Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travelers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
A group of 6 of us booked a first visit for all of us to New Hampshire for a 4 night stay and the Silver Fountain Inn was one of very few available b&bs at short notice. We soon realised how lucky we were! The building is attractive and in a quiet setting away from Dover centre but just a short walk away. The rooms are impressive and kept immaculately.
As for the owners, well what can we say :) the pair of them are just such good fun and a pleasure to have met, and they are also only too eager to please. Jim and Pam, you made our stay so much more than 5 stars allows!
The area is not far from so many beauty spots and the walk we made up Mount Major. This is a stunning walk with spectacular views once your legs and lungs recover at the summit. Not a walk for your dear old granny but plenty of families made it.
Nearby towns Portsmouth, Portland and so many others are a treasure. For me personally, in the years I've been coming to the States (from England) and touring with my NJ based wife and friends, this was my favourite trip so far and I hope we go back there!
One word then to sum up this property, the owners and everything they have done and do - fabulous.
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Date of stay: August 2020
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:We had three rooms on different floors - all three were excellent.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Aug 21, 2020
Thank you so much for taking the time to give us a review. We absolutely loved meeting the 6 of you and loved watching you enjoy yourselves here with all the laughs included!!! We so hope you all come back because the morning after we certainly missed you all. Thanks for sharing in your bounty as well:) We look forward to the next time!
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Let me first get out of the way my recommendation to stay in the City of Dover. It is centrally located to the Lakes Region, beaches, Maine, and not too far a drive to the mountains.
Now to the Silver Fountain Inn.
The moment you walk through the door you are transported back in time 150 years. The attention to detail is amazing. From the carefully preserved wallcovering, to the furniture selection, to the smaller items such as dishes and other carefully placed antiques, the atmospheric experience is immersive.
Our first floor room followed suit and was not lacking any amenity. For those who imbibe, the room has a choice of wines available. Refrigerator, iron, hair dryer are all there, the presence of which does not affect at all the old world feel of the accommodations.
Even with all the wonderful ambience experienced in the public areas and private room, the standout feature of the Silver Fountain Inn is its customer care. When you first encounter Pam and Jim and their staff, you'll know you are in for a great stay where you'll want for nothing. Breakfasts were great and they couldn't do enough to make sure our stay was enjoyable.
When visiting Dover again, we will be certain to check availability at Silver Fountain Inn first.
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Date of stay: July 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Aug 21, 2020
So glad you recognized so many things about our "hidden gem" and we appreciate you taking the time to do a review! We really enjoyed meeting both of you and enjoying your company for sure. We are so blessed with so many wonderful guests - count yourselves amongst them! Hope to see you again some day, in the meantime stay safe and well:)
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Great stay for a couple! Impressive antique inn with all the modern amenities you would want and a comfortable bed. Breakfast was big and delicious. The owners were very accommodating, allowing me to plug in my PHEV in the parking lot.
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Date of stay: October 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Jan 8, 2022
The pleasure was ours! Thanks for staying with us and we look forward to having you back. Safe travels!
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This B & B truly lived up to it's title. Pam and Jim were wonderful hosts, friendly and welcoming. The decor throughout the Inn was a mix f charm and elegance. Great working air conditioning. Our room, on the main floor, was large, clean, comfortable and had a private bath. Breakfast was delicious. The outside grounds were well manicured with rocking chairs placed on the lawn under trees. Thank you Jim and Pam for all your nice touches. Looking forward to our next stay !
Michele Piri-Bungert
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Date of stay: July 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Aug 21, 2020
We so appreciate that you took the time to leave us a review and truly loved meeting you both - people like you are what makes owning a BB so fun! Stay safe and well, hope to see you again soon.
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Had a wonderful experience. We only stayed 1 night but it was a nice change from the chain hotels. We were treated by one of the owners (the husband, his wife was away this weekend). He was very pleasant, talked a bit with him about the inn and have us great tips on restaurants and things of interest. The room was very nice, except the shower was a bit small (a regular showerhead would he better fit instead of the waterfall contraption). We slept really well in the very comfortable bed. Next morning we were greated with table service breakfast if croissant and blueberry pancakes with bacon (our choice off that mornings offerings). Very tasty, presently nicely and the husband did great job cooking (I hear it's usually the wife's job) It's a beautiful historic building with a lot of original features.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Nov 11, 2020
We're so glad you enjoyed your stay with us, thank you for taking the time to review us! We enjoyed meeting you both - Stay safe and well!
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I thoroughly enjoyed my stay here while in Dover to visit family over a weekend in January. The large Victorian house is beautifully maintained and decorated, and the hosts are friendly and helpful. My room was just as described on the website, with a cozy feel, comfortable bed, natural light, and extra amenities such as bottled water, a silver ice bucket, small TV, and inconspicuous mini-fridge. Because of poor weather, I ended up spending more time in the room than planned, and it was a pleasant place for reading and working. The common rooms downstairs include the dining room, which is big enough that you can enjoy your meal without feeling like you are crowded with other guests, and a sitting room. The breakfast included many options to choose from, everything delicious and prepared to order. You will enjoy the tea and coffee stations, which are open 24-hours, and allow you to bring pots to your room. The location is great: I left my car in the small parking lot and walked everywhere in Dover. The kicker for me was that I awoke on the morning of my departure to find that it had snowed 6 inches overnight, and the staff had cleared the snow from all of the guests' cars!
