Hill Brook/Explore
The country around the house.
Hill Brook sits in Bantam, a hamlet of Litchfield, in the middle of Connecticut's oldest countryside: lakes, land trusts, working farms, and villages that have kept their scale.
The area/01
Out the door, then up the hill.
Most of what follows is within twenty minutes of the gate. Seasonal recommendations and the reservations that matter are shared with confirmed stays.
Bantam/02
The hamlet
Arethusa Farm
A working dairy with its own creamery and café. The ice cream is the local ritual.
Minutes awayLitchfield Distillery
Small-batch spirits made in Bantam by the Baker brothers. Tastings most afternoons.
Minutes awayBantam Bread Company
A stone-hearth bakery in an old mill setting. Arrive early on weekends.
Minutes awayLitchfield/03
The town
The green and West Street
Litchfield's eighteenth-century center: shops, galleries, and restaurants around one of New England's best-kept greens.
5 minutesLitchfield Historical Society
Collections and exhibitions on the town that trained early America's lawyers and revolutionaries.
5 minutesTopsmead State Forest
An English-style summer estate left to the state: open meadows, a Tudor cottage, and long lawns for walking.
10 minutesWater and woods/04
Lakes, trails, and preserves
White Memorial
Roughly four thousand acres of woods, wetlands, and boardwalk trails held by the White Memorial Conservation Center. The boardwalk over Little Pond is the classic walk.
5 minutesBantam Lake
Connecticut's largest natural lake: sailing, swimming, and long winter views.
10 minutesMount Tom State Park
A short climb to a stone tower with a three-state view, and a small swimming pond below.
10 minutesLake Waramaug
The drive around the lake is the region's finest, with vineyards on the north shore.
20 minutesSteep Rock Preserve
River-valley trails along the Shepaug in Washington Depot.
20 minutesWhite Flower Farm
The renowned nursery and display gardens in Morris.
10 minutesVillages/05
Nearby towns
New Preston
A hamlet of antique dealers and small shops stacked above a waterfall, at the foot of Lake Waramaug.
20 minutesWashington
Green, church, and prep-school calm; Washington Depot below holds the bookstore and the market.
20 minutesKent
Galleries, a covered bridge nearby, and Kent Falls: the Litchfield Hills at their most visited.
30 minutes