Editing West Newbury, Massachusetts (section)

==Culture==
West Newbury and its residents were the models for Popperville, the setting of [[Virginia Lee Burton]]'s children's story ''[[Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel]].''<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sullivan |first1=James |title=As a child, his steam fueled hot 1939 children's classic |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/443414391/?terms=%22Mike%2BMulligan%22 |access-date=August 25, 2019 |work=The Boston Globe |date=March 30, 2006 |pages=1/131, 6/136}}</ref>  The town hall where the story ends is patterned after West Newbury's Old Town Hall.<ref>Virginia Lee Burton: ''A Life in Art''. 2002. {{ISBN|0-618-00342-8}}</ref> West Newbury also provided the geographical inspiration for the ''[[Mad Scientists' Club]]'' series of stories by [[Bertrand R. Brinley]]. Portions of [[John Cena]]'s music video, "Right Now", were shot in West Newbury, with the remainder filmed at [[Hampton Beach, New Hampshire]]. In the late summer and fall of 2008, various scenes from [[Mel Gibson]]'s film ''[[Edge of Darkness (2010 film)|Edge of Darkness]]'' were shot on Church Street.<ref>{{cite news |last1=King |first1=Liz |title=Local 'Mel fan' hopes he makes the cut |url=https://www.newburyportnews.com/news/local_news/local-mel-fan-hopes-he-made-the-final-cut/article_3bea0664-354c-5c35-98be-a253422d4211.html |access-date=August 26, 2019 |work=Newburyport Daily News |date=January 30, 2010}}</ref>

West Newbury is home to Emery House, monastery guesthouse and sanctuary of the [[Society of St. John the Evangelist]].

[[File:WestNewburyCraneNeckSt.jpg|thumb|left|Farm at Crane Neck Street, West Newbury, 2019]]Many farms remain in West Newbury. In 2019 the town, in conjunction with Essex County Greenbelt Association, purchased an agricultural preservation restriction for Brown Spring Farm, permanently eliminating rights to develop the farmland and making it affordable for a new farmer.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Alterisio |first1=Heather |title=West Newbury, Greenbelt, secure future for Brown Spring Farm |url=https://newburyportnews-cnhi.newsmemory.com/?selDate=20191224&goTo=01&artid=0 |access-date=December 24, 2019 |work=Newburyport Daily News |date=December 24, 2019 |page=1}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=West Newbury Special Town Meeting results |url=https://www.newburyportnews.com/news/local_news/west-newbury-special-town-meeting-results/article_5c43f32e-c70d-511d-b7cc-b1c06587fee7.html |access-date=December 19, 2019 |work=The Newburyport Daily News |date=April 30, 2019}}</ref> Long Hill Orchard is the town's oldest continually-operating farm. A number of smaller farms exist in West Newbury, including Maple Crest Farm, several Christmas tree farms, and numerous horse stables and equestrian facilities.

The town has two primary outdoor recreational areas, Mill Pond and Pipestave Hill, which offer walking trails, horseback riding trails, as well as space for canoeing, fishing, and kayaking. Equestrian events are regularly held by the West Newbury Riding and Driving Club throughout the riding season. Additionally, the [[Myopia Hunt Club]] holds an annual fox hunt through the town during the fall.

Efforts to maintain West Newbury's rural charm have been ongoing; the Town has purchased large swaths of land designated as Open Space by the West Newbury Open Space Committee.