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Isabelle Baldwin
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Isabelle Baldwin
Designed as a dream home for Julia Scarborough Barnsley, wife of British sea-merchant and wealthy cotton broker Godfrey Barnsley, the “Woodlands” is an illustrious treasure of antebellum America in Adairsville, Ga., 65 miles north of Atlanta.
Carved out of the North Georgia foothills on land once inhabited by the Cherokee Indians, Barnsley fashioned his Italianate style villa and its elaborate gardens from the published manuals of 19th-century premier landscape architect, Andrew Jackson Downing.
The property has withstood the test of time for nearly two centuries. A saga that includes natural disasters, enduring love, adventure, misfortune and family murder has created a Southern drama that enchanted even the likes of Atlanta writer Margaret Mitchell, who is said to have modeled Gone With the Wind’s Scarlett O’Hara after Barnsley’s daughter, who struggled to preserve the estate during the Civil War.
It is through her love and determination that the Adairsville sanctuary still exists.
Barnsley Resort
The Barnsley Resort officially opened in 1999, giving guests a charming, English-inspired storybook village setting. Twenty years later, the destination is enchanting and the past echoes loud and clear. The beauty of the resort is its accessibility.
It is what you need it to be: the perfect backdrop for a family gathering, girls weekend getaway, wedding party or corporate event. Most appealing, however, is the resort’s ability to spark camp-like nostalgia for its adult visitors, offering luxurious guest cottages, three on-site restaurants, fly fishing, clay shooting, quail hunting, a world-class spa, horseback riding and more.
Gardens and Manor House Ruins
As the story has it, in 1846, a year after the passing of his wife Julia, Barnsley returned to his estate. While there, he had a dream that Julia visited him in the gardens. In the dream, so visceral that Barnsley couldn’t ignore it, Julia insists that he finish the estate for their children and future generations to come.
By the mid-19th century, hundreds of rare trees and shrubs, including one of the largest rare rose collections in the South, were imported from around the world. Redwoods, lindens, cunning-hams, and ancient cedars of Lebanon were planted at Woodlands, where many remain.
Today, just beyond a classic boxwood parterre garden, remnants of Barnsley’s original villa are still intact. Exposed and moss-covered, the structure feels as though it’s lived a thousand lives – and it has the bullet holes to prove it. Located in the original kitchen wing, attached to the ruins, The Barnsley Museum highlights an extensive display of Barnsley Family belongings and Civil War-era artifacts. Admission to the museum is complimentary to guests.
Accommodations
Guest rooms and suites are located within a variety of 37 spacious cottages and a 55-room Inn at Barnsley Resort.
Inn at Barnsley Resort. Adorned with paintings of deer and hound dogs, the three-story inn evokes a feeling of an elevated home away from home — like visiting an old friend. The inn features ex-posed beams, scattered area rugs and spacious bedrooms. Enjoy the tranquil reception area, where essentials to make S’mores are available on-demand, or relax in your executive or queen suite.
Cottage. Embellished with floral wallpaper, wood-burning fire-places, king-sized beds and clawfoot bathtubs, each cabin offers a unique approach to Southern comfort. Step out on a private porch and enjoy the sounds of birds chirping with your morning coffee or enjoy privacy in a one-bedroom Arbor Cottage Suite.
For larger groups, four-bedroom Manor Cottages, often equipped with pantry-style kitchens and dining rooms, are available to sleep between 6 and 18 people.
Amenities With the Appalachian Mountains at your doorstep, it’s hard to find an excuse not to take advantage of the resort’s many recreational activities. In addition to hiking/biking, guided horseback riding, disc golf, fishing stocked ponds, and kayaking/canoeing, visitors can also enjoy one of the following activites.
Beretta Shooting Grounds. In an attempt to capitalize on the expansive 3,000-acre landscape of the Southern estate, Barnsley Resort has partnered with the Beretta brand and John Burrell’s High Adventure Company, to develop the Beretta Shooting Grounds. The Grounds offers guests an expertly managed quail-hunting experience with 15 zones of rolling hills and a challenging bird hunt in the Georgian Pine forests. Additionally, premier clay shooting and private shooting instruction is available.
Golf. Rated the #1 golf course in Georgia and #21 in the United States for 2018, according to GolfAdvisor.com, the pristine 18-hole course is, what visitors call a “beautiful challenge.” The 378-acre course, open to resort guests and day golfers, has some of the fastest greens in the Southeast and is enhanced by the resort’s lake, forests and gardens.
Spa. The inn’s spa is the best place to pamper yourself after a long day. The resort’s expert therapists pair organic healing remedies with new-age massage techniques, body treatments, facials and beauty services. Described as a nature-inspired, “garden-to-table” experience, treatments include exfoliating scrubs, therapeutic wraps and dry brush treatments. The spa is complete with 10 treatments rooms, separate relaxation areas for men and women, and a peaceful steam room and sauna.
Dining
The Rice House. Located in a 19th-century farmhouse, The Rice House stays true to its “yard-to-fork” roots with its produce grown less than a mile away from the fine dining establishment, in Barnsley’s kitchen garden. On the menu for my visit was a vegetarian-inspired meal: fresh watermelon amuse-bouche, tomato and cucumber salad, carrot and beet appetizer, pallet-cleansing blackberry lemonade popsicle, mouth-watering succotash entree, a cheese course, and finally, a strawberry Johnny Cake dessert.
Woodlands Grille is the best of both worlds, with whiskey tastings, an extensive wine list, and craft beer. Here, you’ll find delicious meals, and, the option to sit outside, overlooking the picturesque Fazio-golf course.
For a quick bite, the Beer Garden provides an out-door restaurant with a fire pit in a casual atmosphere. Pickles, pi-mento cheese, BBQ sandwiches and other grab-and-go Southern snacks are available.
