Over New Year’s, we went out to Cumberland Estate in New Kent County, a sprawling 18th century estate located on the Pamunkey River, a small river off the York in Eastern Virginia just 30 minutes from Richmond. Despite the rainy and overcast weather for most of our weekend (don’t let my hour of photography fool you!), we had such a relaxing escape out on the river. There’s literally nothing better than the river in the winter in my book.
So, not an inn or a hotel, how’d we find this place? We didn’t. A good friend of mine discovered it on Airbnb. When we were looking for a place for a small pandemic-pod New Year’s, we wanted to find a place with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a kitchen. The Carriage House at Cumberland Estate fit the bill — and it looked incredible. Historic home, renovated with modern amenities. The best kind.
A Weekend at Cumberland Estate in New Kent
A wealthy man from Houston with Virginia roots bought Cumberland Estate several years ago and renovated the home to its original grandeur (okay, beyond its original grandeur), along with several other homes on the property, including the Carriage House, where we stayed.
The property is perfectly suited for a wedding venue however, in these pandemic times, there obviously aren’t large weddings being held and the homes on the property are available for rent on non-wedding weekends.
They’re perfectly appointed with traditional decor, cozy beds, and immaculately renovated bathrooms. Plus, you can’t beat the incredible rural setting. If you rent out the Carriage House, you’re assured that there will be no one else on the grounds of the main house for the weekend, which meant that we were able to take our daily walk-about without worrying about running into anyone. We strolled down to the river, along the dock and the boathouse, and back up through the gardens…and made our plans to acquire a country estate ASAP.
What To Do in New Kent, Virginia
Well, I can’t tell you. I’ll have to save that for a post-pandemic trip. I know there are wineries nearby but the weather wasn’t nice enough for us to explore or sit outside anywhere. We did, however, have a wonderful time staying on the Cumberland Estate property the entire weekend.
But we did partake in two of the activities that Cumberland Estate offers. We had breakfast cooked for us one morning and it was incredible. I’m still dreaming of the cinnamon sweet rolls. And, yes, all precautions were taken. We let them in wearing masks on both sides then we all hung around outside until they were done. As soon as breakfast was ready, they left us to our own devices and we feasted. I was iffy on doing this since I like to think I can cook a delicious breakfast but it was so worth it.
We also did clay shooting over the river. Two of the members of our group had never shot a gun before — and one of them hit the clay on her very first shot. I didn’t fare so well but, hey, it’s all fun and games, right?!
Besides for those two activities, we truly just relaxed and enjoyed the slower pace of life down on the river. And isn’t that all we need right now?
Great recap of an amazing weekend! Your photos are the best and can’t wait to go back when it’s warmer!
So fun!!