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Partridge Lodge review: A former farm in Suffolk that pulls out all the stops
This collection of characterful cottages is ideal for a family escape
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Your support makes all the difference.The joys of a self-catering holiday are manifold: feeling at home in unfamiliar territory with the privacy of your own space uncluttered by other holidaymakers; enjoying the flexibility to dine out or experiment with local produce in the kitchen; and the economical benefits of avoiding service-industry mark-ups.
Inevitably, though, there’s a flip-side: having to pack your suitcases for every eventuality – will the kitchen have salt and pepper, will you need washing powder, are the beds dressed? This may not be your home, but there’s likely to be a degree of housework to do.
Happily, there are properties and companies that take care of such anxieties. A case in point is Baby Friendly Boltholes, which cherry-picks self-catering properties around the UK and Europe for their child-friendly attributes. Essentially, you could set off from home with just your offspring, wash-bag and clothes and your needs would be met.
On its books is Partridge Lodge in the south Suffolk countryside, a property which goes even further. This former dairy farm has been converted by former London-dwellers Sarah and Aaran Henry – who live on site with their family and “jug” (jack russell/pug cross) – to offer four holiday lets, ranging from the studio-sized Stables to the vast and vaulted Dairy Hall, which is often booked out for weddings.
As well as a Mothercare warehouse-sized inventory of child-friendly paraphernalia, the complex comes with a sauna cabin, tennis courts, treehouse and fishing lake, making this feel like a proper holiday rather than just a home-from-home.
The rooms
The black-boarded Granary is a two-up, two-down barn conversion with an open-plan sitting room, loo and kitchen/dining room downstairs split by stairs that wind up to two bedrooms and a bathroom. The lattice of 16th-century beams, oak floorboards and bucolic watercolours are married with nautical references – a rope banister here, a lighthouse light cord there – that give you a sense of place without being twee. A deck with garden table and chairs and a barbecue overlooks the fishing lake and is ideal for summer sundowners.
As well as dishwasher, microwave, washing machine and kitchen utensils, there is the option to request every conceivable piece of apparatus required for a family stay, from sterilisers and stair gates, to strollers and slings, meaning that you don’t have to load up the car or worry about forgetting an essential piece of kit. There are also children’s books and DVDs as well as free wi-fi and satellite TV.
Out and about
The farm – just off the A12 – is around five minutes’ drive from the market town of Woodbridge, 15 from Ipswich and 25 and 30 minutes from the coastal honeypots of Aldeburgh and Southwold respectively. A car is all but essential for exploring the region, although there are bucolic walks on the doorstep, including to the church where local poet Edward FitzGerald, 19th-century translator of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, is buried.
Southwold, with its pastel-painted beach huts, Adnam’s brewery and distillery and regenerated pier (make time to play the brilliantly satirical slot machines such as “Whack a Banker” and “Mobility Masterclass”), is best visited on weekdays or out of season when its sandy beach and pretty pubs aren’t full to bursting with tourists.
Also off the A12, on the road to Aldeburgh, is the arts hub of Snape. The village, where Benjamin Britten wrote much of Peter Grimes, hosts an annual music festival (September-December) and food festival (September) as well as Snape Maltings, a celebrated concert hall, plus eateries and shops.
The charming coastal town of Aldeburgh sports a 16th-century assembly hall, the Napoleonic Martello Tower, fishermen’s huts, delis, cafes, boutiques and a stainless steel scallop sculpture dedicated to former resident Benjamin Britten.
Further along the Suffolk coast are the Orford Ness National Nature Reserve, Dunwich Heath and the RSPB reserve at Minsmere, all of which support a diverse ecosystem and migratory wildlife.
The food and drink
Sarah stocks your kitchen with a taste of Suffolk’s exemplary produce (showcased at the Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival), starting with eggs from the farm’s own hens, as well as fresh milk, apple juice, Seville orange marmalade made at the community-run village shop in Bredfield and chocolate fudge brownies baked in nearby Elmsett. There are also basic condiments, while a handful of East of England Co-ops that stock locally-farmed produce are a short drive away.
But who goes on holiday to do the washing up (though there is a dishwasher to expedite the cleaning)? Arriving on a Sunday just before lunch, we were ushered to The Greyhound Inn in Pettistree, around 10 minutes’ drive away. The 14th-century pub claims to be one of Suffolk’s oldest, though its menu is rather more modern. Such is the popularity of its Sunday roasts that they were sold out before 2pm, so we ordered flavour-packed homemade burgers with red onion jam and a pint of Adnam’s Ghost Ship. Dinner dishes might include featherblade of beef slow-cooked in Adnam’s Blackshore stout with gremolata crumb, mash, greens and soda bread.
Further afield, fish and chips is an essential component of a day out in Aldeburgh, while the Turkish and Mediterranean dishes at The Galley warm up a winter’s day in Woodbridge.
Local produce is also showcased at the Boathouse Cafe, overlooking Bawdsey Quay and the boats bobbing on the estuary at weekends throughout the winter (daily except Tuesdays and Wednesdays, May to October and daily during school holidays).
The essentials
Patridge Lodge, Bredfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 6BJ (bookings via Baby Friendly Boltholes: 020 3603 1160; babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk). Partridge Lodge sleeps up to 23 guests in a cluster of one- to five-bedroom cottages which can be rented individually or as a group. The two-bedroom Granary cottage sleeps four plus one infant and starts at £361 for two nights.
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