Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast-Overlooking the Atlantic

“The Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast has the most prime location of any bed and breakfast on Cape Cod and it’s one of the most beautiful” - Boston Globe

Welcome to the Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast, located on scenic Fort Hill inside the Cape Cod National Seashore in Eastham (Cape Cod), Massachusetts. Our small sophisticated bed and breakfast offers gracious suites and an ocean-view cottage, pairing modern amenities with historic charm. The inn’s quiet, adult setting and warm hospitality make it an ideal choice for your seaside vacation, a romantic getaway/honeymoon or as home base while exploring Cape Cod. Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast, overlooking Nauset Marsh, Coast Guard Beach and the Atlantic Ocean, is located close to the charming villages of Chatham, Orleans, Wellfleet and Provincetown with an abundance of restaurants, museums, shopping and theatre. Nearby are beaches, bike trails, nature walks, golf, whale-watching, kayaking and ferries for a day-trip to Nantucket or Martha‘s Vineyard Islands.

Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast, overlooking Nauset Marsh, Coast Guard Beach and the Atlantic Ocean, is located close to the charming villages of Chatham, Orleans, Wellfleet and Provincetown with an abundance of restaurants, museums, shopping and theatre. Nearby are beaches, bike trails, nature walks, whale-watching, kayaking and ferries for a day-trip to Nantucket or Martha‘s Vineyard. The award-winning, bed and breakfast offers gracious suites and an ocean-view cottage, pairing modern amenities with historic charm. The inn’s quiet, setting and warm hospitality make it an ideal choice for your seaside vacation, a romantic getaway/honeymoon or as home base while exploring Cape Cod. Join us to see why Yankee Magazine, Fodor and Frommer have honored us as their Editor’s Choice for the outer Cape.

In each of our special living rooms, whether it is your private library/sitting room or the common room, you will be treated to the finest in luxury, comfort and convenience. We encourage our guests to enjoy an early morning beverage in the guest living room with working fireplace, a perfect place to read, share a quiet conversation or leaf through a Cape Cod guide book, restaurant menus, local paper or area maps. A full country breakfast is prepared fresh each morning and includes such tasty treats as baked apples with raspberry-cider glaze, fresh fruit cup, cheesy-chive egg souffle, and Grand Marnier French toast. We surprise you each morning with a different homemade bread or muffin. These might include our special Sweet Jammie or oatmeal datenut muffins, or perhaps our buttermilk-current scones, hot from the oven.

The Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast provides guests with magnificent views, historic charm, and exceptional comfort. Uniquely set on three private acres of lawns and gardens removed from the bustle of everyday life, the setting is ideal for a quiet vacation, a weekend getaway, or as home base while exploring Cape Cod. The inn's three guest suites, two located in the historic wing of the main house (Emma, Lucille) and one very private cottage suite (Nantucket), are gracious and generously sized, and all rooms include a hearty country breakfast.  Your hosts, Jean and Gordon offer warm hospitality and a wealth of information to help you plan each day.

Each suite/cottage is a private refuge, uniquely decorated to reflect the casually refined atmosphere of Cape Cod. The cottage has a gas fireplace, while the two suites in the main house share a living room with wood burning fireplace. All accommodations have modern private baths, queen size beds, Flat -screen cable TV/DVDs, AM/FM radios/CD players, individually controlled heat and air-conditioning, down comforters, separate guest entrances, hair dryers, bath robes, beverage refrigerators, and top quality linens. Iron and board, beach towels, beach chairs and umbrellas will also be provided. Free WiFi.

History of the Inn

Built in 1864 by Sylvanus Knowles, the classic Greek revival Farmhouse shares its unique location on Fort Hill with two other historic homes and a host of wildlife. Owned by the Knowles family until 1943, the farmhouse and surrounding landscape remain relatively untouched by the intrusions of the modern world.

In 1962 the Federal Government protected the Fort Hill Area as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore. In 1988 Gordon and Jean Avery visited and fell in love with the area, impusively purchased the Sylvanus Knowles House and three acres of property the same day (no kidding!), spent the next two years updating the antique house, and opened it as a bed and breakfast in 1990. The Sylvanus Knowles House, now known as The Fort Hill Bed and Breakast, along with the surrounding 100+ acres of fields, forest, scenic views and walking trails is honored to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Fort Hill Rural District.

Recent Awards

2009 Cape Cod Life Magazine Best of the Cape and Islands: Editor's Choice for Best B+B on the Outer Cape from Eastham to Provincetown.

Fodor's Cape Cod, Nantucket & Martha's Vinyard Editor's Choice 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010.

