Wheelwright, Massachusetts, is a village within the town of Hardwick in Worcester County — one of the most quietly rural and most genuinely off-the-beaten-path corners of central Massachusetts, sitting in the eastern portion of Hardwick along the Ware River corridor where the landscape opens into wooded hillsides and working farmland that have changed little in character over the past century. Wheelwright and the broader Hardwick township it belongs to carry a genuinely remarkable concentration of historical character — including the Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge in neighboring Gilbertville, a 137-foot town-lattice-truss covered bridge built in 1886 that is one of the most photographed and most historically detailed surviving covered bridges in central Massachusetts, still driveable and spanning the Ware River between the two communities. The area around Wheelwright sits near Hardwick Winery, one of the most warmly welcoming and most scenically situated small wineries in Worcester County, set on a working farm on Greenwich Road with live music, Adirondack chairs, and a generous tasting flight. The village’s position between the Quaboag and Ware River valleys gives it access to some of the most undisturbed forest and stream conservation land in the region. Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge in Gilbertville is the area’s most historically meticulous and most postcard-perfectly preserved 19th-century engineering landmark — open year-round with a beautiful covered bridge still driveable, a stream underneath completing the stunning look, a small dirt and gravel parking area off the road, very clean river water through which fish can be seen swimming, and a well-kept surrounding grounds — described as a beautiful covered bridge still driveable with a stream underneath completing the stunning look and a perfect postcard picture, as a perfect example of old Americana in great detail well-preserved over the years with stunning detail and a river under the bridge very clean with fish visible swimming by, and as a charming and modest 137-foot covered bridge built in 1886 using the town lattice truss system linking factories on both sides of the Ware River and connecting Ware and Hardwick with a fascinating industrial and engineering history. Hardwick Winery at 3305 Greenwich Road is the area’s most farm-scenically-enchanting and most community-warmly-welcoming destination for wine lovers near Wheelwright — open seven days from 11 AM with five wines for $10 and a cute signature glass to take with you, seasonal flavors including watermelon and chocolate raspberry, live music, beautiful views, ample seating with Adirondack chairs, a $20 flight of four wines of your choice, a ham and brie panini described as yummy, friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a Candlelight Fireside Dining for Valentine’s Day described as absolutely beyond five stars — described as a lovely place with five wines for $10 and a cute signature glass to take home and seasonal flavors and kind and knowledgeable staff with live music and beautiful views and ample Adirondack chair seating described as a definite return, as having absolutely beyond five stars Candlelight Fireside Dining where food and wine pairing was perfect and the chefs clearly know flavors, and as having delicious wines and a beautiful space with a $20 flight of four wines worth being forewarned about their strength and a ham and brie panini described as yummy with plenty of seating and friendly staff. The Whistle Stop Restaurant at 248 Main Street in neighboring Gilbertville rounds out Wheelwright’s cultural picture as the area’s most warmly neighborhood-spirited and most breakfast-devotedly celebrated local diner — open seven days from 6 AM with fish and chips described as among the best ever with a large cut of very fresh fish, delicious fries, and great-tasting coleslaw, chicken piccata described as excellent and large enough for two additional meals, pancakes described as amazing, a breakfast burrito loved by regulars, and servers Stephanie and Gracie described as upbeat and attentive with great attitudes — described as one of the best breakfasts ever on a first visit with server Stephanie awesome making a definite return planned and highly recommended, as a first dinner described as wonderful with fish and chips outstanding with a large cut of very fresh fish and delicious fries and coleslaw among the best ever had, and as a great breakfast, service, and atmosphere on a first visit with server Gracie upbeat, attentive, and with a great attitude making a definite return certain.
