a 1920s lawn mower dug from the foundations of an old outbuilding decorates another plant bed, as do horse-drawn swing ploughs found in the old barn. The stone threshold from the barn is now a “Scottish” standing stone. Old granite steps frame the entrance to Skara Brae. The rock garden and koi pond are built on an old “midden” mound. Old fence posts now serve as pedestals for artwork in the raised bed of the Moon garden. More pieces of art can be found around the garden, some whimsical, others original sculptures.
Margaret and Willie are delighted to share part of their art and gardening journey with you !
01/16
Major Credit Cards Accepted, Prices from $185 (plus NH Tax) per night
Arrivals 4pm-6pm or by arrangement
We're always happy to answer any questions you might have!
Feel free to call us during US Eastern daytime.
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