Explore
England meets Chincoteague at the Channel Bass Inn
Bed and Breakfast & Tea Room on Church Street.
Meet Barbara and David Wiedenheft
Countless times, I have passed the Channel Bass Inn while running
errands on the Island. One of my personal flaws is not taking the time to
embrace my surroundings or stop to smell the roses as most say, and I
am sure others will agree. On a particular day, the part of the sign saying
“Tea Room” caught my eye. After visiting their website, I was scheduled
for afternoon tea.
I happened to walk in as guests were arriving allowing me to hear the
greetings of the Innkeepers, Barbara and David Wiedenheft. Barbara has
an uncanny knack of learning people’s names, which I later learned she
calls her party trick. She was able to identify, almost immediately, who
was assigned to each room based on the first hellos. Needless to say, I
was amazed.
After settling guests into their rooms, Barbara and David sat down for
a chat. Although Barbara is from Leeds and David is from a small farm
south of Chicago, they have relatives on Chincoteague and are very family oriented. Married in 1988, they purchased Miss Molly’s Inn in 1992 and
ran that until 2004. In 1995, they purchased the Channel Bass Inn. Eight
rooms are used at the Channel Bass Inn, one being the popular, Room
with No Name. The Inn is almost seven thousand square feet and has a
cellar, which is very rare on Chincoteague.
An afternoon tea includes four courses - savory, scones, dessert, and
stuffed monkey. We enjoyed Sainsbury’s Earl Grey Tea which had just
arrived from England with Barbara from her most recent trip. The teapot was kept in a larger “purse” on a small table. This “purse” is actually called thee beurs and keeps the tea warm. Should you visit, I would
encourage trying anything that Barbara bakes. David boasts that her
scones are better than anyone else’s.
Afternoon tea is available to anyone that is interested, even if you are not
staying at the Inn. Larger parties such as bridal or baby showers are also
an option as well. Reservations are required.
Typically, the Inn is closed from Thanksgiving to Easter. Pictures from my
visit are available online - www.chincoteaguewaves.com or you can visit
their website - www.channelbassinn.com. Channel Bass Inn is currently
rated #1 on TripAdvisor out of the Bed and Breakfasts on Chincoteague
Island.
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