111. Farandnear

Week 111  8/13/17


Farandnear was the estate of Arthur Banks in Shirley, Mass. and is now a property of the Trustees of Reservations. It includes a garden area with lilies and various other cultivated species and also many species of pine trees. The pine collection is being added to each year. This pavilion was built in the footprint of the original home which was torn down.

We spent a long time talking to the caretaker who explained the three golf greens we saw. The estate had included a golf course and he, an avid golfer, has been renovating these parts of it. He located a few old clubs and had copies made of the original scorecards.

Paul tries the niblick.

The property also includes a network of hiking trails through woods, meadows and marshlands. The trails were all very well marked and maps were provided at all intersections showing "you are here" (unlike during my first visit a few months ago). There was one section that was closed due to flooding caused by beavers. The area where we hiked also had an active beaver dam.

This section of the forest is called Paradise.