Bacon's Castle

Country Drive and Historical Walk

Just around the corner from the Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival we ran across a site called Bacon's Castle.  I'll admit I had never heard of a castle in Virginia so the idea of touring one was hard to resist.  It was so easy to find I can't believe I never noticed it before.  I guess when I drove by on previous trips I had my mind on the pork chop sandwiches at the festival!

Country road through soybean and corn fields

At any rate, it was a lovely day for a ride through the Surry countryside.  It seemed like miles and miles of soybeans and corn fields.  Made me feel all "Scarletty" if you know what I mean.  As we left the Chippokes Plantation State Park it was just a hop, a skip and a jump (as they say) to the castle.  And we were just in time for the last tour.

Bacon's Castle

We paid the very inexpensive admission fee and waited in the parlor for the tour to begin.  So far we were the only ones there.  Our guide was a very charming and knowledgeable girl named Demi.  Thank goodness another couple joined us at the last moment  and then halfway through the tour a family joined us.  It made for a nice group.

I have to admit I didn't retain much of the information in my memory.  Truth be told I was too busy looking for nice shots and I've always had trouble remembering details about wars and such.  Hubby thoroughly enjoyed the historical information though.

Bacon's Rebellion painting

We started in the parlor and then made our way up the stairs.  I love exploring old houses.  This was a real treat for me. Here are a few of my favorite photos.  I especially love the rear stairwell.

We ended in the basement.  It was surprisingly cold down there.  A cold spot in Virginia is not easy to find in July!

Before we headed home, we walked around the grounds.  It just happened that a crew from Ghost Hunters was setting up to spend the night.   The story is there is a girl's ghost who pulls on  the back of your shirt.  No one pulled my shirt but if I had know about it ahead of time I would have had some fun with it!

 

Ghost Hunters

Slave Quarters

The tour took about 45 minutes and was well worth the admission price. I highly recommend it for history buffs.  For more information check the Bacon's Castle website.

Sharon