The elegantly restored Plumercrest Bed and Breakfast is an ideal base from which to explore all that New England has to offer.

It was built right after the Civil War by the granddaughter of Governor William Plumer, one of New Hampshire's earliest statesmen. Today, the mansion exemplifies a Victorian Italianate architecture whose high ceilings, elaborate moldings, and spacious rooms rose to the height of their popularity in 19th-century Europe.

Situated on a crest rising above Plumer Road, the bed and breakfast overlooks a lovely collection of gardens and a charming little gazebo. Massive stone walls and 18th-century sugar maples border the grounds, which include the Plumer cemetery. You will be surrounded by horse farms and just minutes away from the Atlantic Ocean and an inviting stretch of beach.

A hearty breakfast is served daily amidst the toasty warmth of the dining room's country hearth. Your early-morning primer features home-baked muffins, innkeeper Mike's special entree of the day, and a selection of premium teas, coffee, and juice. Mike also prepares the homemade almond biscotti you can enjoy in the evening with coffee or tea.

After breakfast, you may want to settle back in one of Plumercrest's front-porch rockers and savor the smell of freshly cut hay while watching the chipmunks and squirrels playfully scamper along the nearby rock walls. Depending on the weather, you may want to head out to the soft sands of the nearby Seacoast beaches.

Just a short stroll down the meandering country road that flanks the property will lead you to an antique sawmill and a time-honored Bicentennial Farm that has been worked by the same family since 1755. Along the way, you'll encounter numerous ponds that feed this forested meadowland and are frequented by an assemblage of wild turkeys, geese, and pheasants.

There are nearby venues for cross-country skiing, cycling, canoeing, and swimming. Nearby attractions include the Exeter Museum of Independence, Philips Exeter Academy, the Leddy Center of Performing Arts, and the University of New Hampshire. You'll also be just a few accelerations away from the New England Dragway, and you'll want to check out Antique Alley or any one of the area's regular antique auctions.

There also are all sorts of shopping and fine dining adventures to enjoy in the neighboring city of Portsmouth.

Plumercrest Bed and Breakfast accommodates guests with four individually decorated rooms.

Bessie's Garden Suite features a sunroom that overlooks the vintage perennial garden and neighboring horse farm. The suite's luxurious whirlpool bath comes complete with heated towels.

The regal Sally Plumer Room is furnished with an antique Italian burled walnut bedrooms set.

The Governor's Room exudes a comfortable and historical ambience.

The exceptionally sunny Madeline's Studio is decorated in art deco style and looks out onto an heirloom "iris walk," the gazebo, and magnificent hardwood trees. The studio shares with the Governor's Room a vintage bath with clawfoot tub and connects to an exercise room.