Halesworth

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Just ninety minutes outside of London, you will find this charming and character-filled home on a quiet lane in rural Suffolk. It’s over 500 years old, and still has many of the original fittings, from the inglenook fireplaces to the oak beams. Perfect for a family getaway from the city, there is plenty to do and see from the property by foot or bicycle, while lush gardens and cosy interiors are there to enjoy if you’d like to stay put. When it’s meal time, if you don’t fancy getting your hands dirty, there is an excellent local pub just down the road.

Raspberry Scone

Large groups looking to explore the expansive Norfolk landscape will love all that this stunning Georgian home has to offer. Located just a fifteen-minute walk from the charming village of Somerleyton, with its grand hall and traditional pubs, there's plenty to see and do in the area – walking, and cycle paths, boats for hire in St. Olaves. The nearest beach is a quick ten-minute drive away, while the lovely seaside towns of Gorleston and Great Yarmouth are approximately twenty minutes in the car. But we really wouldn't blame you if you stayed put at home. After all, the main house boasts a pool table, a large lounge, an impressive dining room and four elegant bedrooms. On top of that, guests can delight in sweeping views of Waveney Valley. Wander out into the sprawling picturesque garden, and you’ll find a rustic fire pit and wood-burning hot tub to pass the time in. There’s also a delightful shepherd's hut where two additional guests can stay, providing an intimate space to enjoy a little more peace, quiet and privacy close to nature. Reconnect with the countryside at this lovely retreat and explore the Norfolk Broads and Suffolk Heritage Coast.

Somerleyton

Step back in time at this meticulously restored Regency cottage. Your hosts have poured their time and energy into sourcing period-specific reclaimed materials and equipping the home with antique furnishings to create a cosy and charming English escape that offers the very best of coast and country.

All that effort has clearly paid off, as evidenced by the beautiful interior. From the Victorian roll-top bath to the eighteenth-century range and the wainscotting on the walls – every effort has been made to make it feel as authentic as possible. Even the mod cons, such as the TV, are hidden away inside bread ovens that are built into the chimney so as not to shatter the illusion.

At the top of the narrow staircase is the twin bedroom, through which you enter the main bedroom – a pretty common arrangement for houses of this period.

Step outside, and you'll find a beautifully maintained nature reserve right on your doorstep. Your hosts bought it in 2015 and have spent the intervening years slowly restoring and exposing its beauty, with winding footpaths leading to conveniently placed benches, soaring Scots pine trees and ancient oaks – perfect for a reflective moment in nature or a ride on the supplied bikes.

For adventures further afield, you'll find maps detailing footpaths that run to the world-class concert hall at Snape Maltings, two-and-a-half miles away, and continue through forests and past lakes, leading all the way to the sea at Aldeburgh. 

The Miller's Cottage

This majestic house is surrounded by an immaculate garden and private woodland. With its stately grandeur and Georgian architecture, it's a true one-off. Inside, opulent furnishings nod to the history of this estate and provide luxurious comfort. There's even a house manager and team on hand to prepare the home to suit your occasion. The surrounding coastline and local countryside provide ample opportunity for beautiful scenic walks and outdoor pursuits. 

Sense & Sensibility

This charming cottage feels like a step back in time. It sits in the former stable block of an elegant Georgian Estate, dating back to the early-seventeenth century. Now a working farm, it's surrounded by four hundred acres of gloriously green pastures and ancient parkland – inhabited by herds of red deer, muntjac and an array of birdlife – which you're encouraged to explore. Here, you're just shy of a twenty-minute drive from the picturesque cathedral city of Norwich and the enchanting Norfolk Broads.

The exquisitely renovated interior is cosy and welcoming. Hardwood floors, exposed brickwork, and beam-clad ceilings offer a characterful canvas primed for relaxation. We especially love the sitting room with its plush velvet sofas and wood-burning fireplace, not to mention the delightful country-house kitchen, where a spacious dining table offers a lovely space for homecooked feasts with your clan. 

Framed by a grade-two listed stone wall and dense woodland, a private south-facing garden beckons you to feel completely immersed in nature. After a restful slumber in Egyptian cotton linens, step outside and enjoy your morning brew to the sound of birdsong and gently rustling leaves. Between adventures, spend your days sunbathing on the lawn, reading in the conservatory and, come sunset, sipping cocktails on the furnished patio.

