Discover: Buxhall
Welcome to Deepwell Granary and The Hayloft, your countryside hideaways in the heart of rural Suffolk. Here you’ll find ancient woodlands, peaceful meadows, charming villages, fantastic local food, and a slower pace of life to unwind and explore. We’ve compiled a guide to help you make the most of your stay.
Grazing Walks around Suffolks Wool Towns
Here is a great interactive map with walks and places to eat based on the local Wool Towns.
Just click the links on page 2 to get the OS Walking Map extract and recommendation for place to eat at:
Click for Grazing Walks – Wool Towns
… and here is one for Mid Suffolk starting 20-minutes’ drive away Northwards
Click for Grazing Walks – Mid Suffolk
Pubs & Restaurants
The Brewers – Rattlesden IP30 0RJ
www.thebrewersrattlesden.co.uk
A lovely Michelin-awarded gastro pub in our neighbouring village just 1.5 miles away. Perfect for special occasions or a memorable meal.
La Vista at The Crown – Buxhall IP14 3DW
La Vista at The Crown – 07460 214026
An easy walk from the cottages, La Vista brings you authentic Italian flavours in a cosy country setting.
The Dog – Norton IP31 3LP
www.thenortondog.com – 01359 230440
17th-century pub with open fires, oak beams, and a seasonal menu focused on local produce.
All day opening, seasonal menu, daily specials and an extensive wine list, you can enjoy good food from local, regional suppliers. The menu also changes regularly. An open fire, oak beams and furnishings compliment the traditional 17th century building, creating a warm cosy feel.
The Leaping Hare – Wyken Vineyard, IP31 2DW
www.wykenvineyards.co.uk – 01359 250287
Award-winning restaurant using estate-raised game and home-grown produce. Wyken also features shops, a vineyard, and a farmers’ market. About 20 minutes’ drive.
Where possible they try to source ingredients from within a five mile radius, so the beef and lamb are local and where possible from the Wyken farm. Wild game, venison, pheasant, partridge, rabbit and pigeon are from the estate and fruit, herbs and vegetables from the kitchen garden. A very popular Restaurant.
The restaurant is all part of Wyken Vinyards and you can also visit their Farmers market, shops and sample their excellent own wines. The Leaping Hare is just a 20 minute drive away.
Pea Porridge – Bury St Edmunds IP33 1JR
www.peaporridge.co.uk – 01284 700200
Pea Porridge is a Michelin award winning restaurant set in a quiet residential street in Bury St Edmunds. The restaurant has a wonderful warm rustic feel to it, very down to earth and unpretentious and the food is delicious!
The Crown – Bildeston IP7 7EB
www.thebildestoncrown.com – 01449 740510
A real treat located in the heart of Suffolk’s picturesque countryside, close to the wool towns of Lavenham and Hadleigh. It is an original 15th century coaching inn which was imaginatively renovated and refurbished in 2003. The Crown offers fine food in splendid beamed surroundings either in the bar or in its stunning restaurant.
The Butt & Oyster – Pin Mill, Ipswich IP9 1JW
www.debeninns.co.uk/buttandoyster – 01473 780764
The Butt & Oyster at Pin Mill is right on the picturesque harbour on the Orwell Estuary. An atmospheric pub with lots of great seafood and lovely walks. The Suffolk Barns and Jimmy’s Farm are so close this really is a good day out. There is a window on the river side of the pub where the boats can moor up and order a pint from the bar!
The Swan – Woolpit IP30 9QN
www.woolpitswan.co.uk – 01359 240482
An old coaching inn in the village square. Good food from daily changing blackboard menu and Adnams beer served from a slate top bar. Enjoy a glass of wine in the walled garden on a summers evening.
Other great local options:
- The Kings Arms – Haughley
- The Crown – Stowupland
- Chestnut Horse – Great Finborough (walkable in about 40 minutes)
Walks
To La Vista at the Crown (30 minutes each way):
Footpaths through fields and wooded trails lead to this local Italian spot.
Three Church View (40-minute round trip):
See St Andrew’s Church (Great Finborough), St Mary’s (Buxhall), and King Charles the Martyr (Shelland).
