The Garden and the Sea Inn sits on a quiet lane near Route 13, the main thor-oughfare along the Eastern Shore, in tiny New Church, just 1½ miles south of the Maryland border and 15 minutes from Chincoteague. The main house of the inn is composed of the 1802-built Bloxom’s Tavern and its 1901 addition. A few years ago New Church’s oldest farmhouse, dating from the mid-l9th century, was moved onto the property. It’s now the Garden House, with a parlor where guests can relax with sherry, apples, and brownies; an inviting wide porch; and three guest rooms.
In 1994 Sara and Tom Baker bought the inn because they wanted to be in business together. After looking at proper-ties from Pennsylvania to Florida, the newly married couple visited this prop-erty, and Tom said, “Let’s do it.”
Although it has less of the feel ofa little French inn than the previous owners finparted (mainly because ofa more American slant on the menu), the Garden and the Sea is still a sophisticated, inviting place to stay. The decor mixes antique furnishings, French wicker, Oriental rugs, ballooningfabrics, Victorian moldings and detail, and bay windows. From the multicolored gingerbread trim on the wide front porch to the sunny, rose-hued dining room, it’s exceptionally appealing. Guest rooms are spacious. In the main house, the Chantilly Room, with a wicker sleigh bed and painted dresser, and the Giverny Room, with fibral prints and dark-green lacquered wrought-iron fuimiture, havelarge baths with double sinks and bidets. The large, private Champagne Room in the Garden House has a two-person whirlpool tub and shower and a wrought-iron canopy bed.
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