Historic Westover — Attraction in Virginia

Beautiful historic property nuzzled right on the James. Self guided ground tours available 10 am-5 pm, 7 days a week. Check out the Bald Eagle nests adjacent to the boat dock (spend time in the yard and they will swoop right over head!), walk through the gardens, admire 250 year old poplar trees, and take in the history. There is a large horse barn that while not available for tours youll still see the beautiful horses in the pasture! This old plantation is an active farm at around 1000 acres. Through a little research, legend has it an escape tunnel was made through an old well on the property due to then-property-inhabitant conflicts with native americans.. This well is located within a small red building near the "necessary house", you'll see a marked plaque on the exterior- open the door and check it out!

Admission is honor system based- there is a box to drop admission fee near the guest parking area. That admission helps keep this place running- please remember it is cash only. Come on in, enjoy the views, bring a picnic basket and have at it! Though please keep in mind there are no public bathrooms. If portajohn not available you may be able to ask a tenant...

My personal favorite when I visit Charles City, (although, all the plantations are wonderful). It's five bucks to walk the grounds. As of me writing this, interior tours are very limited, so you may or may not get a pick of the inside when you arrive. Still, outside there's more to see and experience than at the other plantations. Many out buildings to explore, such as the kitchen, privy, smoke house, ice house, garden house and also a small structure that has what looks to be a well in it, but it was used as an escape route to the river to flee the native Americans if there was an ambush. And yes, you can climb down the wooden ladder to the bottom and walk some distance underground. Very old etchings and signatures are carved down there as well. (Also, I did have one rung of the ladder break on me, so be careful before descending). As a final note- the English garden is beautiful in Summer. I would give Westover five stars but not having tours of the interior on a regular basis...

The last time I visited the planation was in the late 1970's. I was 13 at the time so my memory maybe a bit vague. However, I do remember the tour we were given was by an elderly gentleman in his 70's that actually grew up on and around the plantation as well as his parents and grand parents. During the tour, he did show us the escape tunnel and that during his grandmothers time, they did have to use the tunnel one time. He also told me that the dining room had been hit by lighting and had to be rebuilt. There are or were 13 rather large and very old trees that were along the path that led to the front door of the house. There trees was one tree for each of the 13 original colonies. At that time, visitors were not allowed in the house so our tour was limited the grounds only.

I wish I had taken more time to talk to this elderly gentleman as he seems to have had a lot of first hand knowledge. Some of it may not have been documented. But being 13, your attention span...