Tucked away in southeastern Vermont’s Windham County, Townshend has quietly gone about its business since 1753, when it was chartered as one of the New Hampshire Land Grants. Named after British politician Charles Townshend, whose tax initiative prompted Boston’s biggest tea party, this quintessential New England town charms visitors with its natural beauty, including rolling hills, a state park with hiking trails, a gorgeous town green, and a lake. Original farmsteads dot the countryside, along with a historic covered bridge, antiques stores, and modern shops, including a fabulous smokehouse-country store. While most of tranquil Townshend inspires one to unplug, those who feel the need to shake things up a little will appreciate that bustling Brattleboro lies only 17 miles away and the nearby resorts of Stratton Mountain, Bromley Mountain, and Mount Snow offer all sorts of alpine adventure.

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