This walk starts at the Sandwich Glass Museum, ends at the Dunbar Tea Shop, and takes 2 to 4 hours, depending on the number of stops you make; you'll cover about 1 1/4 miles. Your best bet is to explore the village on any midsummer day between 10am and 4pm, except Sunday, when some spots are closed.
You may park (free with admission) at the Sandwich Glass Museum, 129 Main St. (tel. 508/888-0251), a well-curated collection tracing the town's history with an emphasis on glass made in Sandwich from 1825 to 1888.
Farther down Grove Street is Old Cemetery Point, overlooking peaceful Shawme Pond, about 1/3 mile down the road. Read the historic headstones and keep an eye out for box turtles. Head back through the center of town and observe the exterior of Old Town Hall, on Main Street -- a magnificent Greek Revival edifice, complete with Doric columns. It still houses some town offices. Continue down Main Street, past the First Church of Christ, which is topped by an impressive spire. Built by a colleague of renowned Boston architect Charles Bulfinch in 1847, it was reportedly modeled on Sir Christopher Wren's St. Mary-le-Bow, in London. The next church you'll pass, to your left, is an 1833 meetinghouse, now privately owned, which has been used in years past as a doll museum and a bed-and-breakfast.
Farther down Main Street, across the street from the popular Dan'l Webster Inn, you'll find The Weather Store at 146 Main St. (tel. 508/888-1200). This unique shop stocks weather vanes, globes, sundials, and more and is devoted to the observation and understanding of New England's famously quirky weather.
Continue down Main Street and take a left on Jarves Street to admire the Belfry Inne and Bistro (tel. 800/844-4542 or 508/888-8550), a church and rectory converted into a very smart inn and restaurant. The restaurant, with its soaring ceilings and stained glass, is one of the prettiest and most unique dining spaces on Cape Cod.
Retracing your steps along Jarves Street, make a left-right zigzag along Main and School streets to reach Water Street, which skirts the eastern edge of Shawme Pond. Directly opposite, on the shore side of Water Street, you'll spot the Hoxie House at 18 Water St. (tel. 508/888-1173), one of the oldest houses on the Cape. The interior is spare -- not out of any aesthetic ideal but because resources were so hard to come by in Colonial New England. The settlers didn't even have closets because they were taxed as an additional room, windows were tiny to avoid the tax on glass, and pockets were considered a waste of good material. Entertaining docents explain all the details in frequent tours.
After the Hoxie House tour, head northward along Water Street, passing (on the same side) the Thornton W. Burgess Museum, 4 Water St. (tel. 508/888-4668), which celebrates the life and work of native son Burgess (1874-1965). He was a highly successful author of children's books and creator of such still-beloved characters as Jimmy Skunk and Grandfather Frog. Just past the Burgess Museum is the Dexter Grist Mill (tel. 508/888-4910), a lovingly restored water mill (ca. 1640). The millstones still grind corn; buy a bag of meal to go, but only if you'll have a chance to whip up something later in the day (it doesn't keep well). Now that you're back at the center of town, this is a good time to pause for a spot of tea. The Dunbar Tea Shop, 1 Water St. (tel. 508/833-2485), serves hearty lunches, teas, and breakfasts. The attached shop features British imports and antiques, including vintage books. It's a pleasant place to while away a good portion of the afternoon.
