Finding the Dam & Herring Run

Many years ago when I was in high school, Liz & I took their little sailboat around Upper Shawme Pond one beautiful summer day.  She maneuvered the boat into this little cove to show me the little dam and waterfall between the upper and lower ponds.  I never forgot that day, because it wasn't a place that was really accessible to most people.  I never got to see it again.

A few years ago the town spent about a million dollars to rebuild the whole thing, putting a large dam, walkway and herring run between the two ponds.  I finally found the access road off Grove Street, although you can also use a trail that runs behind Quail Hollow out near the elementary school.

You can't see the waterfall anymore although you can hear it under the bridge.  That's the new herring run, or fish ladder, going into the lower pond.

Wildflower seeds were scattered all over the hillsides.  It looks amazing in person.

Dock in the upper pond.

Never knew it was called the Cook Farm Dam or that it was built in 1812.

I headed down the path into the woods a little way and went down to the upper pond's edge.  We got married on the other side last August.

Totally worth the detour off the main road to see this!

Stony Brook Gristmill, Brewster

After the windmill, I turned off Rte. 6A onto Stony Brook Road because I wanted to check out the gristmill. That was soooooo worth the stop.  Seriously.  This one wraps circles around Sandwich's (and Plymouth's too).  I was expecting your basic waterwheel mill, pond, stream and herring run.  This was all that and so much more.  I parked at the little lot across the street from the mill and really loved the park and trails.  The mill was closed and looked like was undergoing some maintenance, but that was fine because there was plenty to do and see.  

Plus the sound of the cascading water is so soothing to listen to.

The stream runs under the road.

Could this be any more charming?!?!?!

Just lovely!!!  Although...it should be noted that as I came upon this, which is at one end of the above bridge, I was appalled to see that some disrespectful person left a big empty pop bottle and 3 empty liquor nip bottles on top of the well.  I was furious and grumbling aloud to myself about how repugnant the human race is, as I removed them for my shot.  And yes, I packed them out with me and threw them away in a proper trash receptacle.  

After the herring run, the stream continues on it's happy way through the happy little trees.  ;-)

Then I walked across the street to check out the mill.

Fantastic paths that take you to the pond, across more bridges to the other side and back.  This place is da bomb.

This is called Lower Mill Pond.

The water was flowing freely down the herring run, but the sluice gates for the waterwheel were shut.

Water would normally be flowing here to spin the wheel, which makes the huge, heavy grindstones turn inside the mill, pulverizing grains into fine powder, or 'grist'. 

I hope you enjoyed my tour of Brewster, MA!  Stay tuned for more adventures!