Several years ago, I discovered the Virginia’s River Realm tourism website while waiting for my car inspection. While I visited several of the towns before, I wanted to fully immerse myself in the region. This blog post discusses the charming towns of Gloucester, Mathews, Deltaville, and Urbanna. This blog post serves as the final part of my River Realm series, following Warsaw/Tappahannock and the Northern Neck towns.
River Realm
Before discussing the towns themselves, let me briefly summarize the River Realm region from my previous posts. Virginia’s River Realm refers to a collection of towns in Tidewater Virginia surrounding the Rappahannock River, split between the Northern Neck and the Middle Peninsula. The primary attraction of the River Realm relates to the region’s long history on the water, but the area also has a boutique element. However, I focus on the vibes of the region’s small towns, alongside the museums and historical sites. Final note: Gloucester and Mathews are technically not in the River Realm, but all four towns are close together.
Gloucester
Gloucester has the biggest downtown of all the towns I’ve been to on this exploration of Tidewater Virginia. At one end of Gloucester’s downtown is Gloucester Historic Court Circle, a collection of small government buildings from the 18th and 19th century inside a circular walled green. Throughout the town there are various statutes that must get changed frequently, as a couple of statues from my last visit to Gloucester weren’t there anymore.
Also in Gloucester is Machicomoco State Park. Check my video from my old YouTube Channel here.
Mathews
Mathews is most known for being the home of Sally Louisa Tompkins, who operated a hospital in Richmond during the Civil War and became the only female commissioned officer of the Confederacy. Although her home can be visited, it’s only open on Saturdays from April through October. But Mathews is still worth a visit even without visiting the Museum due to its small but pretty downtown. Also worth seeing is Put In Creek Park, a tiny park with a pavilion and boat ramp, located just two blocks away from Main Street. For a more detailed look at Mathews, check out my old video here.
Deltaville
Deltaville, located in the River Realm, is unique because it has no downtown; instead, Deltaville is a succession of small detached buildings that stretch out on General Puller Hwy. Let’s discuss Deltaville’s main attraction (besides boating), the Deltaville Maritime Museum & Holly Point Nature Park. The Museum celebrates the local shipbuilding and fishing industry, as well as some general local history. On the grounds of the Park is a replica of John Smith’s barge and the restored F. D. Crocket, as well as a workshop where men built wooden ships.
Urbanna
Urbanna, also located in the River Realm, was once a large tobacco port, but now is an enchanting small town. Located in Urbanna is the James Mills Scottish Factor Store, aka the Town of Urbanna Visitor Center Museum. Whatever you call it, the Museum is only open on Fridays through Sundays, hopefully I can come back there when its open to the public.
Conclusion
Gloucester, Mathews, Deltaville, and Urbanna are close to one another and could easily be visited in a single day, or you could do what I did and visit two towns per day. Visit Gloucester for food and its lovely downtown, Mathews for its blend of small-town charm and natural beauty, Deltaville to learn about regional history, and Urbanna for its historic past. Overall, the towns of the Middle Peninsula are definitely worth a visit.
For further adventures, you could visit the other towns of the River Realm, such as the Northern Neck or Warsaw & Tappahannock. You could also continue on the Northern Neck to see Colonial Beach. Another idea is going down to Hampton Roads, especially Yorktown and Williamsburg.
For a more detailed look at Gloucester, Mathews, Deltaville, and Urbanna, please watch my companion YouTube video below.
Restaurants
Check out Ware Neck Produce for fresh produce and other goods. I felt bad about not buying anything there after taking photos of the place, but any item I bought would have sat in a hot car for hours. Located on Gloucester’s Main Street
Inside an restored 1937 building is Short Lane Ice Cream. The store is two stories tall with tables on both floors, as well as outdoor seating. It serves delicious ice cream that has become a favorite of my family. Located in a couple minutes away from downtown Gloucester.
Another family favorite is Scoot’s BBQ. Scoot’s serves good barbecue, as well as some other home-cooking items. The restaurant has a large patio where you can eat among the trees. Located in Gloucester Point, about a 16 minute drive away from downtown Gloucester.
Richardson’s Cafe is a small diner that serves (among other things) ice cream and milkshakes. I accomplished a small goal of dining at a lunch counter. Although I only ordered a milkshake, you could have a meal here. Located on Mathews’ Main Street.
The workers at the Deltaville Maritime Museum gave me many papers, including a directory of various businesses in Deltaville. I decided to share some of them below.
