NEWBURY – May 27, 2014 -- The Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests and The Fells Historic Estate and Gardens are co-sponsoring two historical walks, called “The Hidden History of the Hay Estate,” on Wednesday, June 4, and Wednesday, June 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Hay Forest Reservation in Newbury. Both walks will be guided by Dave Anderson, the director of education for the Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests.
Participants of the June 4 walk will examine evidence suggesting what the Hay estate was like during the era of Clarence L. Hay. Walkers will stop at the cement cistern that fed water to The Fells, see the ruins of a sugarhouse, visit the Milton Clark/Nathan Baker farm cellar complex – the last and most expensive parcel purchased by Secretary John Milton Hay—and walk along the "Old Farm Road Trail" to see the Sarah Bartlett cellar-hole. Walking distance is about two miles.
Participants of the June 18 walk will discover how the Hay family and workers on the estate experienced The Fells from evidence and artifacts that are hidden in plain sight. They’ll tour the "Coach Road Trail" (the historic road used by the Hays to access a favorite picnic spot on Sunset Hill); a unique swath of forest that hosted hurricane salvage operations along Lake Sunapee; the ruins of a water pumping shed; and the site of the former swimming dock located south of the mouth of Beech Brook. Walking distance is estimated to be 1.5 miles.
Attendance at Part 2 is not contingent upon attendance at Part 1. The cost is $5 for each walk. These events, which start at The Fells Welcome Kiosk, are supported by grants from the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation's Wellborn Ecology Fund and the Creekmore and Adele Fath Charitable Foundation.
To register, call 603-763-4789 x3.