The Porches Retreat Review

If you are looking for an antebellum home in the center of Virginia where farming, logging, and agriculture is taking place than Porches is for you!

The House

The area around is beautiful I arrived in that part of spring where there is just a few buds but the trees are still mostly bare. You can see throughout the valley around and there is a tremendous view from the 2nd-floor porch to the entire region. There are a variety of ruins that you’ll spot on your drive to The Porches. Nearby the house there are two derelict homes that sit empty and are not open for exploration. As you drive in, you’ll also see some other ruins of buildings from days gone by. I often wondered what their stories were or how they had continued to exist here without being bothered by other human activity as they did not seem to be protected by any state organization. 

The retreat is quiet. There is a kitchen on the first floor, in what must have been a library or drawing room for the writers. There is a small stove and meal times is one of the times you’ll see the others working here.  The kitchen wear, flatware, and supplies are all spread out, so its important to gather everything you’ll need for your meal from the start because it can be difficult to access dry goods or other things across the kitchen at other times. Spices and various left behind non-perishables are available for free use so you can help yourself to those. The water is good, as the house has its own well but I brought my own filter for my own sanity. 

Beautiful Environs

The grounds are beautiful. A steep lawn reaches down to the road and off to one side is a large rock surrounded by plants. The road to parking is dirt (so prepare for that) and the driveway itself to the rear of the house is dirt. Your car will turn a lovely shade of red from the iron oxide soil that is common in this part of Virginia. For me, it felt like home as Arkansas also has that self-same red soil. 

At night, the banister of the house is wrapped in lights which makes for a beautiful scene. All the small lights, copious amounts of decor, and original heart pine floors create the feeling that you really are in a beautiful southern home. There are moments when it seems like I should be dressed for a ball that is just starting downstairs (or ready to serve drinks at the ball considering my ancestry). 

If you are interested in Porches Writing Retreat you should know that there are 4 rooms available. 

The Jade
The Blue Queen
The Dove
The Garden
Treetops

Each room has its own unique character, space, furniture, and flavor. 

A Few Drawbacks

However, there are a few drawbacks to this retreat center. The first is accessibility. If you have any physical limitations, this is going to be a tough space for you to navigate. The pathways are often uneven and can be hard to walk on. There are steps down into the property and more steps up into the house. All of the retreat rooms are up a pair of brutal antebellum staircases that are quite steep. As someone who suffers from respiratory problems (asthma), my lungs were strained to get my luggage for an 11 day stay up to the 3rd floor. By the 3rd day, I was navigating the stairs more easily but I had to keep my inhaler handy. I never felt so out of shape! I noticed that even fitter people than myself were having trouble with the stairs and their trips up and down were planned carefully.

Remote

The other problem is internet connectivity. They only have satellite here and so no video streaming (due to data caps) is allowed which can make for some lonely evenings. Bring DVDs for the TV downstairs or for your own setup. If you have a hard drive with materials (cough cough) then make sure to bring that along. Youtube and all the rest are out for the duration of your stay. Doing business here is difficult as there isn’t much cellphone signal for most carriers out here so taking or making calls can be difficult if that is required. The internet also isn’t that fast so if you have a business to attend beyond answering emails then its simply not going to work. As a full-time artist who is working on books and also running a business, this was a limitation that really limited what I could do during my stay. For those who can afford to check out of the world, then this is an ideal location because the world really can’t get to you here! 

It is rather remote and the nearest coffee shop or grocery store is 30 minutes’ drive back into Lovingston, VA over some windy mountain roads. I would not attempt the drive at night. I did it at dusk on my first day to do my grocery run and it was difficult to make the turns. It is important to make sure you have the directions handy or start your GPS in Lovingston because as you get closer, cellphone data and GPS drops off. If you can download your route in advance, then do so. After a few trips, you begin to learn the turns and the landmarks. It is remote and not near any airports which would make out of town travel inconvenient.

Porches is a Great Chance

If you have access to the central Virginia area within an easy drive, I would recommend this retreat, especially if you can totally unplug from the world around you. This isn’t the kind of place that I would recommend anyone fly into unless the aesthetics of the place really appeal. It is not necessarily near any airports so it would not be convenient. Get ready to climb some stairs and carry your stuff around the house though. On the bright side, you’ll get quiet, a great environment, an attentive host, and plenty of time and space to work and get things done. It is very peaceful and there’s a wonderful energy in the place. To learn more and book your stay please visit The Porches online.