"The location is perfect - minutes off busy Route 6, but steps away from quiet, secluded trails that wind through cedar forests, fields crisscrossed by old stone fences and a red maple swamp. The crown jewel is the light and airy Nantucket Cottagte... you'll want to move in. Breakfasts are superb.

Frommer's Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard Highly Recommended**

"Overlooking Nauset Marsh in the scenic Fort Hill Area is the dilightfully sophisticated Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast. The spacious and pleasant Emma suite includes a living area complete with a pianno and a library of excellent books. The warm and amiable innkeepers serve up a creative and delicious breakfast prepared daily with fresh ingrediants. This B+B is a prime starting point for a walk on the Nauset Marsh boardwalks in the historic Fort Hill Area.

About the Innkeepers

Gordon and Jean have been warmly greeting guests since 1990. Jean, a retired Chemistry teacher, is a passionate gardner and cook. She maintains both a vegetable and perennial garden that supply food and flowers for the bed and breakfast. She enjoys entertaining, traveling and finds joy in sharing the beauty of the historic Fort Hill Area with guests. Gordon, a retired real estate appraiser, is an avid reader and has a passion for digital photography. He looks after the day-to-day maintenance of the B+B. They look forward to making your stay at the Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast a memorable one!

The three-course breakfast, served in the dining room or delivered to your door for a small fee, always includes fresh squeezed orange juice, Fort Hill Blend coffee or tea, whole grain cereal with Yogurt, a delicious main course and homemade pastries.

Sample Menus

Day 1

Oven-poached pears in sweet cream, Grand Marnier-cinnamon French Toast with sausage, Fresh Blueberry muffins

Day 2

Fresh mixed seasonal fruit cup, Cheesy-chive egg soufflé, Float-away oatmeal date-nut muffins

Day 3

Raspberry-glazed baked apples, Zucchini quiche, Buttermilk-currant scones

"I could live out my days here. Perched on a little knoll overlooking Nauset Marsh, Jean and Gordon Avery's two suites and cottage enjoy one of the Cape's best locations." Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket- An Explorer's Guide

“For out-of-town seclusion with beautiful views out over Nauset Marsh to the ocean, nothing beats Fort Hill Bed and breakfast.” Moon Handbook’s Cape Cod

“You'd be hard-pressed to find a more hospitable B&B with a more impressive location on the Cape. The charming 1868 Greek Revival farmhouse is comfortably elegant, with a dedicated living room for guests. You could easily settle in for weeks to the free-standing cottage, a charming space with a private garden. With a mere three suites, be sure to make reservations early” Yankee Magazine 2004 Editor’s Choice

“Voted One of the Top Ten Inns Best for Star Gazing” 2003 Arrington’s Bed and Breakfast Journal Book of Lists

"I've walked this trail many times since I discovered it a couple of months ago, and each time I am overcome with a feeling of tranquillity. It is the perfect place to get away from it all. Across from the Cap. Edward Penniman's house is another beautiful home, the Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast at the Sylvanus Knowles House, run by Jean and Gordon Avery. In my opinion, it has the most prime location of any B & B on the Cape, and it is one of the most beautiful." The Boston Sunday Globe

"The most varied of all the walks is Fort Hill Trail. You pass by the giant whale jawbone garden gate of the stately Victorian home of whaling captain Edward Penniman. The trail leads from the house through dark woods, across spacious meadow land, along bluffs that overlook salt marshland and the Atlantic, past a huge rock where the Nauset Indians used to sharpen their fishhooks, and down onto a boardwalk what winds through a red maple swamp." Cape Cod's Walking Trails, Better Homes and Gardens

"Over the years we have been to a huge variety of hotels, inns, and b+bs but find Fort Hill has to be the best. A great combination of warm hospitality and privacy, comfort and elegance, good conversation and peace, only interrupted by birdsong." Jan (Baroness Royall of Blaisdon, Leader of the house of Lords and President of the Council)

"The beauty of the accommodations and surroundings, the marsh, the elegant breakfasts, the impeccable housekeeping, the great conversations and most importantly the warm feelings we exchanged with each other. As in any first love experience, we will be back" Columbia, MO

"The exceptional was a daily occurrence. The ambiance of your home, the gracious hospitality and the gourmet breakfasts leave a lasting memory. I have seldom felt so at home, so cared for, and enjoyed the sanctuary of my lodging." Chicago, IL

"How to capture our feelings about this house, about this incredible hospitality, about these breath-taking breakfasts in a few sentences? That's probably beyond our humble language capabilities!"
Germany

