Bed and Breakfast Association of Virginia

Channel Bass Inn

Today, this Chincoteague Island  landmark has seven beautifully furnished, air-conditioned rooms, including two suites,each with its own en-suite bathroom. The new suite, the Wetherby, is situated on the first floor - ideal for guests who would rather not climb stairs!

The rooms are spacious and peaceful, most with king-or queen-size beds which are triple-sheeted for extra comfort. Each guest room has a comfortable sitting area for reading and relaxing.  The Ambleside Suite has a separate sitting room with a sofa bed, desk and TV. The Wetherby Suite is approximately 400 sq feet, excluding the beautiful, spacious bathroom, with walk-in shower.

Guests will certainly enjoy the serenity of the beautiful perennial gardens which surround the 6800 sq ft Inn, just across the way from the Chincoteague Bay!  


The Tea Room at the Channel Bass Inn offers visitors the opportunity to sample a taste of England! Prepare to be delighted by Barbara's "world-famous" scones, tea-sandwiches, trifle, Victoria sponge cake with strawberries and cream, Apfelkuchen (German apple cake), stuffed monkeys and more!

The Channel Bass Inn has been awarded a 3-star rating by Mobil.


Your hosts

Barbara and David Wiedenheft (from Leeds, England and Chicago, respectively) came to Chincoteague in 1992 to begin new careers as innkeepers. David has had a varied career's from school psychologist to Bluegrass musician to chimney sweep. Barbara was with the British Embassy in Washington DC before moving to Chincoteague, and spent many years living in France, Holland and Tunisia. They have established a tradition of scrumptious breakfasts and delicious English afternoon teas and take pleasure in extending their special brand of hospitality to all their guests. Barbara's ability to speak French, Dutch, German and other foreign languages will make visitors from abroad feel very much at home.

The Chincoteague Area

The native Indians called our island Gingo-teague, which means "beautiful land across the water." Historically, Chincoteague has been a fishing village, widely known for the salty taste of the oysters from nearby bays. Commercial fishing boats still off-load their catch on Chincoteague.

Nearby Assateague Island provides a natural backdrop for your stay on Chincoteague. Uninhabited now, it has become a National Wildlife Refuge and National Seashore. The Refuge, a favorite destination for birders, includes sandy dunes, marshlands and wooded areas. The Seashore provides long sandy stretches for walking, sunning, swimming, and shell-gathering. The wild horses, made famous by Marguerite Henry's children's classic Misty of Chincoteague, roam contentedly on Assateague Island.

Chincoteague Vacation Activities

There is much to do and see on the islands of Chincoteague and nearby Assateague. Walking, bicycling, kayaking and canoeing are favorite activities. For a faster pace, jet-skis and motorboats are available and young people will enjoy playing miniature golf or bouncing in the bumper boats. There are sightseeing tours on both land and water, and fishing boats are available for charter. After a day on the water, one can browse for antiques and gifts or enjoy a meal at one of Chincoteague's fine restaurants.

A credit card, or advance payment by cheque, is required to hold the reservation.

A ten-day notice of cancellation is required for a full refund. Should it not be possible to give ten days notice of cancellation, any refund will be based on our ability to re-rent the room.

We regret that we are unable to give any refund in case of an early departure.

All cancellations will be charged a $25.00 per room processing fee.