Close to Blackwater NWR and the Harriet Tubman Center, enjoy peaceful days at our secluded waterfront cottage on Church Creek. Great for winter remote work! Our closest neighbor is across a cove. Our estate offers 50 acres of privacy and one of the best waterfront views on the Chesapeake. Enjoy a view from every window and nature all around you. Excellent walking, swimming (in-ground pool-May 3-Oct 1), great birding and bicycling. Launch your kayak from the backyard. Perfect private getaway! The space Plan your nature getaway at Harwood's Choice, our 50-acre estate, a natural, peaceful, rustic setting with excellent views of Church Creek, with complete privacy and space. The cottage and main house sit on a five-acre parcel of yard and waterfront and the remaining 45 acres are wooded with a lane and country roads to stroll and pedal. There is quite a bit of distance between the two houses. It is the perfect place for either a weekend getaway, a longer vacation or a place to work virtually, as we now have streaming Wifi. The owners live elsewhere and occasionally visit the main house for a few hours so there is plenty of privacy. Owners always notify our guests in advance of their visit. Newly renovated in-ground pool and deck with water views for guests' exclusive use at their own risk (seasonal). Pool is a short 2 minute walk from the cottage and away from the main house. Lots of privacy and sunning space on the pool deck. The owners do not use the pool when our guests are using it. Excellent for watching birds, deer, fox, wild turkeys, eagles, osprey, herons and just relaxing and enjoying the peace of nature and the water. Originally built as servants' quarters for the main house, Harwood Cottage overlooks a cove of Church Creek. Guests are welcome to wander and explore this peaceful place. Our property is so special to us that in 2006, we placed it in the Maryland Environmental Trust, which means that it will be conserved forever and will never be subdivided. Ten minutes to Cambridge, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, and the Harriet Tubman Underground RailRoad Center. We now have Starlink WiFi! Our measured speed is 277 MBPS, which is suitable for streaming. The cottage can sleep 2 couples or 2 singles. It has two bedrooms upstairs with nice views of our cove, each with a king bed; one is a California king. Two outside patios are the exclusive use of our guests. Both overlook Church Creek. One has a charcoal grill and table and chairs, and the other has four Adirondack chairs for watching our amazing sunsets. Kayakers: Bring your kayak, canoe, or paddleboard/SUP and launch right behind the cottage into our cove and explore as far as you wish. There are also public boat ramps near Blackwater NWR on Rt 335, on Smithville Road, Taylors Island, Shorters Wharf and Hoopers Island. The possibilities for exploration by water are endless! Paddle up the Blackwater River towards Peter's Neck, where Harriet Tubman was born into slavery; paddle down into the refuge and into more open water. Launch at Seward and paddle the Little Blackwater upriver towards Cambridge. At Hoopers Island, paddle along the causeway for dramatic views of the Chesapeake Bay. Wherever you go, you will be treated to fantastic bird and aquatic life. Birdwatchers: our birdlife is well-known among local birders as being quite rich and varied: cuckoos, red-headed woodpeckers, prairie warblers, summer tanagers, bluebirds, Chuck-will's-widow, cormorants, kingfishers, great blue herons, green herons, great horned owls, over-wintering diving ducks, and even a loon in early spring. Walk our 5 acres of grounds, 1/2 mile lane and through our 45-acre woods to hear and see the best of birdlife in the county. There are also great trails at Blackwater NWR for birding. Bikeriders: there are flat and peaceful country roads starting from your doorstep. We can let you know of places for refreshments and pit-stops, and the better, safer roads. You may store your bikes in one of our sheds to keep them out of the weather. Note that we have a 1/2 mile hardscrabble driveway before you reach a paved road. The cottage sleeps 2 couples or 2 singles. It has two bedrooms upstairs each with a king bed; one of the beds is a California king. Both have memory foam mattresses. The bedrooms are nestled in a dormer, so one side has a sloping ceiling. Each bedroom has a "mini-split" ductless AC and heat unit with remote control for your comfort. Downstairs has a fully equipped kitchen with an island and glass cooktop range. Kitchen has a Keurig coffee service with k-cups. There is a microwave and a small countertop dishwasher. Dishes, silverware, full set of pots, pans, cooking utensils and BBQ cooking tools are all supplied. Kitchen has a side entrance door that leads to a patio with a charcoal grill and table and chairs for al fresco dining. Dining room and living room each have a "mini-split" ductless AC and heat unit with remote control. First floor bathroom has bathtub/shower combo; towels, wash clothes, soap, conditioner, lotion are provided. Utility room has a SpeedQueen washer and dryer (with steam setting for removing wrinkles). Bug spray, laundry detergent, citronella candles, first-aid kit and fire extinguisher are provided. Patio, chairs, and charcoal grill (in season) are located out the side door; please bring your own charcoal. A second patio with four Adirondack chairs overlooks Church Creek and is excellent for watching sunsets. Both patios are for the exclusive use of our guests. Guest access Guests may walk the grounds and enjoy the pool but they are not permitted to enter any of the other buildings on the property. No smoking anywhere on the grounds or in the house. Other things to note The other buildings on the property are the owner's house, barn and sheds. No smoking anywhere inside the house or outside anywhere on our property. Children under 13 years old are not permitted. You must be at least 25 years old to book this house. Number of guests is limited to 4. No pets or companion/ESA animals. You will be charged additional cleaning costs and this will be reflected in your review if you violate this policy. No hunting, fishing or cleaning of hunted animals permitted on our property. We do not host events of any kind in this space. We are not an event venue and any guests who use the space for a purpose other than an overnight stay will be asked to leave immediately.