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Goodstone Inn, only 10 miles from Dulles International, feels like another world, especially in the main Carriage House.

Goodstone Inn: Rural Elegance

Changes are subtle out this way, sneaking up on you like a brook trout in the shallows. That’s why, when driving the 10 miles from Washington Dulles International Airport to Middleburg, Va., you don’t immediately notice the transformation in the setting until it’s all winding roads and rolling pastures bordered by stone walls. Then, well, everything just feels right.

Amid this pastoral milieu sits the Goodstone Inn, a family farm turned sumptuous retreat. The cornerstone of the inn is the Carriage House, a converted 1930s equestrian barn, where a cozy stone fireplace and enormous arched windows looking out over hills set the scene for Goodstone’s signature blend of rusticity and elegance.

The Carriage House contains a handful of guest rooms situated in the old horse stalls, which still bear the tongue-and-groove paneling of their former incarnation. Scattered around the rest of the property’s 265 acres is a smattering of guest cottages, most of which once served as housing for farm workers.

Outfitted with finds that owner Mark Betts has netted on his travels, each cottage has its own distinct personality, but all are tied together by a country-chic mix of overstuffed plaid and toile chairs, wide-plank floors and simple antique chests.

Guests share the land with the inhabitants of the still-working farm: horses, cattle, chickens and—the star attraction—a 900-pound pig named Oliver, rescued from the Middleburg Humane Foundation.

Eggs from the henhouse and herbs and vegetables from the farm’s gardens make regular appearances on new chef William Walden’s French-inspired menu, gracing everything from his popular champagne-laced eggs Benedict to his award-winning, meltingly tender lamb chops. “It’s always very exciting come spring to pick the vegetables and see what the chef is going to create,” says Emily Tabachka, the inn’s manager.

The rooms are stocked with all the amenities you’d expect from a luxury hotel, and plenty you might not: a bag of homemade pecan brittle at turndown, walking sticks and binoculars for use on the inn’s three miles of hiking trails.

Canoes and bikes are on hand for exploring farther afield, and the inn’s staff can arrange activities such as horse riding or hot-air ballooning. Of course, given the peaceful setting, you may find you’d rather do nothing more than grab a bottle of wine, settle into a rocking chair on your private porch and watch the sun set over the farm.

Details: Goodstone Inn; 36205 Snake Hill Rd., Middleburg, Va., 540/687-4645; goodstone.com; through June 27, midweek rates from $275 per night; weekend rates from $325.

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