Captivating Wicklow Hall inspires travelers on the Hammock Coast

Captivating Wicklow Hall inspires travelers on the Hammock Coast

(Editor’s Note: Sarah Rose is a Pawleys Island-based writer. She was selected especially as the author for this article to give readers a first-person glimpse inside Wicklow Hall, a recently opened bed and breakfast south of Georgetown the continues to earn rave reviews.)

On the Maryville side of Georgetown, I turned off of Highway 17 onto the County Road toward South Island and drove through countryside hushed by ancient forests, the late afternoon sunlight dappling through tree branches hung with Spanish moss. After a 12-mile journey, I arrived at my destination: Wicklow Hall, a bed and breakfast located on 11 secluded acres in the North Santee Delta.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the estate welcomes visitors with a pond, a copse of live oaks, several cottages and a two-story clapboard Greek Revival inn that was once the property’s main house. 

Stepping out of the car, I paused to savor a cool breeze rustling the tall pines and to admire a bald eagle lazing overhead. In the quiet calm, with the hustle and bustle of the real world left behind, I felt that I had entered a portal into nature where time stands still.

Indeed, as the door to the inn’s entryway swung open, scenes from a mural depicting Wicklow’s thriving wildlife and waterfowl, including two rare Swallow-tail Kites, a heron, an owl and the pond’s resident alligator named Oscar, came alive in ethereal shades of blue and green. Hand-painted by Beaufort artist Lynne Fensterer, the rich Lowcountry landscape sets a tone for the luxury experience that’s in store for Wicklow guests.

Owner Judith Rinella, who greeted me in the hall, explained that the scenery is a meaningful nod to the waterways that touched the property nearly 200 years ago. She added that along with the species in the painting, rooks and ducks, amongst others, populate Wicklow Hall, earning the property a reputation for some of the best bird watching along the coast.

Wicklow Hall has earned an incredible amount of favorable press since it opened in 2025, including articles in the Post and Courier, TOWN magazine, Southern Living, Travel + Leisure, and Garden & Gun, among many others.

Built sometime between 1831 and 1840, the inn boasts original heart pine floors that Judith and her daughter Aya carefully and lovingly restored by stripping a scratched dark wood stain covering the wood’s exquisite grains. Additionally, Judith and Aya sanded the entry’s banister by hand and applied six coats of Danish boat finish so, as Judith said, the stairwell “will set sail for another 100 years.”

In 1912, the Kinloch Gun Club acquired Wicklow Hall. Members converted the house into a hunting lodge and built an annex, which is now a large dining room adjacent to the hall. In the center sits a custom-made wooden table and chairs that were commissioned in upper New York by former owner, artist, philanthropist and conservationist, Nancy du Pont Reynolds Cooch. When the Rinellas bought Wicklow Hall, the former property manager, whom du Pont Reynolds Cooch had gifted the set to, didn’t have the heart to remove the antiques and left them for the Rinellas and their guests to enjoy. These furnishings are the only pieces that remain from the estate’s past. 

Lending another touch to the room’s elegance is a baby grand piano, positioned next to a wall hung with works by acclaimed photographer, Nigel Parry. Throughout Wicklow Hall, the art collection has been carefully curated as both Judith and her husband David have a background in professional photography. Their work is on display at the bed and breakfast as well.

“Everything we do,” Judith said, “starts and ends with photography.”

That might explain why Judith and David were clearly focused on every detail in making Wicklow Hall a showpiece on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast, the ever-popular tourism moniker for Georgetown County.

Judith showed me that the space beyond the dining room is a bar that was constructed by her cousin, Rory Ezell, who is a wood worker based in Lawrence, Kansas. Flanking one wall is a pair of convex mirrors, the frames of which were also crafted by Ezell. Once a music room, the cozy area offers plenty of seating and a meticulously restored fireplace.  Off the back of the living space is a screened-in porch, ideal for enjoying a morning coffee or a late afternoon glass of wine.

Our tour continued upstairs, where a large suite with a kitchenette can accommodate up to four guests. An ensuite spa-inspired Italian marble bathroom that was once a second closet features a Japanese soaking tub and a color-balancing mirror. On the same floor, two other charming bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, offer the best views of the grounds and share a kitchenette.

