Weir River Farm is one of three contiguous Trustees of Reservations Properties in Hingham and Cohasset. The Weir River Farm property is generally bound by Turkey Hill Lane on the south, private property and the Weir River on the west, East Street and Elizabeth Lane on the north, and woods on Turkey Hill on the east. The hillside property slopes from the top of Turkey Hill at its southwest corner down towards the Weir River on its northwest corner. Much of the land is open fields with woods on the west side and in the northeast corner. There are farm buildings and a farmyard in the north center of the property with pastures enclosed by post and wire fences. The fields and pastures are surrounded by oak and red cedar woodlands. The Weir River passes through the northwest edge of the property. Its course begins on the south side of Hingham, at Accord Pond and flows through town, and ending at Foundry Pond and the Weir River Estuary between Hingham and Hull.
Originally the farm was part of the picturesque early-20th-century country estate of Polly Thayer Starr, whose paintings and drawings were exhibited at museums in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia for more than 70 years. Starr donated the property to The Trustees in 1999.
Weir River Farm is a working farm with resident livestock including a small number of horses, cows, pigs, sheep, and chickens. The fields are mowed annually and otherwise maintained as an ongoing effort to restore grassland bird species, including bobolink and meadowlark. A family-friendly farm with walking trails and beautiful landscapes. The barnyard is open seasonally.
In cooperation with the Town of Hingham, authorized bow hunting (in season) is permitted from ½ hour before sunrise all day until ½ hour after sunset Monday through Saturday. Hunting is not allowed on Sundays. Signage posted at the property lists safety precautions, requirements, and rules. For more information on Weir River Farm you can go to the Trustees of Reservations website.
The trail walks begin at Turkey Hill Lane. Driving up Turkey Hill lane a parking area is located on the right after passing an open field. The trail entrance to Weir River Farm is on the left. Both the entrance to the parking lot and the farm are marked with an orange block.
The 1.2 mile Farm & Grove Route begins at the parking lot on the south side of Turkey Hill Lane and crosses to the Farm Yard on the north side. It goes downhill to the farm yard and does a counterclockwise loop around and through the yard then continues around the grove on the west side of the farm and returns to the parking lot.
Beginning at the parking lot the route follows the orange block trail markers across Turkey Hill Lane onto the trail between two post and wire fences. Along this path are storyboards for children about planting a garden. There are also large boulders in the nearby fields and walls along the path. From the path visitors can see many of the farm animals which include: Belted Galloway cattle, horses, sheep, goats, llamas, and chickens. Visitors can also see the farm buildings and paddocks. The farm yard is open to visitors on a limited schedule. At the crossing of another path, the route continues left onto a path, which goes between two post and wire fences that separates two pastures. At the end of the fenced in path the route turns right down another path adjacent to the fenced in farm yard on the right and woods on the left. The route comes to a road crossing with a gate through the fence on the right. The gate opening is marked by a sign that limits entry to authorized vehicles. The route turns right through the gate and follows the road past pastures, farm animals and farm buildings on the right and a field on the left. On occasion the gate is closed to accommodate farm operations and maintenance. At such times it will be necessary to take an alternate route, turning left at the gate and taking an immediate right on another road. The road will lead back to the main route for this walk.
After passing the field on the left the road through the gate passes a fence and a picnic area on the left and a farm maintenance area on the right. The picnic area occasionally is occupied by visiting groups. Otherwise, it is available for general public use. The road turns left around the picnic area and passes a pollinator garden on the left. The road intersects another road entering from East Street. The entry to this road is marked by decorative stone posts on either side of the road. The route turns left onto this road and continues uphill to a trail on the right. At this location the main route meets the route detoured from the farm yard gate.
The main route turns right onto the downhill trail to the banks of the Weir River. The route stays right while following the trail along the side of the river, passing two bridge crossings on the right and intersecting trails on the left. The trail continues to the right going uphill away from the river. After passing a side trail on the left, the route crosses a boardwalk over a small stream followed by a memorial stone on the right. The route comes to a junction with a trail marked by orange blocks. The route continues right uphill onto the orange trail. Between the two legs of the orange trail is pooling water which flows under a boardwalk crossing over the left leg of the trail and continues to flow downhill towards the Weir River.
Continuing uphill, the trail passes a number of large rocks and glacial erratics on the left , many of the stones are Roxbury Pudding Stones. The trail then passes a large well on the left next to an information panel. The route continues uphill along the stream and over a culvert which is fed by the stream flowing downhill from the right. On the left the trail passes a pet cemetery with a number of grave stones. The route continues uphill through gardens and a grove to a lawn at the rear of the hospice on Turkey Hill Lane. The route goes left following the edge of the lawn to a downhill path. The path ends with a fence on the right and a trail map on the far side of the crossing trail. The route turns right onto a path, which is part of the orange loop. The path follows the fence on the right. The route crosses a road, which goes from East Street to Turkey Hill Lane, and crosses a long boardwalk through a low-lying area. At the end of the boardwalk the route returns to a path between two post and wire fences which form boundaries for two pastures. At the end of the fences the route turns right uphill past the children’s story boards, across Turkey Hill Lane and back to the parking lot from which the walk began.
Recommended Trail Activities: Walking, Hiking Length: 1.2 Route Type: Trail (Narrow), Path (Medium), Road (Wide) Difficulty (Grade/Surface): Easy, Moderate Parking: Adequate Dog Restrictions: Not Allowed Ancillary Activities: Cross-country skiing, Snowshoeing, Birding, Fishing (license may be required), Picnic, Natural Features