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Stayed here with family in two rooms for a night during a New England car jaunt. The inn dates from 1871 and is full of intricate detail … crystal doorknobs and ornate Italian carved plaster. There’s a nice common area stocked with more than a hundred teas, cute teasets, and homeade cookies for guests. Definitely a 19th century vibe! The rooms we had were large with their own bathrooms and decorated carefully to feel like their era… except for modern fixtures and flatscreen TVs. Air conditioning worked, just barely, on the hot August day we visited. Breakfast in their tea room was substantial with great options and home baked pastries served warm. Pam the owner/innkeeper was a great hostess … not at all intrusive but friendly and welcoming. within an half hour from the Atlantic coast and maybe an hour New Hampshire mountains it’s a good way station for a weekend getaway. We will be back!
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Date of stay: August 2021Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Aug 26, 2021
The best is when people say they will be back! Thank you for choosing to stay with us and we're so happy you enjoyed all our little touches. We enjoyed having you!
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I surprised my husband with a get-away weekend to this lovely inn to celebrate our milestone anniversary. We were delighted to retreat back to a time in which we both grew up. There were elegant touches of class everywhere one looked. We stayed in the lovely Dorothy Brown two room suite with private bath. The queen bed was luxurious and quite comfortable, We warmed ourselves by the electric fireplace as we sat and relaxed on the divan. We laughed as we shared many fond memories of our youth, courtship and family life with our three children.
On Saturday and Sunday morning we sat in the charming dining/tea room as we enjoyed a delicious breakfast, served by our lovely innkeeper, Pam. She was super friendly and knowledgeable about the attractions offered close by in Dover and also in quaint nearby Portsmouth. On Saturday we had “High Tea” in the tea room. Our server, Cindy was delightful. Just wonderful!
We live within an hour’s drive to this lovely spot so we will definitely be by for another visit. Thank you Pam and Jim for all your hard work towards creating this incredibly lovely spot.
J & D
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Date of stay: March 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Mar 9, 2020
We are so blessed that you chose our place to celebrate your special day:) It was nice to see you two truly enjoying each other's company, congratulations and we wish you another 35!!! Looking forward to your next visit!
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I would hands-down give our stay here a five (5). Our roomI would hands-down give our stay here a five (5). Our room was amazingly beautiful, more so than the pictures on the website reflected. When I first saw our room, it was the two bedroom suite, my heart was filled with joy. My husband and I both liked the bed and found it to be both nice and comfortable. The sitting room in our suite was furnished with antique pieces that complimented each other. It was so nice to be able to sit in there and drink our tea and coffee and have visit or sit there quietly if we chose to. The toiletry area was also considerably large and the water pressure was amazing. To top it off, our hosts were great! They worked hard to provide both a quality experience and place for us to stay during our three day stay there. Her husband was very jovial and made us and laugh countless times. We enjoyed our breakfast all three days and I loved fixing my hot tea 🫖 with their tea set pieces.
If we come back this way we would definitely go back again and would choose the same room. What an absolute surprise and delight! was amazingly beautiful, more so than the pictures on the website reflected. When I first saw our room, it was the two bedroom suite, my heart was filled with joy. My husband and I both liked the bed and found it to be both nice and comfortable. The sitting room in our suite was furnished with antique pieces that complimented each other. It was so nice to be able to sit in there and drink our tea and coffee and have visit or sit there quietly if we chose to. The toiletry area was also considerably large and the water pressure was amazing. To top it off, our hosts were great! They worked hard to provide both a quality experience and place for us to stay during our three day stay there. Her husband was very jovial and made us and laugh countless times. We enjoyed our breakfast all three days and I loved fixing my hot tea 🫖 with their tea set pieces.
If we come back this way we would definitely go back again and would choose the same room. What an absolute surprise and delight!
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Oct 29, 2023
Great! We loved having your company for 3 days as well and getting to know you at breakfast! We hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip as well. Blessings:)
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We recently visited the tea room for an afternoon tea. I was hesitant to go because I have Celiac and most tea menus include many items I can't have. Our group decided to order "The Duchess", served on a 3-tiered stand with sandwiches, scones and dessert. I thought for sure I would not be able to order that. Our waitress, Franca was amazing and assured me that she could prepare a completely gluten free "Duchess" on my own cake stand. She did not disappoint. The gluten free tea sandwiches were delicious. The strawberry scone was light and fluffy, and perfectly paired with the lemon curd. I had to have a few different desserts than the group but they were all so tasty. It was such a relaxing day in a beautiful tea room and it was a pleasure to talk with Franca about her Italian heritage. Thank you for a wonderful experience!
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Date of stay: June 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Pamela Pidgeon, Owner at Silver Fountain Inn
Responded Aug 26, 2021
We are so happy we could accommodate you! Thank you for taking the time to review us and our Franca is a delight:) Hope to see you again soon!
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There are more places to choose from in the Dover area.
PRICE RANGE
$125 - $150 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
LOCATION
United StatesNew HampshireDover
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Silver Fountain Inn
Which popular attractions are close to Silver Fountain Inn?
Nearby attractions include Children's Museum of New Hampshire (0.5 miles), Woodman Institute Museum (0.3 miles), and St. Thomas' Episcopal Church (0.3 miles).
