School Cottage Heveningham sleeps up to 6 guests

Room By Room

There is an inglenook fireplace with a wood burner in the beamed sitting room where an upright piano stands, along with a TV with firestick and Blu-ray. There is a comfy red  sofa, chaise longue, and three velvet chairs here.

In the separate dining-room there is a pine table seating six and a CD player with Blutooth adaptor. French doors open onto the courtyard, ideal for alfresco dining.

The country kitchen is on two levels, with a slope between. It is well-equipped, with a butler sink, a dual fuel Smeg cooker, dishwasher, fridge and hand-built wooden cupboards. Cafetiere also!

Beyond this is a spacious utility room, containing the washing machine, freezer and barbecue and a ceiling-mounted clothes drier. There is plenty of extra space for coats, muddy boots and bikes. 

Stable doors open onto a pretty courtyard garden,  and there is also a separate cottage garden with  garden chairs, beside the adjoining cottage. Shed for cycle storage.

The cottage is furnished traditionally, with all the sleeping accommodation up the quaint steep staircase, where the floors are uneven and some floorboards squeak. There are three bedrooms, sleeping six:  one bedroom has a king size bed, another a double bed and the third bedroom can be a king size  or twin as you prefer, as it has two brand new zip and link single 2’ 6’’ beds which can be joined together to make one king size bed. There  are steps down to both double bedrooms. The beds are comfortable, with plentiful duvets and pillows, and all sheets and pillowcases are 100% cotton. Bath and hand towels are provided, as are  tea towels. Please bring your own beach towels.

There are two bathrooms: a shower room and toilet downstairs and a bath and toilet upstairs.

In addition to the wood burners, the central heating and hot water are oil fired. In winter, the cottage is snug and heats up quickly. In summer, thick walls and flagstone floors through the downstairs keep it cool. French doors open onto the courtyard, where there is a sunshade and outside tables and chairs for six.

Children are welcome and a high chair can be provided if required..

The stairs are steep as they twist sharply above the inglenook fireplace and, although there is a bannister and rope handrail, the upstairs would be difficult to access for toddlers or anyone with mobility issues. 

On the road directly in front of the cottage is one parking space only and behind the garden shed is an off-road space for one extra car.        

Photos

Accommodation Features

Guest reviews

• We had the perfect stay at School Cottage. It was clean, the beds were very comfortable, well-equipped kitchen, a choice of a bath or shower and the utility come boot room was a game changer, especially when coming back from walks with a muddy wet dog 😊. We also made the most of the very pretty courtyard which was ideal for a morning coffee and a glass of wine in the evening. The location is great, with lovely walks right on the doorstep, particularly early morning dog walks. The location is also brilliant for exploring the beautiful Suffolk coastline, such as Walberswick, Southwold and Aldeburgh. We also visited Woodbridge with its gorgeous  walks along the River Deben. We enjoyed our stay so much that we have booked again for next year. L & D, Sept 2023

• We have returned to School Cottage so many times now that I have lost count! The cottage is always welcoming and clean and the owners most hospitable. We have found that they deal quickly with any problems which may arise (these are rare). For us, being near to the sea for early morning swims, close to the wonderful nature conservation areas and walks, being on the doorstep of good local hostelries and the wonderful concerts that are put on at Snape Maltings all make this the ideal break away. We have visited the cottage at different times of year; in winter the log burning stove is comforting and effective for warming up after a soggy or cold walk, and in the summer, the beautiful sheltered courtyard can be enjoyed late if the weather is fine. The bedrooms in this quiet, quaint and individual cottage are all furnished with comfortable beds, the choice of bath or shower is really good to have at our disposal, and the kitchen is extremely well equipped for those who wish to cook. We will return!! A & R, August 2023

• We are a family of six and stayed in late August. We loved School Cottage and all its character. The kitchen was very well equipped and lots of thoughtful touches throughout the cottage, even including a firestick in the TV for streaming services. The cottage is in a great location for local walks with our dog and travelling further afield, from crabbing at Southwold to the Suffolk Punch Trust near Woodbridge. We loved the cottage so much we have already booked for next year! P, K & family August 2023

• We stayed in School Cottage over the weekend and had a brilliant time. We enjoyed gorgeous local walks and amazing pubs and found the cottage really comfortably and thoughtfully arranged.  It felt like someone had lived in it and understood its quirks, hence the useful signs.  The bed was super-comfy and the bed linen was lovely quality.  The area was very peaceful: a slightly drowsy bucolic English village, with a feeling of going back in time.  GK & family, Norway. April, 2023

