Stay on the farm at Mountain View Guesthouse at Fresh Valley Farms
This is not a typical vacation rental. It is a place people gather, stay longer than planned, and talk about long after they leave.
The historic Mountain View Guesthouse at Fresh Valley Farms is a thoughtfully renovated 1914 Arts and Crafts home set on a certified organic, regenerative livestock farm in the North Okanagan. It is our flagship guesthouse and the heart of many weddings, retreats, reunions, and meaningful stays on the farm.
With seven bedrooms, five bathrooms, generous gathering spaces, and outdoor amenities designed for real comfort, this home is built for groups who want space, beauty, and ease in a natural setting.
A historic home, carefully renewed
Originally built in 1914, this Arts and Crafts home located at 1476 Mountain View Road in Spallumcheen (outside Armstrong, BC) carries more than a century of agricultural and family history. It was extensively renovated in the early 2000s by a master carpenter, with care taken to preserve original character while making the house practical for modern group stays.
Architectural details tell the story of the land and the people who built it. Bottle-glass windows imported from Lancashire still filter the light. The stone fireplace was built with rock from nearby Rose Swanson Mountain. Bricks from the former Armstrong Hospital were reused to build the chimney in the basement suite.
The result is a house that feels grounded, warm, and substantial. It is elegant without being formal and historic without feeling precious.
Designed for groups, gatherings, and extended stays
The Mountain View Guesthouse is well suited to groups of many kinds.
- Family reunions and multi-generational vacations
- Weddings and wedding weekends
- Writing retreats and creative residencies
- Corporate and organizational retreats
- Small conferences and strategic planning sessions
- Extended stays and seasonal rentals
The layout balances shared spaces with privacy. Bedrooms are spread across levels. Gathering areas are generous but never overwhelming. Groups can be together or find quiet corners when needed.
Size and capacity
- 7 bedrooms
- 5 bathrooms
- Sleeps 8–15 comfortably
- Maximum occupancy up to 18 with pre-approval
There is also a self-contained suite with a second kitchen and shared entrance that can be closed off for privacy or opened for larger groups.
Interior spaces that invite people to stay awhile
Inside, the home is spacious and welcoming, with multiple living areas that make it easy to host a large group without feeling crowded.
- Large living rooms for conversation and relaxation
- A bright main-floor study with garden views for work or quiet reading
- A downstairs recreation room with built-in features for children and teens
- Small nooks and corners that naturally become reading spots and play spaces
The Blue Room includes a cozy nook loved by children and adventurous adults alike. The downstairs rec room often becomes a kingdom of its own for younger guests.
Wi-Fi is available throughout the house, making it easy to combine rest with remote work when needed.
A chef-ready kitchen built for feeding a crowd
Food is central to life on the farm, and the kitchen reflects that.
The main kitchen is fully equipped for group cooking, retreats, and catered events. It includes two ovens, two full-sized refrigerators, generous prep space, and ample cookware and serving dishes.
The solid dining room table seats ten. The dining nook seats an additional eight.
With two kitchens, two ovens, and multiple fridges, the house comfortably supports meal prep for large groups, multi-day retreats, and shared cooking experiences.
Guests often choose to cook with farm products during their stay or arrange for meals to be prepared onsite.
Bedrooms and sleeping arrangements
Each bedroom is its own space, thoughtfully furnished for comfort and rest.
Beds are made with 100 percent cotton sheets and cotton or linen duvet covers.
Mattresses are chosen for comfort over novelty.
Rooms are quiet, well spaced, and naturally darkened.
Sleeping arrangements include:
- One king bed
- Four queen beds
- Two double beds
- One twin bed in a nursery off the primary bedroom
- A toddler bed and crib off the West View bedroom
- A daybed in the downstairs rec room
- Two additional twin beds available as needed
This flexibility allows families with children, multi-generational groups, and retreats with varied sleeping needs to settle in easily.
Five bathrooms, built for real use
There are five bathrooms throughout the home, designed to support group stays without congestion.
- Two en suite bathrooms
- Two shared full bathrooms
- One additional bathroom with shower
Every full bathroom includes both a tub and a shower. Highlights include a classic clawfoot tub in the upstairs common bathroom and a jetted tub in the primary en suite.
Unscented laundry detergent, shampoo, and basic toiletries are provided for convenience.
Outdoor living, all year long
The guesthouse grounds are designed for both activity and rest.
- A seasonal, heated in-ground pool is open from May through October.
- A private hot tub is available year round.
- An expansive lawn invites games, gatherings, and outdoor meals.
- A covered porch and veranda offer shade and quiet places to sit.
- A cement pad can be used for basketball, skating, or outdoor dining.
The yard is fenced and private, with designated play areas for children and outdoor seating for adults.
Daily pool and hot tub maintenance is quietly handled by staff.
Trails, wildlife, and the working farm
This is an active farm and a place rich in wildlife.
