MOST UNUSUAL

Three parcels of land for sale (7 acres, 6 acres, 4.5 acres) in South Kingstown, Rhode Island. All, with century-old fieldstone walls, abut a 125-acre land preserve which will stay in its present state forever. These three parcels are part of a property called Land 'n Sea which the owner has held for 50 years.

These properties have the look of any treed area one might find in Western Massachusetts or Northern New England, yet are but a five-minute drive to beautiful ocean beaches. Hence, an owner would have a residence which would serve not only as a "place at the shore," but also as a weekend retreat, October to May, as well as a home for the years of retirement.

There are two especially significant advantages to these properties. First, the land is back about a mile from the ocean safe from beach erosion and hurricane destruction. Second, these parcels are only a five-minute drive from two ocean beaches. Owners of these parcels become members of an association owning a four-acre parcel on a barrier beach, with 100-footfrontage on a sandy ocean beach, a membership which assures private access to an ocean beach, in perpetuity.

There is a second beach, also a five-minute drive (or bicycle ride) away; this is 1.5 miles long, with only one house on its entire length the beach to stay in its present state forever; no pizza stands, no boardwalks, no bathhouses, no "nuthin." Just nature.

A third advantage: these properties are located in a 2,500-acre land mass, two-thirds of which is open space and which will remain so. A significant part of this, 2,500 acres, and one of the most extraordinary assets of the properties for sale, is the 1,000-acre Trustom Pond Wildlife Refuge (a waterfowl sanctuary). It is but a five-minute walk from the properties for sale to the entrance to the Refuge.

There's a quaint little train station in the village of Kingston, Rhode Island (home of the University of Rhode Island). The station offers free parking and is only a 20-minute cab ride to the properties. Amtrak provides all-weather transport, 7 trains daily, from major cities along the Boston to Washington track: Boston (Route 128 Station, 55 minutes); (South Station, 75 minutes); New Haven, 1 hour 50 minutes; Manhattan, 3 3/4 hours. Driving time from Boston (AAA estimate) 1.5 hours; same as Boston-Hyannis (without the Route 93/3 hassle).

Additional advantages: There are 16 walking/biking trails within 45 minutes of Land 'n Sea, a couple only 12-15 minutes away, along the shore of an ocean refuge, another in deep woods; there's a 600-acre freshwater pond 15 minutes from Land 'n Sea; a 14,000-acre "wilderness" area 35-40 minutes away; miles of canoeing on Wood River same distance; a whole range of fishing salt water (both surf and deep sea), as well as many freshwater spots; even a ski facility 40 minutes away; intriguing day trips: Newport and that extraordinary Block Island (a one-hour ferry from Galilee), designated by the Nature Conservancy as one of the "Last Great Places: An Alliance for People and the Environment" one the last great places in the entire Western Hemisphere!

The owner of this property recently received an award for his efforts in the preservation of open space. The award was given by the Southern New England Forest Consortium and the Rhode Island Chapter of the American Planning Association. In presenting the award, the director of the Consortium said "Over the past 20 years this owner has lovingly developed over 300 acres of land abutting the ocean and the Trustom Pond Wildlife Refuge."

Property priced at $160,000 to $180,000.

A 25-page booklet describing this property and the surrounding area, together with three color brochures, is available by calling the owner at (202) 333-3929. (Leave name, address and phone number). The owner reflects on a dozen years of residence in Cambridge, Mass., and an association, for a like number of years, with one of the great universities of the world.