Trees to the West of the Lawn

The Winthrop Estate is home to some remarkable tree specimens.  To honor these sylvan elders we recently compiled a list of common and Latin names of twelve of our favorite, grandest trees and had arboretum quality labels engraved and hung upon their trunks for our guests to peruse.

As you walk around our grounds, you will see Fagus sylvatica, Copper Beech; Ginko biloba, both male and female; Picea pungens, Colorado Blue Spruce; Robinia pseudoacacia, Black locust; Salix alba, White willow, and Aesculus hippocastanum among others.

The Berkshire Botanical Garden is another wonderful venue for those who enjoy horticultural. berkshirebotanical.org is open May through October and is a the non-profit, educational garden that boasts 15 acres of brilliantly designed and planted ornamental gardens.  A vegetable garden, and an herb garden are further sources of inspiration there.  Hosting classes, lectures and workshops as well as tours of the garden, the Berkshire Botanical Garden is a true Berkshire gem.

The Bream Bedroom

Setting the tone to this decidedly French and luxuriously inviting room is a Louise XV-style chaise long with cabriole legs in old white paint and a Louise XV-style Bergere with a curved arched padded back, molded frame and cabriole legs. To the left of the bed is a French tulip wood bijouterie cabinet with a marquetry decorated lift top opening to a mirrored interior, c. 1880, and to the right is a French fruitwood one drawer stand with cabriole legs, c. 1870.  A gilt and white paint convex mirror hangs over the fireplace.  A salmon lobed vase decorated with white figures is mounted as a tabletop lamp.  Hanging over the desk is an 18^th Century carved figural plaque of a sea creature with a later clipped corner frame faux painted in a complementary manner.  There is a mid 19^th Century bronze bas  relief roundel of a woman in profile in a gilt frame and  a pair of 19^th Century French prints in rectangular frames which give the room depth and a sense of collected artifacts.

Even though it’s the dead of winter and we aren’t outside playing on our lawn right now, we are thinking ahead to this summer.  Days are long, skies are clear and all we want to do is be outside.  That’s why we decided to add  a bocce set to our lawn game collection.

Bocce is very popular in Europe and was brought to America by Italians.  Descended from a game played in the Roman Empire, bocce involves rolling balls on a clay, asphalt or smooth lawn.  Anywhere between two to eight players compete in teams.  The United States Bocce Federation has a great website with information, playing tips, and tournament schedules.  They are aiming to get bocce into the Olympic Games!

Even if you are not as serious as those bocce enthusiasts, you will find our bocce set to be the very best available on the market. The Perfetta Club Pro Bocce Set I just ordered should last for years to come and be a focal point for many happy memories.  Our lawn is great, the views spectacular and we have no doubt that bocce is going to become a favorite pastime here at Winthrop Estate!

Ethelwynde Bedroom

Spring fresh colors highlight this wonderful room with views out to the Great Lawn.

A grand late 19^th Century post humous  portrait of Sarah Oakley Vander Poel in an elaborate laurel leaf and ribbon gilt frame hangs over the fireplace.   A Beidermeier secretaire with ivory escutcheons and pulls as well as a Beidermeir sleigh bed, both c. 1840 decorate the room.  There is a 19^th Century print with reverse painting on glass matt in an octagonal frame above the secretaire.  On either side of the bed is a group of four19^th Century engravings from “The Cries of London” series.  Small pieces like the Beidermeier fruitwood stool with cabriole legs and needlepoint cover, a 19^th Century mahogany French gaming table with satinwood inlay and a 19^th Century Charles X candlestick with incised decoration all add to the charming appeal of this quiet retreat.  Underfoot is a Portugese needlepoint carpet of neoclassical design with a laurel leaf pattern surrounding floral medallions.

