Even Keswick’s two gated communities — one aimed at seven-figure buyers, the other mostly at six-figure ones — that have sprung up over the last decade have tight controls. This is especially true of Keswick Estate, which has been developed by Orient-Express, the resort and transportation company that has owned and run the adjacent country club and hotel, Keswick Hall, since 1999.  “It will never be overpopulated, or built on top of itself,” said Ms. Stern, who with her husband, Evan, a retired president of Staples, bought a 4,100-square-foot house at Keswick Estate in 2003 for $1,425,000. The Sterns’ primary residence is in Englewood, N.J., and they own three other properties on the East Coast, but Ms. Stern calls the one in Keswick “by far” her favorite.  Residents of Keswick Estate have full use of all hotel and club facilities, including an Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, a spa, pools and restaurants.  One of the more prominent second-home owners in Keswick Estate is John T. Casteen III, president of the University of Virginia, whose primary residence is only about 10 miles away. In Charlottesville, he lives in a university-owned mansion named Carr’s Hill that was principally designed by Stanford White just before his murder in 1906.  Mr. Casteen and his wife purchased their house in Keswick in 2004, for $1,480,000. Noting the lack of privacy that comes with living in the center of a large university, he said they bought there to own a retreat where they could “find some anonymity.”  “The Keswick house provides something like a vacation,” he said, “but it also provides an environment that lets us live a more normal family life than happens when your nearest neighbors are fraternities or academic buildings.”  The other gated community, Glenmore, also has a clubhouse and golf course, in addition to an on-site equestrian center. Homes there start at under $500,000, with a few as high as $2.5 million. Property maintenance is offered with some of the 824 homesites.  Sandra and Dick Wagaman took advantage of that amenity when they bought a two-bedroom cottage in 1999 for $352,700; they later enlarged it to 4,000 square feet. “That was a big drawing card for us,” said Ms. Wagaman, whose primary residence then was in Northern Virginia. “It fit our lifestyle.”  Carolyn Barnes said she studied the area’s real estate market for 10 years before buying a 75-acre farm, with a house built in 1848, for $1,550,000 in 2003. “I’ve always had it in my heart to live in a historic place,” said Ms. Barnes, whose primary residence is in Jacksonville, Fla.  Ms. Barnes added that she was anxious to make Keswick her only home. “If anyone wants a nice house on the river in Jacksonville,” she said, “I’ve got one for sale.”  Other than watching Stephen Stokes and the workers in his blacksmith shop, Stokes of England, forge custom works in iron, brass and copper for customers that include the British royal family, the only other attraction in Keswick proper is the defunct railroad depot that was used as a locale in the 1956 film “Giant,” James Dean’s last movie.  For those who want the quaint stores and restaurants often associated with small towns, Gordonsville is about 12 miles up Route 231. It has several boutiques, including Animal Crackers for children’s clothing and Country Gardens for garden ornaments, as well as a country-style French restaurant called Pomme. And Charlottesville is within easy distance to the west.  Most socializing, though, is done within the communities themselves, either in residents’ homes or at the Keswick Club or the Glenmore Country Club. Each one offers memberships to residents and nonresidents. There’s also the Keswick Hunt Club, which has been a center of fox hunting since 1896.  Many residents point to the peace and quiet that Keswick affords, without the sense of isolation.  “What’s so precious about this place is you’re so near the finest medical center, the fine arts, the performing arts, the finest scholars, and you’re so close to nature,” Ms. Stern said.  This part of Virginia is not near a major body of water, which could be a drawback for some. (Virginia Beach is 170 miles to the southeast).  Most buyers attracted to Keswick tend toward wealth, local real estate agents say, and that has generally insulated the area from the recent market downturn.  There are currently 85 active listings, ranging from small cottages in the low six figures to a historic 514-acre equestrian estate priced at $18 million.  Properties in Glenmore have been a bit more vulnerable to market forces. Marina Ringstrom, an agent with Real Estate III, said that her upper-end properties have seen “more days on the market,” while more negotiating has been required to complete sales of her six-figure listings.  If you drive through Keswick, though, you might get the impression that there’s nothing available, because “For Sale” signs aren’t much in evidence.  “There’s a feeling that we don’t put the signs out because it’s a little tacky,” said Sharon Merrick, a Keswick resident who, with her husband, Duke, is an agent with Roy Wheeler Realty. “Also, it is to protect the owners’ privacy, as these properties are so beautiful and compelling, people often assume a realtor’s sign means an open gate.”  POPULATION 3,668, according to the 2000 Census, but local officials place it closer to 5,000 today.  SIZE About 50 square miles.  WHERE Keswick is eight miles east of Charlottesville and 110 miles southwest of Washington.  WHO’S BUYING Many come from suburban Washington, but the area attracts people nationwide.  WHILE YOU’RE LOOKING Keswick Hall (701 Club Drive, 888-778-2565; www.keswick.com) is a Mediterranean-style resort. Rooms start at $225 a night, rising to $950 for the master suite.  A version of this article appears in print on , on Page D3 of the New York edition with the headline: Pastoral Landscapes and Upscale Retreats. Order Reprints| Today's Paper|Subscribe
Sitting in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, eight miles east of Charlottesville, Va., Keswick is framed by white farm fences and rolling green pastures.