Farm Cottage is very cosy - Awarded 4 Star Gold by VisitEngland This romantic little 17th Century cottage has a very contented and peaceful atmosphere about it. As you warm your toes by the log fire you can imagine how it has been cherished over the centuries. It has pretty views across the Orchard gardens and has an additional acre of Orchard to excercise your doggie in, there are walks across the fields to the local pub with its macro brewery. We welcome guests with a bottle of Prosecco. This romantic little Farm Cottage has hardly changed since 1690 when it was built. it is a bright little period Farm cottage with a roaring fire. Ideal for dog owners. There is an acre of dog exercise orchard and meadow here and we have built a special dog washing station and supply towels for wet doggies. Superfast Broadband is supplied to this cottage. Cottage Walk Through Farm Cottage is situated at the end of the Old Grove Farm buildings with its own entrance down a short footpath onto the road. The handmade kitchen with its lovely butler sink and reclaimed wood cupboards, curl discreetly round the back of the chimney breast providing a kitchen area with a gas hob, electric grill and oven. The main room has a handy utility room off it, ideal for drying wet doggies after a long walk. The main room itself has a beautiful open log fire and a comfy sofa to enjoy it from. Three windows on two aspects make this a very sunny room and adds to the romantic atmosphere of this cosy Suffolk countryside cottage. Hidden behind an old cupboard door in the ancient wood panelled wall is a staircase winding up to the two bedrooms and shower bathroom, glazed pigeon holes bring extra light into the stair way. The pretty master bedroom has the original broad elm wood floor which was traditionally painted black, and a comfy big king-sized bed. The second small single bedroom is adjacent, plus a little shower room. Farm Cottage was originally the farm workers cottage and makes up part of the large double quadrangle of buildings that is The Old Grove Farm (ex). The Gardens You enter the cottage through the side garden from the large courtyard or from the garden gate on our tiny lane. There is a small herb garden off the big courtyard where you are welcome to take any herbs you wish. We have a lovely mature orchard garden at the front of the cottage which you overlook and where guests can laze around under the apple and pear trees and have a BBQ in summer. We’ve put a table with chairs and a bench onto the grass directly outside Farm Cottage for you to enjoy watching the sunsets. We have a large central courtyard where you can unload your car when you arrive. The courtyard has large open sided historic ‘Cart Lodge’ barn, where guests can pull out a BBQ or sit in the barn which is lit with fairy lights and watch the night skies. There is a second barn with bikes for guests to use, a coal bunker and log pile, we buy coal and wood in bulk for you to purchase from us at cost - there is an honesty tin in the bicycle / wood shed – firelighters will be provided - don’t worry the cottage is warm and cosy with its central heating alone. Behind the ‘Cart Lodge’ barn there is an acre of orchard and lawn where we have established some peaceful private areas with tables and chairs and some very rare apple trees. This is an ideal dog exercise area. Next to it is a large off road car park. I have built a dog washing station and provide fluffy white towels for your pampered pooch. You can walk directly from the gardens onto footpaths leading to the church, pub or circular countryside walks. The South Suffolk Cycle route runs past the cottage and we provide bikes for free. Outside The Old Grove Farm, is set in open countryside and made up of brick buildings in a E shape which were a Farm Workers cottage, winnowing barns, dairy’s and bakeries. It has a large central courtyard with a long barn creating a double quadrangle, the buildings are now converted into 6 lovely holiday cottages with individual entrances from different areas and surrounded by gardens and Orchards, it is where our business started and where we are based. While being right in the countryside, we are not cut off from civilisation and a 5 – 10 minute car drive will get you to shops and supermarkets, café’s, swimming pools. Museums, the Quay Theatre and the river Stour. There are good Pubs are all around us and our local which is ¾ mile walk across the fields from us has its own Macro Brewery and a selection of the best beers and ciders you can come across: The White Horse Edwardstone. Farm Cottages is a very special place that is a joy just to be in. Perfect for a couples romantic getaway even if they have to bring a child. Green Credentials This building dates back to the 17th Century and is renovated and repaired with traditional and reclaimed original materials like the ancient reclaimed wood, doors and beams, traditional lime plaster and paints, locally sourced timber and locally fired or reclaimed bricks. We operate or own Clear Water Treatment plant which biologically cleans all our waste water to such a pure degree that it can be discharged back into the environment. We use many ecover products when possible. We encourage guests to explore the local area by bicycle or foot. We sometimes offer guests eggs from our own chickens (but they are very temperamental), guests can pick fresh herbs from our herb garden and fruit from our own apple, pear, plum and quince trees – some of these trees were thought to be extinct – but we have them! We sometimes keep bees and have many flowering plants to encourage bees to our gardens. We share our grounds with bats, badgers, fox, hare, rabbits, deer and an amazing array of birds – from buzzards and owls to blue-tits, goldfinches and woodpeckers. All these animals and more find food here and shelter in our hedges and gardens. Local Area The tiny village of Kersey, which is widely regarded as Suffolks prettiest village, is just a leisurely 10 minute bike ride down the lane from us, and luckily has an excellent pub right by the ford for thirsty cyclists! Supermarkets and shops are within a 10 minute drive. The famous village of Lavenham ‘England’s best preserved medieval village’ is just 4 miles away and the area immortalised by England’s renowned landscape painter John Constable and known as ‘Constable Country’ is right beside us. There are many great country pubs, some special like The Crown Inn at Stoke-by-Nayland and some high quality restaurants like The Great House or The Swan in Lavenham. This area is amazingly rural and untouched by city life, with tiny single track lanes leading nowhere or to a pub, footpaths galore and tiny medieval villages where time seems to have stood still. If you are staying for more than a weekend, then a day out at the unspoilt Suffolk Coast is always a lovely trip. The coast starts just 30 minutes away near Colchester or Ipswich and our favourite beaches and places on the coast are between 50 – 70 minutes away, places like Pin Mill, Nacton, Levington, Orford, Aldeburgh, Dunwich, Southwold and Mersey Island. The nearby of Long Melford, famed for its setting for the Lovejoys TV series, Nayland, sitting prettily on the river Stour, Polstead, with its bluebells woods and impressive views over the Box river valley are all close by and there are many more tiny villages with lovely walks and pubs to explore. This is an area you can feel a million miles away from city life and really relax and enjoy just being part of. Standard Inclusive Features All prices include vat and everything written below. Kitchen: All cottages are complete little homes and facilities include modern central heating, refrigerator, hobs, oven and / or microwave, toaster, crockery & serving dishes, cutlery, many utensils, fire-extinguisher, lots of pots & pans, glasses & mugs, kettle, coffee maker, teapot, kitchen towels, oven gloves, olive oil, salt & 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. Your cottage has an open fire and we buy coal and wood in bulf for you to purchase from us at cost - there is an honesty tin in the bicycle / wood shed – firelighters will be provided. TV, books, games, magazines, local brochures, OS and other maps, folder with our special ‘What To Do’ insiders-guide to the local area. Bikes are available to explore the county lanes. Washing: There is a washing machine and dryer in the walk-thru, which is for the use of the six cottages. There are also deck chairs and rugs for the garden. Baby: Cot and high chair provided in the cottage (please bring babies bedding).