• We enjoyed our Christmas stay at School Cottage, which is a cosy, characterful property with some charming features. The living room benefits from an excellent wood burner, which is super-efficient and quickly heats the room. The fireplace in the living room was beautifully decorated with a pretty festive garland with lights which we appreciated in the absence of a Christmas tree. The property has one of the best equipped kitchens we have found in a rental property, so we had no problems cooking a full Christmas lunch for ourselves and our guests. The roomy utility room with washing machine and freezer is extremely useful for storing extra food, footwear, drying wet dogs and hiding kids' Christmas presents! The beds are compact but comfortable, and it was very handy having an upstairs and a downstairs bathroom. The WiFi is typical of a rural countryside property but the small TV had a range of streaming services which we had no trouble using. There was a bottle of wine and homemade flapjacks on arrival, as well as treats for our dog, all greatly appreciated. And as always, Trish Gower was super helpful with everything to do with booking. Thumbs up all round! RB Xmas 2022

Local Area

Pub: Walk to Sibton White Horse , Huntingfield Arms or the Laxfield Low House, and many other delightful country inns near by, an easy drive like the Fox and Goose at Fressingfield, St Peter's Brewery, do check websites for details of opening hours etc. Stop off at local churches like Huntingfield to see the famous painted ceiling!

Shop: Close by to Laxfield Coop and independent foodie shops in Halesworth, petrol station at the Coop too, both a ten minute drive. Framlingham has a market on Saturday, and many independent shops.

Beach: Southwold and Aldeburgh are within an easy half an hour drive, in between are coastal villages like Dunwich and Thorpeness.. plenty on offer for children and adults alike!

Other Local Attractions:

School Cottage, Heveningham is ideally located near the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, with its three long distance footpaths. This area of outstanding natural beauty, known as the Heritage Coast, includes ancient woodland, heathland, river estuaries, saltmarsh, mudflats, reed beds, shingle beaches and low eroding cliffs along 60 miles of coastland. It is within a short drive of Suffolk Wildlife Trust Hen Reedbeds and RSPB Minsmere Nature Reserve; Southwold, with its iconic beach huts; the lost village of Dunwich; Walberswick, with its artsy community and the beautiful beach at Covehithe. Within easy reach are Snape Maltings and concert hall, along with Aldeburgh, former home of Benjamin Britten and famed for its Maggi Hambling scallop sculpture on the beach. Orford, with its archetypal castle, and Orford Ness nature reserve with its secret past are a little further, as is the photogenic Shingle Street. The whole area is rich in culture and charm, with many unspoilt villages, quirky pubs and historic buildings. Suffolk sourced food and drink (Butley Creek oysters, Blythburgh pork and Adnams ales for example) are highly regarded.

Shopping:

Small Co-op and post office/shop in Laxfield (3 miles) & large Co-op in Halesworth (5 miles)

Waitrose in Saxmundham (about 15 minutes’ drive)

General store and post office in Peasenhall (3 miles)

Craft butcher Salter & King in Peasenhall with excellent locally sourced meat & local butchers in Halesworth (Allen’s) and Bramfield (Clarke’s)

Earsham Street Fish Company, Bungay – good selection of super-fresh fish

Samantha’s fish stall and Sole Bay Fish Company on Blackshore (Southwold Harbour)

Fresh fish from huts on the beach at Aldeburgh (limited selection)

Focus Organic Halesworth – run by Sarah’s relatives. Organic produce, toiletries, cleaning products, gifts, cards and coffee shop

Black Dog Delis Halesworth and Walberswick – artisan bread and cakes, savouries and local produce, excellent coffee, lovely breakfasts/light lunches

Two Magpies Bakery Darsham (on A12), Southwold and Aldeburgh – shops/cafés with artisan bread and cakes

Friday Street Farm Shop IP17 1JX – just off A12 towards Snape. Recently re-furbished with excellent veg, fruit, meat counter and chilled cheese room

Emmerdale Farm Shop IP17 3BP – off A12 near Yoxford with large meat section

Eating Out:

The Boarding House in Halesworth Market Place is very good for lunch and evening meals

The Black Dog Deli in Halesworth Thoroughfare is excellent for breakfast and lunch 

There are other cafes in Halesworth, notably Focus Organic and a wide selection of restaurants in Aldeburgh – The Lighthouse and L’Escargot sur Mer being two to recommend in particular

Old Hall near Southwold, has a café and lovely estuary walks, as well as a maize maze in summer

The Canteen Café in Southwold has excellent daytime food

Pubs: (best to book before you go)

The Huntingfield Arms at Huntingfield - in the next village, very friendly 01986 798320.

