The Pump House, impressive style, in a meadow, by a bubbling brook, unique

This very stylish cottage is like an island surrounded by Nature. Set in its own meadow beside a bubbling brook it is a very special experience for those wanting to get away from it all and really enjoy the countryside – close up ! The Experience The Pump House is nestled into its own riverside wildflower meadow, there are footpaths running through the end of the meadow along the banks of the river through miles of stunning Suffolk countryside until the river joins the Stour. This is a really gorgeous place to enjoy Nature from and if you bring a dog it will love you forever as there are a network of footpaths including The Pilgrims Way which passes by the house. Cottage Walk through The house is an imaginative conversion of a Frank Lloyd Wright style Water Pumping Station, the owner carried out the conversion guided by his strong ecological beliefs, and it benefits from ground source underfloor heating and a reed bed waste water system You enter the Pump House up some stone steps into a small hall which opens out into a ‘Tardis’ interior with a high vaulted ceilings, there is a kitchen dining room to the left with its cosy wood burning stove and massive window looking out onto the river, straight ahead is the sitting room conservatory. which has been designed in such a way that you can really enjoy the views of the meadow and the stars at night as it is glazed on every exterior side. The conservatory leads out, via French doors, onto an expansive decking where you can lounge around and watch the Natural World go by or enjoy a meal ‘al fresco’. Opposite the kitchen is a bedroom with a double bed and next door a small shower bathroom. From the hall is a paddle stair /ladder staircase up into the high beamed ceiling and here there is an open sided ‘chill out’ room with a TV, and a sofa bed should you want to invite friends to stay with you. There are retaining bars don’t worry, but the ‘chill out’ room is not really suitable for young children, so don’t book under eight year olds or unsteady adults. So, a maximum of 2 children aged over 7 years old, and one infant can be booked. The children are counted as adults as we only have adult beds, the infant is free and we supply a travel cot and high chair - Please do not exceed these numbers for children or infants in the booking process, or we will have to decline the booking - sorry. We are happy to accept up to 2 well behaved dogs at this property, dog charges apply at £25 pw or £15 less than a week – you can also bring a cat at the same price - these costs can be taken after booking.. Please note that the large meadow surrounding The Pump House has a small stream running through it, is not dog proof fenced and a footpath crosses it at the end. The Gardens The beautiful wildflower meadow is your garden and in front of the house there is ample parking inside the grounds of The Pump House. In the garden is a bench and a firepit to enjoy. Outside The Pump House is located in the picturesque Box River Valley about 3/4 mile down the steep little lane from the tiny village of Stoke by Nayland This pretty river valley is networked with lovely footpaths in every direction, meandering along the riverside or up the little hills into woods and unexpected meadows and on onwards to hidden hamlets and tiny Medieval villages like Polstead, here you will find a friendly pub on the Village Green, beautiful bluebell woods at ‘The Dollops’ and a lovely old church looking out over the Valley to Stoke by Nayland. This is an unexpected landscape for those who think that Suffolk is flat and it is always a pleasure to come round a corner and find yet another delightful thatched cottage in Suffolk pink. Green Credentials In converting The Pump House to a living space the opportunity was taken to thoroughly insulate the building to reduce heat loss to a minimum. New windows are all double glazed with the original historic windows being secondary glassed to again minimize heat loss. Materials were reused where ever possible. Underfloor heating to the whole building is provided by a ground source heat pump. A comfortable temperature is maintained 24 hours a day by heat gained from the surrounding water meadow. All very green, clean and economical. All the liquid waste from the Pump House is treated in our own reed bed. Clean water leaves the reed bed to return to the environment. Additionally the reed bed provides an interesting habitat for wildlife. All the logs used in The Pump House are gained from managed trees around the meadow. Stoke by Nayland boasts a delightful well stocked village shop providing local produce whenever possible. You will receive a warm welcome. Both our pubs are also great, welcoming and serve ‘local’ where possible. The Pump House is at the centre of the most wonderful footpath network. Maps provided. The South Suffolk Cycle track passes the door. Lots of wildlife, restful scenery and fresh air to enjoy. See if you can add to our bird species list. Local Area Stoke by Nayland, through which the Pilgrims Way runs, is on the hill overlooking both the river Box and the River Stour. The St Edmunds Way footpath is a really lovely walk with beautiful views out over the Stour River valley, the walk leads you down to the Stour at the tiny picturesque Medieval village of Nayland with great pubs at either end of this walk. The small Market towns of Hadleigh and Sudbury are a short drive away and many guests enjoy visiting Flatford Mill on the Stour where John Constable was born and painted many of his English Countryside Masterpieces including ‘The Haywain’. there is a cafe, a small museum dedicated to Constable, a field study centre, a special and a tourist office at Flatford Mill, there are also rowing boats to hire in the summer months, which is one of my favourite things to do when friends visit – lovely to take a picnic with you and just pull up on the bank and enjoy the scenery. Supermarkets and high street shops are within a 17-minute drive at Hadleigh or Sudbury. The famous village of Lavenham ‘England’s best preserved Medieval Village’ is just 20 minutes 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 Gastro pubs like The Crown Inn or Angle at Stoke-by-Nayland and some high-quality restaurants like The Great House or The Swan in Lavenham. The picturesque riverside Medieval village of Nayland is just a few minutes’ drive away and there is an excellent riverside pub there called The Anchor, a very good butchers, a general stores and Post Office. Please see my Local Guide tab for more information. 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 Medieval Villages 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 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: We provide fluffy cotton towels, bathmats, toilet brush, toilet rolls. Bedroom: cotton bed linen, wardrobe with coat hangers / chest of drawers, iron, ironing board, hairdryer. Living room: A smart TV, books, games, magazines, local brochures, OS and other maps plus a folder with our special ‘What To Do’ insider’s guide to the local area. Please note that there are no adult bikes available at this cottage, but you are welcome to bring your own: This is more of a walking area than family biking. Babies: A Baby cot and highchair is provided but please bring babies bedding which is not supplied.