King Charles the Martyr, Shelland (80-minute round trip):
Visit this picturesque hilltop church and its rare 1810 barrel organ. Homemade jams are often available.
Bradfield Woods (10-minute drive):
Ancient woodland with well-marked walking routes and occasional green craft courses. This is an Historic Wood of importance and well cared for – enjoy.
Private meadow and woodland:
Direct access from your cottage – ideal for peaceful strolls, hammock lounging, or evenings by the firepit.
Farm Shops & Local Produce
- Grange Farm – Woolpit
- Punchards Farm – Rattlesden (Aberdeen Angus beef)
- Spikes Egg Shed – Buxhall (eggs!)
Wyken Farm – Wyken Vineyards (also see: The Leaping Hare)
Farmers market every Saturday
Car Boot Sale
Woolpit – Sundays, 6am to noon
Activities
- Fishing – Bakers Puddle, Buxhall IP14 3DW – bakerspuddle.co.uk – 01449 736761
- Golf – Stowmarket Golf Club, IP14 3DA – stowmarketgolfclub.co.uk – 01449 736473
- Flying – Rattlesden Flying Club, IP30 0PT – ratair.org.uk
- Village Fêtes – June to August is fête season across Suffolk
Cycling
Perfect terrain for cycling – gentle hills, winding lanes, quiet villages. More info: stowcc.com
Useful Local Info
- Woolpit Garage – IP30 9QT – 01359 244050
- Woolpit Co-op – IP30 9SA – 01359 240322 – Open Mon–Sat 6am–9pm, Sun 8am–4pm
- Woolpit Fish & Chips – IP30 9QH – 01359 240278
- Stowmarket – Asda, Tesco, Morrisons, Lidl
- Bury St Edmunds – Waitrose + others
- Woolpit Complementary (massage, reflexology) – IP30 9QS – 01359 408011
- Rattlesden Village Shop & Post Office – IP30 0RL – 01449 736199 – Open Mon–Fri 9am–1pm, Sat 9am–12:30pm
Local Towns and Villages:
Bury St Edmunds (12 miles, 20 minutes drive) –
An important town in East Anglia and once home to the most powerful monastery of medieval England. The town and suburbs were originally established to service the abbey. Now Bury St Edmunds survives as a prosperous town and borough. Visit the street market on Wednesday and Saturday, or go for the good shops and restaurants. Take a guided walk of the pretty pedestrianised town centre along streets flanked by pretty medieval buildings. There are a variety of fairs and festivals throughout the year, an Arts Festival in May, Food and Drink in August and a Christmas Fayre in December. Have a tour of the Greene King Brewery which produces the local beer. There are plenty of things to see and do in this pretty historic town.
Stowmarket (3.5 miles, 9 minutes drive) –
Stowmarket grew as a market town and has a railway station with good connections to London Liverpool Street and Cambridge. There is a street market throughout the day every Thursday and Saturday. The John Peel Centre for Creative Arts has a regular programme of music, comedy and theatre. There is a cinema to catch the latest film release. The Museum of East Anglian Life set in the heart of Stowmarket, on a 75 acre estate, gives an insight into the history and rural life in the region.
Rattlesden (2 miles, 5 minutes drive) –
The prominent flint church sits overlooking the village. There is a post office with a small shop useful for picking up a pint of milk. It is a lovely small village to take a walk around and see the charming thatched cottages and medieval buildings. Have a pint in the local pub!
Lavenham (11 miles, 24 minutes drive) –
Lavenham is a Suffolk wool town. It is a picturesque town lined with medieval timber framed buildings and excellent restaurants. Visit the Natural Trust Guildhall Corpus Christi, an impressive timber framed building overlooking the Market Place. The Little Hall, a yellow beamed 14th C house is also an interesting place to visit.
This is England’s best-preserved medieval wool town, rich in character and great dining, it is just a short drive away and here is an article that I have written about it and the great places to eat there.: Mark’s Blog
Enjoy your stay and please do get in touch if you’d like help planning your days out, booking restaurants, or choosing a walk to suit the weather!
