Barnsley Gardens’ Ghostly Romance
By Kathie Farnell
Photos by Jack Purser

Just one hour north of Atlanta, Georgia, a German prince and princess own a luxury resort whose story is one of equal parts love, tragedy and shiftlessness. Barnsley Gardens’ history goes back to the 1840s when Godfrey Barnsley purchased some 4,000 acres in the foothills of the Georgia mountains. He hoped the Italianate mansion he planned would be a healthful place to live for his wife, Julia, who suffered from respiratory trouble. He ran afoul of an old Cherokee, however, who took offense at Barnsley’s plan to alter a bluff the tribe had held sacred. Legend has it the old man cursed the property. Barnsley paid no attention.

He should have listened.

He managed to complete the formal gardens and a kitchen wing before his wife succumbed. Despondent, he abandoned construction. Nearly a year later, he was walking in the garden one evening when Julia’s spirit appeared in a fountain, instructing him to complete construction of the house. Barnsley hastened to comply, and the two-story brick manor, fitted out with marble window facings and filled with luxurious furnishings, became a beacon of hospitality and elegance and the focal point of the estate Barnsley named Woodlands.

It didn’t last.

The War Between the States destroyed Godfrey’s fortune, and invading soldiers pillaged his home. His daughter, Julia, strove mightily to rebuild the family’s fortune, and may have been one inspiration for the character Scarlett O’Hara. However, the family’s downward spiral continued. In 1906, when a tornado blew the roof off the mansion, they moved into the kitchen and lived there for 36 years.

This is the shiftless part.

In 1942, the house was sold at auction and fell into the hands of a chicken farmer. By 1988, the mansion and its elegant gardens had disappeared behind a tangle of vines and poultry.

Then things started looking up.

Prince Hubertus and Princess Alexandra Fugger of Bavaria purchased 1300 acres in the area with the thought of creating a beautiful country retreat. They were startled to find that they had also purchased a ruined nineteenth century house and garden.

Today the hauntingly beautiful remains of Godfrey Barnsley’s mansion preside over the elegant formal garden, recreated in its original style. The resort, open since 1999, has garnered a number of accolades, including being named as one of fifty top small hotels in the United States by the 2003 Zagat Survey

Visitors to the estate stay in one of seventy luxury Victorian-style cottage suites arranged in a pedestrian village. All suites have fireplaces, spacious porches and king-sized beds. Current nightly rates range between $265—$375. The resort includes a health spa, an eighteen-hole golf course designed by Jim Fazio, and tennis courts and offers recreation from horseback riding to kayaking to hiking on miles of woodland trails. A surreal touch is provided by the herd of bison imported by the Prince from his ranch in Montana; the elusive buffalo roam contentedly and are most easily spotted in early morning and late afternoon.

Restaurants on the property include the Woodlands Grill, a traditional steak house. Our meal there included fabulous barbecued duck breast and a rousing Molten Chocolate Cake. We breakfasted on a screened-in verandah overlooking the golf course’s lake, enjoying everything from French toast to smoked salmon to, of course, grits.

The Rice House restaurant, occupying an antebellum farmhouse moved to the estate, is open for dinner on the weekends and offers classic Southern cuisine. The Beer Garden, open seasonally, serves German beer along with sausages and pretzels. Gardens on the property supply vegetables and fresh herbs. The resort is open year-round; the grounds are particularly spectacular in Spring, when 300,000 irises and daffodils burst into bloom.

Weddings at Barnsley range from the elaborate to the intimate. Couples planning an outdoor ceremony opt for the romantic ruins, or the adjoining flower garden. Indoor options include the chapel-like Town Hall, which seats 125, has bride and groom changing rooms, and features a large window overlooking the rose garden. Receptions take place in the ruins, which can accommodate up to 300 guests, in a nearby meadow, or indoors at the Pavilion, a 5,000-square foot facility decorated in traditional country house estate style. Pre-wedding services are available on site, and the resort has its own secluded woodland Honeymoon Cottage.

Barnsley Gardens also accommodates small, no-hassle weddings. Yes, there is such a thing. The afternoon we arrived, a wedding party made its way to the ruins for a private ceremony. Laurie Shook, the resort’s wedding coordinator, says that she is happy to work with guests who arrive, Georgia marriage license in hand, and just need someone to supply a minister and point them toward the nearest scenic spot.

Spa packages are popular with the nuptial set; we enjoyed a morning luxuriating in the plush ambiance. Aromatherapy, massages and hydrotherapy are available along with facials and a variety of body treatments. A fitness center is open 24 hours to deal with the sudden pre-dawn urge to exert oneself. All facilities including restaurants, spa, and golf course are open to the public.

Barnsley Gardens is located just outside Adairsville, Georgia, seventy miles from the Atlanta airport. Airport shuttle service is available for $140 round trip for two people.

For more information on planning a Barnsley wedding or honeymoon, see the website at www.barnsleyresort.com or call 1-877-773-2447.

Kathie Farnell and Jack Purser are based in Alabama and have been doing travel writing and photography since the early 90s. Their favorite topics include nature travel, romantic destinations, weekend getaways and offbeat topics. They both come from a legal background; Jack was an attorney for the US Department of Agriculture, and Kathie founded Farnell Legal Research. Kathie also produces programming for public television and radio. kfarnel@gulftel.com, www.artemismedia.org