Cottage Walk Through

This bright and airy cottage cottage has an open plan living area with a high vaulted ceiling. A big, comfy sofa and armchair encircle a cosy wood burning stove.

Up a couple of steps is the split level kitchen and dining area, the kitchen is very well equipped and laid out. There are views out onto one of the finest remaining examples of a Grade II listed, brick and flint barn in Essex – it’s impressive and really quite beautiful.

Along the corridor is the shower room and a very charming bedroom with a king-size bed, French wardrobe and plenty of storage space.

The lane outside is tiny and very quiet and the property is surrounded by fields and open farmland.

This is a really cosy and comfortable place to relax, unwind and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside. It’s close by some great visitor attractions, some interesting towns and villages and offers a perfect mix of countryside and culture.

The Gardens

This self-catering cottage has its own enclosed garden with fruit trees where you can sit and enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside, there are tables, chairs, and loungers supplied and a BBQ if you are in the mood.

Outside

The Stables is situated near the little village of Great Maplestead in some delightful countryside on the Suffolk/Essex border.

Bikes are provided for you to enjoy exploring the tiny lanes that meander round the countryside and inevitably bring you to a pub. (maps are supplied if you need any extra help with that)

Step out of the cottage and you are in lovely rolling countryside with miles of footpaths, ancient woodlands and pretty hamlets to explore.

On your walks through the bluebell woods, you might come across herds of fallow deer and other wildlife and there is even a protected badger set nearby.

Close to Great Maplestead if the famous Round Crusader Church, the round design was based on the fourth century rotunda of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and the roof is pyramidal in shape – very beautiful and unusual.

Castle Hedingham is just a few miles away with its Norman keep, which was built in 1140. It’s now a visitor attraction and weddings venue and they have a great programme of events throughout the year, from jousting events to music festivals; from theatre and falconry displays to film screenings and classic car shows.

It’s quite funny to be visiting the ancient village pub at these times and have a lot of serf’s, men-at-arms and knights jostling around you for a pint.

The village itself has some lovely medieval architecture, a tearoom, post office, a couple of good village pubs and a village shop, selling artisan breads and other local produce.

Sudbury, a nearby Market Town, has all the shops you could want including the lovely Gainsborough’s House Museum dedicated to Thomas Gainsborough the famous portrait and landscape artist of the 1700’s, The Quay Theatre and walks along the old railway line or along the river and the water meadows.

You can walk or cycle to the pleasant village of Castle Hedingham and there is also a farm shop nearby with a tea room and lots of delicious local produce.

Green Credentials

The Coach House was renovated to comply with strong historical restoration building regulation and local and reclaimed materials were used were possible.

The logs for the wood burner come for locally sourced responsibly harvested suppliers.

Al waste water is managed on the property.

We have bicycles available and maps of all the local footpaths in the cottage to encourage guests to explore car free.

We have a badger set at the bottom of our land and the entrances can be seen from the footpath. There is also a herd of fallow deer that lives in the hedgerows around us and we had a baby Muntjac sleeping under the apple tree in the cottage garden last spring.

We have vast array of birds in the gardens such as pheasants, partridge, moorhens, woodpeckers, and hawks can be seen regularly hovering to catch mice on walks.

We have spotted a large variety of butterflies on our lavender hedges over the last year.

Kitchen: All cottages are complete little homes and facilities include modern central heating, refrigerator, hobs, oven and / or microwave, toaster, crockery and serving dishes, cutlery, many utensils, fire-extinguisher, lots of pots and pans, glasses and mugs, kettle, coffee maker, teapot, kitchen towels, oven gloves, olive oil, salt and pepper, sugar, herbs, tea, fresh and instant coffee, washing up liquid, cloths, general cleaning materials, etc.

Bathroom: Soap, fluffy cotton towels, bath mats, shaver point, toilet brush, toilet roll.

Bedroom: Cotton bed linen, wardrobe with coat hangers / chest of drawers, iron, ironing board, hairdryer.

Living room: If your cottage has an open fire or stove then a basket with firewood and a bucket with coal will be provided free and more will be available at cost and there will be firelighters provided, TV, please note there is no DVD player in this cottage, books, games, magazines, local brochures, OS and other maps, folder with our special ‘What To Do’ insiders’ guide to the local area.

Bikes: Please check with the owner that these are available before you arrive to avoid disappointment if they are in for maintenance.

2 well behaved doggies are welcome, charges apply of £20 per pet for up to 7 nights.