Conservation Lands
Dupee
The purchase of 61.6 acres in Hatchville from the Dupee family in 2002 was another step in the town’s efforts to preserve land on Coonamessett Pond and the Coonamessett River. The Dupee property is bounded by Sandwich and Hatchville Roads and Coonamessett River. Frontage on the pond offers a small beach for swimming. The property connects with the Matt Souza Conservation Area and, across Hatchville Road, town-owned cranberry bogs and The 300 Committee’s Toner parcel.
Fall colors at Dupee parcel
Although the property is dense with trees and an understory of briars and huckleberry, the foundation of an old barn serves as a reminder of the large dairy farms that dominated Hatchville in the last century. Attamannsit, the private road that leads to the houses inside the property, takes its name from one of the leading dairy farms.
Dupee Parcel at the southern end of Coonamessett Pond
The Conservation Commission prepared a management plan for the Dupee land in 2005 and gave The 300 Committee the responsibility of implementing the plan. This included creating a trail system, which has now been completed. Access is from the nearby Matt Souza Conservation Area, with parking at the entrance.
There are two trails leaving from the parking area. One is to the north and parallels Matt Souza. It is hilly and has several loop choices. The property is dense with trees and an understory of briars and huckleberry, with the foundation of an old barn which serves as a reminder of the large dairy farms that dominated Hatchville in the last century.
Finding the entrance to the second trail requires more attention. It is blazed and heads east out of the parking area for a short distance to end on Hatchville Road. Turn left onto the road, pass Atamannsit Road, then pick up the trail where it heads north from Hatchville Road. This is a meandering trail which ends at a small beach area on Coonamessett Pond.