Wheelwright’s outdoor landscape is defined by the Ware River corridor and the surrounding forested hill country of the Hardwick-New Braintree uplands — one of the most genuinely wild and most lightly-trafficked conservation landscapes remaining in central Worcester County, giving hikers, anglers, and nature lovers access to streams, cellar holes, and stone walls threading through second-growth forest with almost no development in sight. Swift River Reservation off Barre Road in neighboring Petersham is the region’s most river-intimately-magical and most child-adventurously-rewarding Trustees conservation property near Wheelwright — open from 6 AM with open grass paths past old cellar holes, several different trails to choose from, a trail following the Swift River with magical mossy spots where water is safe and shallow enough for young kids to play in, rocks to climb and gorgeous trees, moderate trails going down to the river and back up, well-marked trails for dry-weather hiking, and fantastic early-morning photography opportunities at the river with great light and blue saturations — described as a favorite place to take young kids on a hike with open grass paths past old cellar holes and a trail following the Swift River with magical mossy spots where the water is safe and shallow for young kids to play and rocks to climb and gorgeous trees making it perfect, as a lovely spot for viewing and fishing with fantastic early-morning photography producing house-picture-framing material and lots of trails for fall leaf peeping, and as great hiking with steep and slippery hills after rain but well-marked trails and mostly an easy hike in dry weather. Stone Cow Brewery at 500 West Street in neighboring Barre is the region’s most farm-setting-spectacularly-situated and most family-outdoors-invitingly-welcoming brewery near Wheelwright — open Thursday through Sunday from noon with grass-fed burgers described as great, great fries, ice cream, barn animals including pigs and cows to pet and feed, panoramic views of the surrounding hills, a rustic barn with great seating both inside and out, a great beer selection with IPAs, and a lively energy with live bands — described as a beautiful location with panoramic views and a rustic barn charm with plenty of seating and a beer selection including great IPAs and a pizza more than enough food for two with friendly and fast service, as a place stumbled across while exploring the beautiful countryside where the property, beer, and food were all incredibly impressive with a barn with rustic charm and plenty of seating, and as a great spot for families with young kids on a beautiful farm with so much open space where the hamburgers are delicious and the setting is perfect. Ware-Hardwick Covered Bridge spanning the Ware River in Gilbertville rounds out Wheelwright’s outdoor picture as the area’s most historically anchored and most riverside-atmospherically-perfect short stop for walkers and photographers — open year-round with a small dirt parking area off the road, a trail head on one side, a stream visible beneath the bridge, very clean river water with fish visible, a nostalgic and well-preserved structure, and beautiful surrounding grounds — described as beautiful with a stream underneath completing the stunning look and a small parking area fitting two or three cars, as very nostalgic with a small parking area on one side of the bridge in front of a trail head, and as a perfect example of old Americana in great detail well-preserved with stunning detail and very clean river water with fish visible swimming by.
Wheelwright’s dining scene is modest and genuinely local — the nearest cluster of independent restaurants sits in Gilbertville along Main Street and the broader Hardwick township corridor, anchored by the Whistle Stop for breakfast and lunch, the beloved Hardwick House of Pizza for quick meals, and Hardwick Crossing Country Club for a full sit-down dinner experience. The Whistle Stop Restaurant at 248 Main Street in Gilbertville is the area’s most morning-ritual-beloved and most neighbor-warmly-spirited local diner — open seven days from 6 AM with fish and chips among the best ever with a large cut of very fresh fish and delicious fries and coleslaw, chicken piccata excellent and large enough to provide two additional meals, pancakes amazing, a breakfast burrito loved by regulars, and servers Stephanie and Gracie both described as wonderful — described as one of the best breakfasts ever with server Stephanie awesome and a highly recommended definite return, as a wonderful first dinner with fish and chips outstanding and chicken piccata excellent, and as a great breakfast, service, and atmosphere with server Gracie upbeat, attentive, and with a great attitude. Hardwick House of Pizza at 76 Main Street in Gilbertville is the area’s most loyally-devoted and most everything-on-the-menu-celebrated neighborhood pizza and grinder shop — open seven days from 11 AM with pizzas, pastas, calzones, appetizers, hot and cold grinders, fish available Fridays, a phenomenal owner described as very friendly with a positive attitude who knows the regulars and enjoys chatting with them, always fresh and tasty food with quick service, best spot for pizza and subs by far, and Rob described as awesome — described as a place gone to for years where the food is absolutely amazing and the owner does a wonderful job and is very friendly with a positive attitude with everything on the menu absolutely amazing and a drive taken no matter where a move takes place just to get back here, as awesome with food always fresh and tasty and friendly staff and quick service and the best spot for pizza and subs by far, and as having very good food and service with reasonable prices and lots to choose from including pizza, pasta, calzones, appetizers, and hot and cold grinders with an owner who truly cares about the restaurant and customers and is always up for a friendly conversation and a few laughs. Hardwick Crossing Country Club at 262 Lower Road in Gilbertville rounds out Wheelwright’s dining picture as the area’s most special-occasion-warmly-celebrated and most event-space-versatile full-service restaurant and golf club — open seven days from 11 AM with a bacon meatloaf described as excellent and highly recommended, a surf and turf described as surprisingly very tasty, Valentine’s Day surf and turf described as absolutely amazing touching the palate like no other, bartender Megan described as so sweet and an amazing bartender with a sugar cookie martini that is all you need, server Alex described as handling a holiday party of 15 with ease, and a staff described as on top of everything even when very busy — described as having excellent food including a highly recommended bacon meatloaf with a staff on top of everything even when very busy making reservations recommended, as having surf and turf on Valentine’s Day that was absolutely amazing touching palates like no other, and as having a sweet and amazing bartender in Megan and a capable server in Alex who handled a holiday party of 15 with ease.
