“I’ve been a part of Greenwich for all my 72 years and it’s hard to know where it starts and I stop; it’s all I know., really. I love our beaches and parks, the woodlands that have been my playground and now thrill my five grandkids. My big, fat bobcat and wonderful ugly snapping turtle… it’s all part of a wonderful mix of things here.”
Terry Betteridge may be new to the neighborhood, but his family has been a fixture in Greenwich for more than seventy years. From jewelry and watches to philanthropic activities in the community, the Betteridge name has been synonymous with dedication and commitment.
Claiming to be retired, Terry is as busy as ever restoring the property of the late Molly Cook and the backcountry terrain that makes Round Hill so appealing. He dredged the large pond on Old Mill Road for half a year to remove ten feet of muck which had settled over the previous six decades, thereby improving drainage for the dam and creating an inhospitable environment for mosquitos to breed.
Respecting the natural and historic use of this and the adjacent Greenwich Land Trust properties, Terry is planning to connect the existing unused horse trail on and abutting his property for the benefit of the Greenwich Riding Trails Association. Terry admits that this a bit of a selfish effort. “It’d be nice to see the riders again in the woods. I used to carry cube sugar for making solid friendships with a bunch of horses when I was little out here.”
He has plans to restore the horse trails and the horse bridge on the property as well as the grounds of adjacent parcels that were gifted by Molly Cook, the renowned conservationist, gardener, artist, sailor, pilot, philanthropist, and local legend who passed away in 2020 at the age of 102. Over time, these may be accessible as part of Greenwich Audubon’s continuing research and conservation activities.
Terry seems to be enjoying his new occupation, describing himself as “a really old lumberjack,” playing with band saws and eagerly awaiting the arrival of his professional Wood-mizer sawmill so that he can create paneling for his new barn, as he’s done many times in the past elsewhere. He’s eyeing maples, red oak and white, and ash trees as they die off as excellent material. “It’s really fun, if tiring work.”
There have been a lot of changes over the decades and Terry misses the grouse hunting, and growing up with old fields and orchards, but he maintains “for the good schools and an incredible mix of very civilized with old New England field and history, it’s the best of places.”
Apparently, his newlywed daughter Coco and son-in-law Jason agree. They’ve recently moved a few doors down.
