David and Bruce’s home in the village of Aldringham is set back from the Aldeburgh road, and yet with no other neighbours visible, and surrounded by woodland and fields, it feels tranquil and secluded. They’ll greet you warmly with tea and freshly baked cake, and Lola and Ruby the dogs give a gentle welcome too.
A guest sitting room, large breakfast table and open-plan kitchen run the length of the old barn, with steps at one end leading down to an award-winning cedar-clad guest wing perfectly in keeping with its surroundings. All bedrooms are bright with vaulted ceilings, comfy chairs, ottomans for an extra guest and French windows onto a furnished deck with garden and woodland views beyond. Four of the rooms have mezzanine sleeping areas.
Leisurely, sociable breakfasts include locally sourced and home-baked products. You can walk to the local pub, the Parrot, and you’re five minutes’ drive from Aldeburgh and Thorpeness, which between them have five pubs and four restaurants. The coast has miles of empty beaches extending from nearby Slaughden as far as Southwold and beyond.
Five Acre Barn offers a genuinely unique setting for exploring a fabulous stretch of country and coastline. The sympathetic way the new building sits among trees and the and cool gardens is soothing and immediately relaxing. For all the attractions of the communal areas, I would spend most of my time luxuriating in the room and feeling rather special, and just gazing at the magnificent cedar.