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This magnificent holiday home sleep up to 12 guests – making it the perfect base for family gatherings and getaways with friends – and enjoys glorious views of both Orford Castle and the coast. The spacious abode has a choice of areas for socialising, including two reception rooms, a formal dining room to seat up to 15 people, and a 1 acre garden.
Nearby days out include the seaside town of Aldeburgh (11 miles) and the quaint holiday village of Thorpeness (12 miles). The Grade II-listed house boasts an eclectic mix of antique furniture and the decor complements the 19th-century style of the property.
The lounge is a lovely place to unwind at the end of the day, with plump sofas arranged around a TV and a cosy wood burner for chilly evenings. For a spot of quiet time, retire to the drawing room where you can curl up in an armchair in the glow of the open fire.
Alternatively, gather in the billiard room for a game of snooker, a card game, or to catch up on a few emails at the desk. The sociable kitchen/diner is equipped with everything you need to cater for a large group and also has a range of seating areas for informal dining.
Bi-fold doors lead from here to the terrace, extending the entertaining space in summer months. In additional to the kitchen/diner, you’ll also find a spectacular formal dining room for hosting dinner parties and family celebrations.
A handy utility room, including washing facilities for four-pawed guests, completes the ground floor. All six bedrooms are upstairs and have en-suite facilities.
One of the bedrooms also has its own private sitting room, for relaxing with a morning coffee or watching TV. The extensive, enclosed gardens surrounding the property provide ample space for relaxation in the Suffolk sunshine; take a gentle stroll around the orchard, play croquet on the lawn, or enjoy family BBQs and table tennis matches on the large terrace.
The best-known attractions within an easy drive of 6-Bedroom Hot Tub House in Orford, with real driving times.
Sat nav: IP12 2NF
A 12th-century royal keep of unique design, with views over Orford Ness on the Suffolk coast.
Orford Castle is a 12th-century castle in Suffolk, built by Henry II between 1165 and 1173 to strengthen royal power in the region. Its keep is the main draw. Historian R. Allen Brown called it "one of the most remarkable keeps in England", and its design is unique, possibly inspired by Byzantine architecture.
Sat nav: IP13 9BP
Walk the walls of a 12th-century castle and trace 800 years of history, from Norman earls to a Tudor queen.
Framlingham Castle is a Norman-era castle in the Suffolk market town of Framlingham, now looked after by English Heritage. Its curtain wall has thirteen towers and no central keep, and you can follow the wall-top walk right round the defences. Panels point out the town, the outer earthworks and the Mere, and the tall Tudor chimneys on the towers each have a different brick design.
Tip: Book advance tickets online to save money on the gate price, and pick up the free audio guide to get more from the wall walk.
Sat nav: IP12 1BY
A Grade I listed tide mill on the Suffolk riverside where the water wheel still turns and grinds flour.
Woodbridge Tide Mill is a rare tide mill that still grinds wholemeal flour, with a huge oak water wheel that you can often see turning. A mill has stood on this riverside site since medieval times, and the white-boarded building you visit today is Grade I listed. The mill itself is the exhibit, so you get a close look at the machinery as you go.
Tip: There's no parking at the mill itself, so use one of the pay and display car parks in Woodbridge, or walk from the station. Check the wheel turning times calendar before you go.
Sat nav: IP4 2BX
A Tudor mansion in Ipswich with period rooms and the biggest Gainsborough and Constable collection outside London.
Christchurch Mansion is a Tudor house in Christchurch Park, close to Ipswich town centre. Built on the site of a medieval priory, it has over 500 years of history. You can wander through period rooms, from the Tudor kitchen and the Georgian saloon to the Victorian wing, and imagine how owners and servants once lived.
Tip: Download the free Bloomberg Connects guide before you go, as the Mansion has no Wi-Fi, and note there is no parking at the museum.
Sat nav: IP14 6EF
Moated Tudor hall with Grade I listed gardens and a 400-acre deer park of red and fallow deer.
Helmingham Hall is a moated manor house in Suffolk, begun by John Tollemache in 1480 and owned by the Tollemache family ever since. The house itself is not open to the public, but you can admire it from the grounds, with its 60-foot-wide moat and two working drawbridges that have been pulled up every night since 1510.
Sat nav: IP11 3TW
A coastal fort at Felixstowe with centuries of military history and views over the Port of Felixstowe.
Landguard Fort guards the approach to Harwich Harbour, and it was the site of the last opposed seaborne invasion of England, when the Dutch landed in 1667 and were repulsed by the Royal Marines. The current fort dates from the 18th century and was altered in the 19th, with further batteries added in the 19th and 20th centuries. It was manned through both World Wars.
Tip: Book tickets in advance on the Landguard Fort Trust website, though you can also buy them on arrival.
Sat nav: CO1 1TJ
Explore the largest Norman keep in Europe, built on the foundations of a Roman temple.
Colchester Castle is a Norman castle dating from the second half of the eleventh century. Its keep is mostly intact and is the largest of its kind anywhere in Europe. The Normans built it on the foundations of the Roman Temple of Claudius, the largest Roman temple in Britain, so Roman and medieval history sit together in one building.
Sat nav: IP14 1DL
The UK's only museum dedicated to food, spread across 84 acres of Suffolk countryside.
The Food Museum in Stowmarket tells the story of how food is grown, made and eaten. It covers 84 acres of Suffolk countryside with 17 historic buildings and close to 40,000 objects, from wartime ration recipes to a full-size steam-powered mill engine. The museum is large, and most people take all day to see it.
Tip: Pick up a daily menu from the museum shop to see the talks, tours and demonstrations on during your visit.
Drive times are typical times by car with no traffic. Check opening times and book tickets on each attraction's own website before you go.
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