Scenic landscapes and rural living in Lyndeborough
Lyndeborough is a rural town in Hillsborough County known for its peaceful, wooded landscape and maple syrup production. “It’s very close to Wilton ,” says Leslie MacGregor, a Hillsborough County resident and the Director at GEP Dodge Public Library in the nearby town of Bennington . “By the time you get to Wilton-Milford, it’s more populated with supermarkets and strip malls. … You don’t hit rural New Hampshire until you cross Wilton into Lyndeborough.” Living in the countryside means scenic views are abundant, whether driving down the road or hiking on a trail. “It’s like a Currier and Ives sort of area,” MacGregor says. “There are a lot of maple trees, so a lot of the beautiful color starts with the swamp maples from late August to early September. … You say it out loud still: ‘Oh my gosh, look at those leaves!’ You never get tired of the views. When leaves fall, you can see the mountains, the distant views.”
Privacy and acreage along scenic rural roads
Country roads along rolling hills stretch past farms, fields and trees . Homes sit spaced out on lots, offering privacy and seclusion. Most homes were built in the 20th and 21st centuries, but some properties date back to the 1700s or 1800s. Buyers may find Colonial Revivals, ranch-style and post-and-beam homes. Prices range from about $320,000 to $730,000, depending on size, age and acreage, with fixer-uppers starting at about $210,000 or the rare new construction exceeding $1.5 million.
MacDowell attracts artists to Hillsborough County
About 15 miles west of Lyndeborough is the MacDowell residency, where over 300 artists live and work each year. “MacDowell sponsors authors, musicians, painters and artists of all kinds,” MacGregor says. “An awful lot of good music and literature has been written out of there. Sometimes what happens is these people like the area so much, they come back and retire here. There are also a ton of State Department retirees here.” Over the years, MacDowell Fellows have been awarded Pulitzer Prizes, Guggenheim Fellowships and National Book Awards. The list of past Fellows includes names such as Helen Mirra, Alice Walker, Thornton Wilder and James Baldwin, to name only a few.
Picturesque hikes amongst trees and waterfalls
Hiking trails in and around Lyndeborough wind through the trees and hills, and some lead to waterfalls. The Purgatory Brook flows past mossy boulders, cascading in three waterfalls that hikers can view from different paths. Lower Purgatory Falls is a popular hike a half mile from the parking lot, and the trail to see the Upper and Middle Purgatory Falls is longer and more isolated. The best time to hike is from May to October, according to local experts, and the waterfalls surge stronger after it rains.
Limited shopping and dining with more options in Milford
Lyndeborough offers a limited selection of shopping and dining options. Residents can get locally made maple treats and produce from the town’s sugar shacks, farmstands and produce markets. Lyndeborough Village Store is a convenience store with groceries, homemade pastries and a deli counter. Otherwise, most shopping and dining trips require a short drive out of Lyndeborough. Shoppers can head to Milford for groceries at Market Basket and for agricultural supplies and other household necessities at Tractor Supply Company.
The public school pipeline in Lyndeborough
The Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District, rated C on Niche, serves the area. Students may attend Florence Rideout Elementary, rated C-plus. Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle School, rated B-minus, offers opportunities to earn high school course credit. Seniors at C-minus-rated Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative High School complete a senior project, a process that involves independent research, mentorship from teachers, a panel presentation and a final reflection. New Hampshire’s open enrollment policy allows transfers within or across districts if space is available. Alternatively, High Mowing School is a nearby private option for all grade levels. It has seven art studios on campus and a variety of arts electives. It is rated A-minus overall and ranked as the best high school for the arts in the state, according to Niche.
Driving into Wilton and beyond
Lyndeborough is a car-dependent community about 5 miles north of Wilton. Although no major highways go through Lyndeborough, drivers can access Route 101 from Wilton; the thoroughfare goes through Peterborough and Milford. The community is about 11 miles from Monadnock Community Hospital. For air travel, residents can journey about 25 miles to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport or about 70 miles to Boston Logan International Airport.