On our Yoga Platform. Photo by modernArtistry.com

The Winthrop Estate is proud to be neighbors with one of the nation’s premier yoga centers, Kripalu. Hence, our little village of Lenox has a large population of very skilled yoga teachers.  To enhance our guests stay at our luxurious mansion we are now offering complimentary morning yoga classes.  If you let us know one week in advance that you would like to take a class (or two) during your stay with us, we will book a teacher to give you a private lesson, or a small group lesson at a time that works best for you.

Breathe, relax…..  and  feel how wonderful it is to be here!

Thanks to Dave Donato at www.modernArtisty.com for this lovely photo.

A lovely note from a summer bride:

Words cannot describe how pleased I am with our wedding weekend at The Winthrop Estate. From the moment we arrived, we knew that we were being taken care of by a staff that seemed to truly care about our experience. From the decor, to the staff, to the homemade snacks that were provided throughout our visit, to the lovely manicured estate, everything was simply perfect! It was as though we were in the comfort of our own home. Another benefit to hosting our rehearsal dinner and staying at the estate for our wedding weekend was the personal connection that you had with all of the local vendors. It made things so much easier for everyone involved. I can honestly say that our wedding would not have been even close to as wonderful as it was had we decided no to stay with you! There was a true connection that was made by so many of our guests that I believe would not have been possible without this central location for everyone to convene at various times throughout the weekend. My only wish is that we could go back and do it all over again. I cannot thank you and your team enough.  I would recommend The Winthrop Estate to anyone and everyone for a wedding and a variety of events! It truly was the best wedding weekend ever!

Thanks for everything and best of luck to you and your family.

Ben and Andrea

Berkshire Fishing Club Lake

We are pleased to share with all our guests a membership to the Berkshire Fishing Club.  Now anyone who stays with us at the Winthrop Estate can spend a day at a pristine Palmer Brook Lake fishing for bass, chain pickerel and bluegill.  This is an exclusive fishing club, not open to the general public.  The facilities include a rustic clubhouse with a kitchen, a screened in porch and a deck overlooking the lake.  Classes in all aspects of fishing are available.  This is a great opportunity to spend quality time with the kids, or get away for a quiet personal day.  The resort also has hiking trails, canoes and lawn games.

So, if you are a fisherman at heart, whether you are here for a destination wedding, a corporate retreat or a family getaway, the opportunity exists to escape from it all…..hang the sign: “Gone Fishin’!”

Table design by Annie or www.DaughterofDesign.com, flowers by Crocus of CrocusHale.com

We are so happy to have been included in the recent Lenox Wedding Planner’s Tour.  Coordinated by Cranwell Resort and Spa, the Apple Tree Inn, Classical Tents and Party Goods, Lisa Light of Destination Bride, and Dawn Carberry,  the tour showcased the Berkshires as an outstanding place to host a wedding.  The event was a great opportunity to network with local business and others from NY, Connecicut and beyond.  For the tour, we created a special menu for the 30 or so wedding planners who visited us that included a spicy black bean soup and small plates of Thai beef salad.  We also had bites of gorgonzola, pear and onion confit on Berkshire Mountain Bakery cherry-pecan bread and also melon and asparagus wrapped with prosciutto de parma.  We are happy to say people loved the food, and we loved having everyone here to tour the mansion.  We think the Winthrop Estate is a perfect place for a destination wedding and the professionals agreed!

Photo by the Winthrop Estate staff, table design by Annie of www.DaughterofDesign.com, Flowers by Crocus of www.CrocusHale.com

Cranwell Indoor Pool

Now that the seasons are changing and the air is a bit chilly, our guests have been enjoying our new partnership with Cranwell Resort.  We are happy to offer Winthrop Estate guests complimentary passes to Cranwell’s state of the art, award winning spa facilities.  As a guest of Winthrop Estate you now have the opportunity to visit another beautiful Berkshire Mansion and enjoy a soak in their whirlpool, sauna, steam rooms and indoor and outdoor pools.  What a great way to warm up and relax, knowing you are here to be taken care of in every way!  When you visit our home we want you to feel there is no end to the hospitality.