Gloucester harbor has a western and an eastern side, and it is easy to drive the scenic Harbor Poetry Drive, which loops around the harbor. Parking is easy at four stops which span the harbor from west to east and provide scenic vantage points from which to appreciate the beauty and the poetry of the harbor. The stops are:
- Norman’s Woe ( Hammond Castle)
- The Fishermen’s Memorial and the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial
- The Jodrey State Fish Pier
- Eastern Point Lighthouse
DIRECTIONS TO STOP 1: Norman’s Woe ( Hammond Castle)
The westernmost point of the outer harbor is marked by the rock and reef of Norman’s Woe, clearly visible one third of a mile from the observation area of Hammond Castle in Gloucester. Hammond Castle can be visited by driving on route 127 south away from downtown Gloucester toward Mancester-By-the-Sea. Hammond Castle is on Hesperus Ave., a left turn one mile and a half south of the intersection of route 127 with route 133. To get to Hammond Castle from Manchester-By-the-Sea, travel on Route 127 north toward Gloucester, and take a right on Raymond Ave. in Manchester. This road becomes Norman Ave. in Magnolia, and then Hesperus Ave. in Gloucester before reaching Hammond Castle, where parking is available only during visiting hours.
DIRECTIONS TO STOP 2: The Fishermen’s Memorial and the Fishermen’s Wives Memorial
From Hammond Castle, travel back toward downtown Gloucester on route 127 North. The Fishermen’s Wives Memorial is located at the intersection of routes 127 and 133. The Fishermen’s Memorial is located one third of a mile further north, just past the drawbridge over the Blynman Canal (the Cut). Both monuments are on the harbor’s west side near the entrance to the inner harbor.
DIRECTIONS TO STOP 3: The Jodrey State Fish Pier
From the monuments, follow route 127 north into the inner harbor. At the downtown traffic interchange, turn right, and then left, and follow Rogers St. down the western side of the inner harbor. After Rogers St. joins and becomes Main St. at the end of the inner harbor, take a right on Parker St. and head down to the Jodrey State Fish Pier, located in the heart of the inner harbor. There is no mistaking the large building and the long pier.
DIRECTIONS TO STOP 4: Eastern Point Lighthouse
From the Jodrey State Fish Pier, go back up Parker St. and turn right on Main St. Turn right again right away on East Main St., and follow it as it proceeds along the east side of the harbor past the Rocky Neck artist colony. Soon after reaching Niles Beach, bear right on Eastern Point Boulevard and follow it one and a half miles to its end at the Eastern Point Lighthouse. On the way, go through the gate at the end of Niles Beach and the gate after Beauport.
