Northern
Neck at a glance:
- Major Cities: Gloucester, Heathsville, White Stone, Kilmarnock, Reedville
- Landmarks/National Monuments/Parks: Belle Isle State Park, Caledon Natural Area, Westmoreland State Park, Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge, Stratford Hall Plantation, Popes Creek Plantation, Colonial Beach Museum, Kilmarnock Museum, Mary Ball Washington Museum and Library, Richmond County Museum, Northern Neck Wine Trail
- Major Industry: Civil Service, Retail, Manufacturing, Construction
- Counties: Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, Westmoreland
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Long & Foster Living
Northern Neck
The Northern Neck, nestled between the Potomac and Rappahannock Rivers, is the northern-most
of coastal Virginia’s three peninsulas. The “northern” part of the name Northern
Neck refers to its location north of Jamestown, while the “neck” part refers to
the actual shape of the peninsula. The peninsula’s 8,200 square miles provide a
rural retreat for its 50,000 residents, who are divided among the Northern Neck’s
four counties of Lancaster, Northumberland, Richmond, and Westmoreland. The beautiful
natural settings often lure former big city dwellers into buying Northern Neck real
estate.
The Northern Neck is best known as the birthplace of several major figures in American
history, including George Washington, James Madison, James Monroe, and Civil War
general Robert E. Lee. Popes Creek Plantation, George Washington’s birthplace, is
now the site of the George Washington Birthplace National Monument, where costumed
interpreters recreate 18th century life on the plantation. Stratford Hall Plantation,
Robert E. Lee’s birthplace, is managed to this day as a working farm and includes
a functioning mill. These two historic venues are among the 16 museums on the peninsula
open to the public for tours.
More Northern Neck real estate info...
Outdoor activities can be found in proliferation on the Northern Neck. Kayakers
and rowers compete with sport fishing excursions along the peninsula’s 1,100 miles
of shoreline. Bikers can enjoy one of four Biking Heritage Tours of the Northern
Neck, while hikers can partake in an eco-tour of the 733-acre Belle Isle State Park
or the 6,000-acre Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge. Golfers can
choose between the celebrated Golden Eagle Golf Club and the player-friendly Quinton
Oaks Golf Course, and end with a meal at either of their clubhouses. The less ambitious
may want to spend an afternoon at the Westmoreland Berry Farm, picking seasonal
fruit. As for the farm’s unique Goat Walk, you’ll have to see it to believe it!
In short, Northern Neck real estate offers something for everyone.
With over twenty Virginia Birding and Wildlife Trail sites, the Northern Neck is
also a prime location for birding. The peninsula’s 6,500 preserved acres provide
an unspoiled habitat for a variety of birds, ranging from pelicans, egrets, and
ospreys to ducks, geese, and tundra swans. Celadon Natural Area, spanning 2,500
acres along the Potomac River, boasts one of the largest concentrations of the American
Bald Eagle on the East Coast.
With so much to do it’s a wonder that the Northern Neck has preserved its pastoral
charm. But it’s precisely the peninsula’s rustic qualities that make it such an
attractive alternative for harried city-dwellers looking for an escape from life
in the fast lane. If your idea of relaxation is tasting wine at one of the peninsula’s
five local vineyards, selecting fresh produce from a farmer’s market, or enjoying
a quiet meal at the celebrated Tides Inn restaurant, then the Northern Neck real
estate may just be the place for you.
Northern Neck real estate is prime for investors and people looking for homes for
sale. To find homes for sale in the “Garden of Virginia”—as George Washington fondly referred
to his native land—then contact any of Long & Foster’s Northern Neck
real estate offices.
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