Back downstairs, I found my room off of the entry hall opposite from the dining room. As a book enthusiast, I was delighted to discover it was originally the library. On a table for two was a bottle of pinot grigio tied with a “Wicklow Blue” ribbon, the inn’s signature color similar to Tiffany’s, and a handwritten welcome note. 

By blending original elements such as the heart of pine floors, the wooden railing and fireplaces with later additions such as the antique dining table and chairs, along with the lifelike mural, modern art and photography, the Rinellas have captured the essence of rustic Lowcountry charm paired with a seemingly effortless Southern elegance. 

As Judith described the inn, “From architectural preservation to fine-art curation, every detail of Wicklow Hall is rooted in history and revived with heart.” 

She suggested we explore the other historic buildings around the property, starting with the original kitchen house, which had fallen into disrepair long before the Rinellas acquired the property. As was the case in the main house, the structure’s original floors had suffered significant wear and tear. The Rinellas have painstakingly transformed the interiors into a charming bungalow equipped with a kitchenette and fireplace. Outside is a private garden area complete with a hot tub, grill and seating area.  

Adjacent to the kitchen house is the original main dwelling, built for the owners to live in while the grander home was being constructed. Like the kitchen house, this structure was dilapidated by the time the Rinellas bought the estate. With an equal amount of patience and love that they had poured into the kitchen and grand house, the family preserved the building, now a darling cottage with a living room that is ideal for conversing or playing games. With a kitchenette, king-sized bedrooms upstairs and down and a TV den with a pull-out sofa, the house can accommodate seven guests.

Beyond that is a former horse stable, complete with original stall nameplates “Lucy” and “Polly.” Based on building materials such as cedar, Judith estimates the outbuilding was constructed in the late 1930s or early 1940s.

She shared that in the 1970s, a caretaker lived there. Apparently, sometime in the 1980s, he turned the lock on the door and never came back. In the meantime, birds, animals and mold had taken over and made such a mess that the Rinellas had to take the building all the way down to the studs. In homage to Wicklow’s hunting lodge era, Judith and David incorporated masculine details such as wood-clad walls, black marble and slate, a photograph of the Marlboro Man from Judith’s personal collection and a slab headboard and table crafted by the Rinellas’ older daughter, Fia. 

Although the property was already falling apart by the time Judith and David purchased it, she credited du Pont-Reynolds Cooch, the most notable owner to have lived at Wicklow Hall, for the restorative work she did around the property, without which, the buildings would have crumpled into complete ruin and the property would have been sold off to developers.

“Without Nancy’s care, Wicklow would not be in as good of shape as it was when we found it,” Judith said.  “She invested a lot of money in its upkeep.” 

After the tour of the inn and cottages, I returned to my room to indulge in a couple glasses of wine and curled up by the fireplace in a wingback chair with a blanket and a good book. Rocked to sleep by the inn’s tranquil silence, I luxuriated in crisp sheets tucked into the caned-back bed.

In addition to Wicklow Hall’s tasteful accommodations, lush grounds, bird watching and history, the inn offers an exquisite breakfast made daily by Judith, who uses fresh farmers’ market ingredients. Packed into a Nantucket bicycle basket that was quietly delivered to my door, my  morning meal included applewood smoked nitrate-free bacon, sausages, honey vanilla Greek yogurt with fresh berries and salted granola, Wicklow’s signature quiche special with broccoli, sweet onion reduction, cheddar, gruyere and gouda. The presentation was as artful as the food was sublime.

Having enjoyed a cup of coffee along with the delightful cuisine, the time came to pack up the car and head home. As Wicklow Hall disappeared from my rearview mirror and I traveled again through the woods and out of the portal back into reality, I reflected on how the Rinellas have curated every detail, no matter how subtle, to cultivate an unforgettable experience grounded in historic preservation and elevated by artistry. I can’t wait to return one day soon to enjoy it all over again.
To learn more about the property and book a stay, visit wicklowhall.com.

About the Hammock Coast®

Georgetown County’s casual charm and Southern hospitality earned it the nickname Hammock Coast. Adventure and relaxation blend together in perfect harmony, like the flowing and ebbing of waves on the county’s famed beaches. With six communities – southern Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield Beach, Pawleys Island, Georgetown and Andrews – comprising the pristine coastal area between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, visitors can experience South Carolina’s Hammock Coast like never before.

By Sarah Rose, especially written for HammockCoastSC.com