Echoes of Spring

This is an extra-special home in the grounds of an award-winning boutique vineyard. It’s been carefully curated to offer everything you might need during your stay, and for you to enjoy your visit in the lap of luxury. 

The home is a contemporary villa with vast windows looking out onto the vineyard and the rolling countryside that surrounds the property. The open-plan living and dining space is perfect for chatting over food and sipping wine – there’s even an honesty box wine bar for you to sample the wines produced by the vineyard. A striking nickel bar – like at The Ivy – has pride of place in front of the huge picture window overlooking the vineyard. There are also full height glass patio doors which open onto a wonderful private guest garden and patio.

Outside, pop open a bottle of chilled white or rosé wine and sink into the jacuzzi while the barbecue heats up. When the weather is fine, you won’t want to be anywhere else – there’s a comfy sofa and loungers, ideal for relaxing, and a tennis court if you want to work up a sweat. Dining outside with beautiful views laid out before you is utterly idyllic, especially when the sun starts to sink in the sky. 

If you feel the urge to explore, there’s plenty to see and do in the vicinity. The villa is a four-minute drive from Toppesfield village, where you can enjoy a meal in the community-owned pub. Finchingfield, the most photographed village in Essex is 10 minutes drive. For history enjoy a stroll around Castle Hedingham with its thatched cottages and amazing Norman castle. Saffron Walden, a medieval town – is thirty-six minutes away. There you’ll find a wealth of independent shops, cafes and restaurants around the buzzy market square as well as beautiful historic buildings, gardens, museum and art gallery. 

This is a memorable home for romantic visits to this picturesque area on the Essex/Suffolk border. Make sure you take a bottle of the vineyard’s award winning wine home with you – it’s the perfect memento.


An East Anglian Vineyard

Hidden away next to ancient woodland in rural Essex, this cabin is a British getaway that overflows with quirk and charm.

Inside, classically styled furnishings, such as the tufted Chesterfield, oak dining table and the four-poster bed that's come straight out of a fairytale, rub shoulders with the eclectic animal portraits that dot the wall, the antler chandelier and antique-style gramophone — which actually works in case you're in the mood for a boogie. The copper rolltop bathtub that lies just next to the bed is another decadent touch that we can't help but salute.

The home's exterior is full of pleasant surprises, too. When the weather's warm enough — and even when it's not — you can sit out in the home's hot tub, before drying off on one of the egg chairs next to the roaring fire pit. It's possible to hear the sounds of wildlife from the neighbouring forest, as well as the occasional roar from Colchester Zoo, which is less than ten minutes' drive from the home.

Elsewhere in the local area, the huge Abberton Reservoir takes five minutes to reach in the car and offers spectacular birdwatching opportunities. The local village of Layer de la Haye, with its pair of pubs and farm shop, is a ten-minute walk away, too.

Kooky Cabin

Surrounded by over 500 acres of woodland, lakes and ponds, this Grade II-listed farmhouse makes a big impression. Rooms are spacious and comfortably modern, though taller guests might want to watch their heads on some of the sloping ceilings. The manicured garden stretches around the outdoor seating, making it easy for parents to supervise kids playing on the lawn whilst they enjoy a sunset drink. There's also a tennis court, gym, squash court, play set, and table tennis to keep everyone busy, but the lake is our favourite. With a jetty and small rowing boat, you can get out on the water whenever you need a peaceful moment. 

Suffolk's Delight

A rural retreat with an almost embarrassing amount of charm, this thatched home dates back centuries and represents the best of Norfolk's architectural style. Carefully modernised and curated with stylish wall colours, art and a mix of antique and contemporary furniture, it's a fabulous space to unwind in unique surroundings. As well as a stunning historic home, it boasts a large, enclosed garden and a summer house to die for.  

Inside, the stripped-back, authentic character of this place is evident in the ancient beams, brick floors and inglenook fireplace. A comfy velvet sofa provides a modern twist but otherwise, the living room is dressed like it would have been a hundred years ago or so. Elsewhere there's a delightful country kitchen, a casual dining room and a midnight-blue TV room, along with a useful utility room and three gorgeous bedrooms.

