Blenheim Park owners Kerry Payne and Justin Stailey stand next to their business sign along Turner Road in Bremen. The cherry orchard, Maine’s largest, is expected to produce two to three tons of cherries in the 2024 season. (Johnathan Riley photo)
Blenheim Park, a cherry orchard estate with a farm store apothecary and creative retreat, put up its open sign in June along Turner Road. Owners Kerry Payne and Justin Stailey have worked on and owned the 16-acre property since 2017.
The estate grounds, abutting McCurdy Pond and visible from the road, are busy with many activities and projects, from cultivating Maine’s largest cherry orchard to hosting photography workshops with internationally known photographers like Greg Gorman.
Those seeking a stay on the grounds can chose from one of their nightly rentals available. The farm store apothecary is open on Saturdays from noon to 4 p.m. to pick up any of the variety of cherry-infused beauty and mixology products.
Cherry products available for purchase at the farm store and online, made entirely on site by Payne and Stailey, include cherry blossom-infused bath and body products, bottled cocktail cherries in syrup, cherry blossom mignonette, cherry bitters, and teas, as well as dried and pickled cherry blossoms.
The reoccurring use of Queen Elizabeth in Blenheim Park’s products comes from Payne’s association to the English matriarch.
“I’m from Australia,” Payne said. “I’m an official subject of the queen.”
Blenheim Park, named after the coloring of Payne and Stailey’s King Charles Spaniel dogs and the birthplace of Winston Churchill, is now home to Maine’s largest cherry orchard, featuring 200 dwarf sour cherry trees and 150 ornamental flowering cherry trees on a three-acre lot on the property.
The curiosity of Bremen residents and Turner Road passers-by has been cultivated over the last seven years as Blenheim Park has grown and shaped.
“People stop in all the time with their guesses as to what we’ve been doing out front,” Payne said. “We’ve gotten some creative answers.”
According to Payne, they wanted to start a vineyard, but were deterred because Bremen is a dry town.
Payne said they have learned since then that they could have started a vineyard, but cherries were another favorite choice.
“Our mission is to leave this place better than when we arrived,” Payne said. “We don’t use any pesticides or harmful chemicals on the orchard.”
The orchards are expected to reach full production of two to three tons of fruit annually in 2024.
Payne and Stailey lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. before buying the Bremen property. Stailey, a former senior product manager at Fujifilm and a photographer, traveled frequently to Maine Media Center in Rockland teaching workshops starting in 2000. Stailey and Payne, an award-winning photographer herself, taught photography workshops in aterville at Camp Kita for children affected by suicide loss.
“We broadened our search for property for sale to create our own retreat that was close to Maine Media Center, and this property came up,” Payne said. “We drove by whenever we traveled up to Waterville and when we actually visited the property we said, ‘I guess we’re moving to Maine!’”
Blenheim Park is a family-run working orchard, and while not open daily to the public, is available for hourly rental to photographers and filmmakers. Payne and Stailey plan to host special events throughout the year.
“We’re planning workshops, picnics, yoga sessions, and even photo shoots,” Payne said.
Upcoming events include a prohibition era style lawn party on Aug. 27, a weeklong photography workshop with Greg Gorman from Sep. 24-30, and a Halloween dog costume competition Oct. 28.
Blenheim Park is located on 574 Turner Road. For more information, go to blenheimparkmaine.com or find the park on Instagram.
