Windham Hill Inn
A 140-year-old dairy barn rebuilt into country-chic rooms, on 160 Green Mountain acres.
A 21-room country inn built into a 140-year-old dairy barn and farmhouse on 160 acres in West Townshend, Vermont, with Green Mountain views, a real restaurant, a pool, and the run of trails that come with the parcel. Windham Hill Inn is what a Vermont dairy farm becomes when the land outlasts the dairy — the bones still legible, the interiors restrained, the food serious enough that it's a meaningful share of why people drive up here.
It's owned by the Windham Foundation (small group, three properties), which keeps the operation closer to a stewardship model than a hospitality-management spreadsheet.
The setting
West Townshend sits in southern Vermont, in the West River valley, off Route 30 between Brattleboro and Rutland. It's the rural Vermont most people picture: dirt roads, dairy farms, white-clapboard general stores, the West River running through. The drive from New York is four hours; from Boston about two and a half. Manchester is half an hour west; Mount Snow is half an hour north.
The inn sits on a hill above the valley, with the 160-acre property running into woods and meadow on every side.
The building
Two main buildings: a restored 19th-century farmhouse and an attached dairy barn rebuilt into rooms. The barn rebuild is the more ambitious of the two — original timber framing exposed, new windows cut to capture the valley view, the stone foundation kept. Interiors lean rustic-Americana with country-estate restraint: stone fireplaces, wide-plank floors, antiques where they fit, no theme-decor overlays.
The rooms
Twenty-one rooms across the farmhouse and the barn. The barn rooms have the better views and the more dramatic ceilings; the farmhouse rooms are smaller, warmer, more intimate. Beds are deep, linens proper, and bathrooms are current spec. Some rooms have fireplaces and soaking tubs; the configuration matters, so book deliberately.
Food & drink
The dining room runs a multi-course menu built around Vermont sourcing — small farms, foragers, the on-property garden. The room is small enough that reservations matter. Open to non-guests with a booking. Breakfast is included in stays.
On the property
A 160-acre estate with the right amenity layer.
- Pool (seasonal)
- Hiking trails across the 160 acres
- Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in winter
- Library, fireplace lounges, and a small bar
- Open year-round
Who it's for
- Couples doing a quiet Vermont weekend with a serious dinner attached
- Hikers and snowshoers using the property as a quiet base
- Travelers who'd rather drive past Manchester than stop in it
- Anyone for whom "stewarded by a foundation" is a feature, not a footnote
Who it's not for
- Travelers who want a full-service spa and resort scale
- Families needing a kids' program — the format is adults-leaning
- Visitors looking for downtown nightlife — this is rural, by design
Nearby
Townshend State Park and the Townshend Dam recreation area for swimming. The Scott Covered Bridge, the longest single-span covered bridge in Vermont. Manchester, half an hour west, for Northshire Bookstore, the Equinox, and the outlet stretch. Mount Snow, half an hour north, for skiing. Brattleboro, forty-five minutes east, for the Friday gallery walk and Hermit Thrush Brewery. Stratton Mountain, half an hour west.