Guests can access non-motorized trails directly from the property, including a route to a waterfall and scenic lookout. Birdwatching often happens right from the windows. Coyotes, black bears, and a wide variety of birds are part of the surrounding ecosystem.
Guests staying four nights or longer are invited to arrange a guided farm tour to learn about regenerative organic livestock farming and land stewardship.
The farm is also part of a citizen science project through iNaturalist. Guests are welcome to contribute observations during their stay, helping track local biodiversity in partnership with the Okanagan Similkameen Stewardship Society.
Four-season experiences in the North Okanagan
Every season offers something different. Dozens of lakes, wineries, museums, and cultural attractions are within a short drive.
In summer, guests swim, garden, read on the porch, and explore trails. In winter, families ski at SilverStar, snowshoe from the backyard, and gather around the fireplace for games and quiet evenings. Spring and fall bring cycling on Mountain View Road, visits to farmers markets, and easy access to galleries, theatre, and local food.
Weddings and special events
The Mountain View Guesthouse is the heart of many weddings and special events on the farm.
- Events are coordinated exclusively through Kasha May Weddings.
- Only registered overnight guests have access to the pool and hot tub.
- Noise and music follow local bylaws, with quiet hours beginning at 10 pm.
This is not a loud party property. It is a place for meaningful gatherings, shared meals, and warm celebrations that respect the land and surrounding community.
A place for ideas and connection
This home is a place where families reconnect, organizations think clearly, writers make progress, and people slow down enough to notice what matters. Meeting-ready spaces exist throughout the house and outdoors, allowing retreats and planning sessions to unfold naturally.
A history of the Mountain View Guesthouse
The home now known as the historic Mountain View Guesthouse at Fresh Valley Farms has stood at 1476 Mountain View Road for more than a century. Its story is closely tied to early settlement, farming, and community life in Armstrong and Spallumcheen.
Built in 1914 by Francis Poole
The house was built in 1914 by Francis Poole, a British immigrant who settled in the area in the early twentieth century. Local records and family accounts suggest the home was modeled after Poole’s family house in England, which helps explain its Arts and Crafts style, symmetry, and attention to detail.
Poole imported distinctive bottle-glass windows from Lancashire, England. These windows remain in the home today and are one of its most recognizable historic features.
From the beginning, the house was part of a working agricultural property. Farming activity on the land dates back well over a century, and the home was built to support both family life and farm operations.
The Poole and Hope families
Dave Hope arrived on the property at the age of eleven to assist Francis Poole with farm work. Over time, he became deeply connected to the household and the land, becoming like an adopted son to the Pooles. Visit the archives to see a historic photo of them harvesting hay at the farm. When Mr. Poole passed away around 1949, Dave Hope and his wife moved from a nearby log cabin into the main house to care for Mrs. Poole.
The Hope family lived in the home from the late 1940s until 1987. During those years, the house was a true family home and an active farmstead. Large vegetable gardens surrounded the house, livestock were tended nearby, and the property was a familiar landmark for generations of local residents.
Mrs. Hope was a well-known elementary school teacher in Armstrong, remembered fondly by former students. The house was often filled with children, community gatherings, and the rhythms of farm life.
A place of community memory
Over the decades, many people passed through the home. Farmhands worked the land. Local 4-H groups held meetings on the property and judged livestock in the nearby barns. Neighbours, friends, and extended family gathered there for everyday life rather than special occasion alone.
Community members still recall features that have since changed, including a wraparound porch and extensive gardens that once occupied the space where the circular driveway now sits. While the home evolved over time, its essential character remained intact.
Renovation and renewal
In the early 2000s, the house underwent a major renovation led by a highly skilled carpenter. The renovation raised the structure to create a full basement level and expanded the home while preserving its historic feel.
During this renovation, bricks from the former Armstrong Hospital on Haugen Avenue in Armstrong were salvaged and reused to construct the chimney in the basement suite. The stone fireplace was built using rock sourced from nearby Rose Swanson Mountain, further anchoring the house in its local landscape.
These choices reflected a respect for materials, history, and continuity rather than replacement.
The home today
Today, the house is operated as a guesthouse by Annelise Grube-Cavers and Steve Meggait of Fresh Valley Farms. It sits on leased farmland in Spallumcheen that continues to be actively farmed using regenerative organic practices.
While the home has been adapted to host weddings, retreats, reunions, and extended stays, it remains deeply connected to its agricultural roots. It is still a working farmstead, still a gathering place, and still a home where people come together.
More than a century after it was built, the Mountain View Guesthouse continues to serve the same purpose it always has. It is a place to live well, work the land, and build lasting memories.
About the Operators
The guesthouse is cared for by Annelise Grube-Cavers and Steve Meggait, owners and operators of Fresh Valley Farms.
Together with their two young children and a dedicated farm team, they have farmed full time for over a decade. The opportunity to steward this historic home, set on leased farmland at Fresh Valley Farms, was one they could not pass up.
The guesthouse reflects the same values as the farm itself. Stewardship. Hospitality. Care for people and place.