"Your home has been the perfect spot for me to renew and be revitalized. I loved the comfortable bed, birds in the AM, the wonderful breakfasts, your terrific suggestions and openness to my questions."
East Grand Forks, MN

"Gorgeous, comfortable, tasteful, fresh rose, all wrapped into one gorgeous suite. Gordon and Jean feel like long time friends. There could be no innkeepers more gracious. This was the most wonderful B&B experience we have ever had in any country." Seattle, WA

"To wake up and hear the fire crackling and smell the breakfast cooking: nothing could have been better, except the setting! We have had a wonderful time wandering through the small towns and glorious beaches, but your home has been just as enticing." San Francisco, CA

"Being very private people, we were a bit nervous about staying a whole week in a small bed and breakfast. Boy, were we wrong! The blissful solitude, privacy and casual luxury your home provides is exactly what we needed to unwind and re-connect with each other. Leisurely walks around Fort Hill, lazy days at Coast Guard Beach, biking along the near-by bike trails, and great shopping excursions in neighboring villages rounded out our days...and wore off a few of the calories from your gourmet breakfasts! Is it too soon to make reservations for next year?" Kiawah Island, SC

Eastham is a quaint, historic New England township, sporting long sandy beaches, miles of biking and hiking trails, boutiques and galleries, and many National Historic Register designations. Spend a day at Coast Guard Beach, explore the National Seashore, or explore one of the numerous Marshes and hiking Trails. Nearby are restaurants, museums, shoppingand theatre. Try a whale watching trip, kayaking, biking, baseball, fishing or golf. It's all right here, or take a day trip to one of the islands.

The Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast provides guests with magnificent views, historic charm, and exceptional comfort. Uniquely set on three private acres of lawns and gardens removed from the bustle of everyday life, the setting is ideal for a quiet vacation, a weekend getaway, or as home base while exploring Cape Cod. The inn's three guest suites, two located in the historic wing of the main house (Emma, Lucille) and one very private cottage suite (Nantucket), are gracious and generously sized, and all rooms include a hearty country breakfast. Each suite/cottage is a private refuge, uniquely decorated to reflect the casually refined atmosphere of Cape Cod. The cottage has a gas fireplace, while the two suites in the main house share a living room with woodburning fireplace. All suites have modern private baths, queen size beds, Cable TVs with DVDs, AM/FM radios with CD players, individually controlled heat and air-conditioning, down comfortors, separate guest entrances, hair dryers, beverage refrigerators, and top quality linens. Iron and board, beach towels, beach chairs and umbrellas will also be provided. To accommodate guests who have brought a laptop computer, free high speed wireless internet access is now available.

Fort Hill Bed and Breakfast is centrally located in Eastham, on the lower/outer Cape,  which is 30 minutes from both Hyannis and Provincetown.  The location is convenient for exploring the beaches and trails of the Cape Cod National Seashore, whalewatching from Provincetown, ferries to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and the Cape Cod Rail Trail Bike Trail.  Other popular towns to visit are Chatham (20 minutes), Wellfleet (20 minutes), Orleans (5 minutes), Brewster (10 minutes) and Dennis (20 minutes).

From Boston (2 hours): Follow Route 93 South (becomes Route 3) over the Sagamore Bridge. You will now be on Route 6. Follow Route 6 to the Orleans/Eastham rotary. Continue through the rotary on Route 6. Fort Hill (marked by brown and white signs) is to the right side of Route 6 in Eastham, one mile past the Orleans/Eastham rotary.

From New York City(5 hours): Follow I-95 to Exit 20 onto Route 195 East. Pick up Route 495/25 South and go over the Bourne Bridge. At rotary take Route 6 East. At the first set of lights take a right onto Route 6. Follow Route 6 to the Orleans/Eastham rotary. Continue through the rotary on Route 6. Fort Hill (marked by brown and white signs) is to the right side of Route 6 in Eastham, one mile past the Orleans/Eastham rotary.

From Albany (3 1/2 hours): Follow Route 90 East (Mass Pike) to Exit 11A onto Route 495/25 South and go over the Bourne Bridge. At rotary take Route 6 East. At the first set of lights take a right onto Route 6. Follow Route 6 to the Orleans/Eastham rotary. Continue through the rotary on Route 6. Fort Hill (marked by brown and white signs) is to the right side of Route 6 in Eastham, one mile past the Orleans/Eastham rotary.

From Provindence RI (2 hours): Take Route 195 East to Rt. 495/25 South. Go over Bourne Bridge.  At Rotary take Route 6 E to Orleans Rotary. Follow directions to Fort Hill Area from Rt. 6 E.