Rochester Preserves

We are at this point only including one preserve that is within Rochester.

Church's River Trail

Church's River Trail

Off of a long rural road is a small parking area with a sign for Church's River Trail. The trail does lead to a river, although the river is the Mattapoisett. But the Church family owned this property from the 1600s all the way through to 2011, when it was sold to the Rochester Land Trust (at a bargain price). The preserve is also called Church's Field, because the first part of the walk is indeed through a field.

A sign for the preserve hangs from a tree, with a couple vehicles in the parking lot

A sign with the name Church's Field rises above wild plants in a field

Then we have a walk through the woods to the river.

Paul standing in the woods

At the river are some simple wood benches. In late spring, the Rochester Memorial Day Boat and Kayak Race goes by this spot as part of the route. It is likely a popular viewing spot, since it is only about a third of a mile hike to get there.

A woodsy spot with three benches that are made of a half log sitting on logs with a flat bottom and notched top.

Looking down the river with trees right on the river edge on both sides

A closer view of the river, with the filtered sun lighting parts of the water

A section of shore that is a bit clearer for standing.

There are some pretty wild flowers there.

A red and orage flower with leaves that curl back to expose the stamen

A closer view of the same picture

And mushrooms.

Looking down at a trumpet shaped orange mushroom

There was once a wood mill here. The wood was used primarily in shipbuilding. There are still some signs of that, such as a stone wall and a piece of metal machinery.

A stone wall is covered with vines and near it is a piece of rusty machinery that is partially hidden by greenery.z

A rusty piece of formed metal that was probably involved with water power

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Updated April 2026