And outside you'll find pretty gardens, along with a greenhouse and a deck for enjoying the sun. Step inside the summer house for the biggest surprise though. A lovely space for friends and family to socialise and eat together, it comes with a Scandinavian-style indoor barbecue cabin. 

Around half an hour's drive from both Diss and Norwich, you'll be deep in the country here so a car is essential, but there are great walks to be had nearby and the coast is around forty-five minutes away. Visit Southwold, Lowestoft and more for days out by the sea.



Reedgrass & Tallow

We can see why this cottage was in The Sunday Times' Coolest 100 Cottages' list – it's a Jacobean dream, full of original character and quirky features. Once home to the miller of Plomesgate Mill, it now houses wonderful antiques, such as a fantastic 1700s Breton bed built straight into the wall, a gorgeous oak four-poster and a working 1800s kitchen range. 

Enjoy a tasty full English breakfast (courtesy of the welcome hamper provided by your lovely hosts Beverley and Martin) in the farmhouse style kitchen. Or when the Suffolk sun is shining, dine in the pretty, wisteria clad courtyard. If you’re lucky enough to be here in August and September, there's a mulberry bush in the grounds that guests are welcome to pick fruit from – perfect for making some jam or muffins.

Something else we adore here is the owner’s beautiful private nature reserve behind this home. Take the dogs for a walk through the meandering footpaths that wind through meadows and ancient woodland. In spring, you’ll see captivating carpets of cheerful daffodils, bluebells and primroses. Whatever time of year you come, though, you’ll be treated to an array of wildlife, from nuthatches to woodpeckers.
 
There are maps to find the footpaths going onwards to Snape Maltings, an arts complex on the banks of the River Alde, just over two miles away. Or head to Aldeburgh (seven minutes in the car) – you can borrow some bikes and cycle there in around thirty minutes too.



Jacobean Gem

Your hosts have spent the best part of three years restoring this stylish space to create a super chic retreat in the heart of the Suffolk countryside. As a former threshing barn, this home offers spectacular surroundings, with exposed brick walls, seventeenth-century beams and sky-high vaulted ceilings that make it a fantastic choice for larger groups of friends or family who want to get away to celebrate a special occasion.

Step inside the vast open-plan space, and you'll find comfortable corner sofa seating, a beautiful rustic dining table, and a sleek custom kitchen, bookended by long stretches of folding doors that allow for seamless access to the outdoors. In addition, a stunning copper-topped bar is perfect for mixing up summer sundowners to sip out on the terrace, while a separate snug offers a secluded spot to get stuck into a good book.

Head down the hall to uncover four of the six bedrooms, with a further two rooms up on the first floor. Each is individually decorated, with comfortable British-made beds, luxurious linens and stunning en-suite bath/shower rooms.

Outdoors, an immaculately tended garden offers several terraces so that you can enjoy the sun from different spots as it moves across the sky. In addition, there's a well-equipped outdoor kitchen with a gas barbecue and a state-of-the-art pizza oven to keep everyone fed and watered throughout the day.

Copper Top Warren

Set on the Suffolk coast, just a stone's throw from the beach, you'll find this charming former fisherman's cottage. Your hosts have recently renovated this home from home with your needs in mind, yet they've retained plenty of its undeniable period charm in the process.

Inside, the living room is decorated in soothing green tones, with plenty of comfortable Chesterfield seating and a wood burner that makes for idyllic nights telling tall tales around the fire. Elsewhere, the dining room has seating for four and a convenient workspace for anyone who can't quite leave the office behind. Finally, there's a compact kitchen equipped with everything you might need to whip up family feasts, plus an inviting bathroom with a Victorian rolltop bath for some evening 'you' time.

Upstairs, you'll find the three bedrooms, including a lovely main room with plenty of clothes storage so you can unpack and settle in. The second bedroom features a stunning custom-built shelving unit that houses everything from books to houseplants, while the third bunk room is perfect for the kids.

The cottage is under a quarter of a mile from the beach and there's a highly rated fish and chip shop just a few doors down, so order yourself a catch of the day and eat in the dappled sunlight of the courtyard garden, or head down to the beach for an impromptu alfresco dinner overlooking the sea.

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