The Kings Head at Laxfield, known as the Low House – very atmospheric

The White Horse at Sibton - close by and good food

The Queen’s Head at Bramfield – good food

The Queen’s Head at Blyford – pretty with good ales and food

The Star at Wenhaston – free house, quirky and characterful

The Angel at Halesworth – old coaching inn with Italian food

The Bell at Walberswick – good pub grub, Adnams ales and friendly atmosphere

The Anchor at Walbersick – excellent food, smarter than The Bell

The Lord Nelson at Southwold – unpretentious, pub grub

The Ship at Dunwich – close to the beach

The Eel’s Foot Inn at Eastbridge –friendly atmosphere, close to Minsmere bird reserve

The Crown at Westleton – good food

The Bell at Saxmundham – good food, reasonably priced

Fish & Chips:

The best fish and chips are to be found at Aldeburgh (end of the High Street)

Sole Bay Fish and Chips in Southwold is also very good

Seashell Fish and Chips in Halesworth is pretty good and much closer

Local Beaches:
School Cottage is about 20 minutes’ drive from the closest beaches at Walberswick and Dunwich.

Walberswick – lovely sandy and pebble beach. Great for families as the beach shelves gently which makes for safe swimming. Busy in the summer and car park charges before 5pm. After this, free parking and the beach is quieter. There is a famous rowing boat ferry from Walberswick harbour to Southwold which operates from Easter to October half term. A lovely day trip is to park in Walberswick, get the ferry over to Southwold, walk along the beach to the town and pier, and then back either via the ferry or a longer route up Southwold harbour (could get fish from Samantha’s and a pint at the Harbour Inn!) over the Bailey Bridge and back down to Walberswick for another pint (and maybe some food) at The Bell!

Dunwich – pebble beach, car park busy in the summer. Quaint and interesting museum.

National Trust Dunwich Heath has lovely walks (heather at its best August/September), views over Minsmere RSPB Reserve where you can see starling murmurations or rutting deer (Autumn and Winter) and visit a great NT tea shop with award winning scones!

Southwold – very popular and busy in the summer, but well worth a visit. World-famous beach huts (greetings cards/Waitrose adverts) which sell for six figures! Adnams brewery tours are fun and the Adnams shop has some very fine beers and award-winning gin. Exhilarating sea trips in the Coastal Voyager power boat as well as more gentle River Blyth cruises.

Covehithe and Benacre – our favourite stretch of coast, although it’s constantly changing due to the pace of the coastal erosion. It’s quieter as there’s just under a mile’s walk along a public footpath to get to the beach. Lovely swimming and seals can be seen here, as well as nesting avocets in the spring. Walk from Benacre beach (starting at Covehithe church, ignoring No Access signs and walking along the top of the cliff, taking extreme care because of severe cliff erosion) to the Benacre bird hide, then back along the shore to Covehithe beach and up the footpath to the church. Check the Lowestoft tide table before attempting this walk. Ensure tide is going out and will be doing so for the next two hours before you set off (especially as you may want to browse for sea glass!). Parking only on the road and it can get very busy at peak season and weekends.

If you want to venture further afield, the magnificent beaches of North Norfolk are about 2 hours’ drive away – Holkham Beach being the most well-known and used in many films.

Walks:

The Suffolk Coast Path, the Sandlings Walk, and the Stour and Orwell Walk  are the three long-distance paths in the area. Local OS walking maps are in the dresser drawer in the sitting room.

There are walks directly from the cottage or nearer the coast (there’s an OS map on the wall in the dining room). A good local walk is from the cottage across the fields to Sibton, ending up at the White Horse Inn for a good lunch. Another lovely walk is along the ‘Low Road’ (left out of the cottage, right at the end of The Street, then first left at the signpost grass triangle), then taking the footpath on the right shortly after the Cratfield signpost. This takes you along a stream, over some fields, across the road, along another field edge to the village of Laxfield where you can refresh yourselves at the Low House pub (see below) before the return journey. Both walks are approx. 6 miles round trips.

Places To Visit:

Minsmere Nature Reserve – this is about 20 minutes’ drive from the cottage. It’s a great day out if you are interested in birds with some excellent bird hides and lovely walks between them. Don’t forget your binoculars! Birds regularly seen at the reserve: marsh harrier, avocet, bittern, great egret, many species of waders and duck. We have been treated to a sighting of an otter at the Island Mere Hide, a bearded tit and a bittern in full view from the same hide, but on separate occasions.

Snape Maltings (about 25 mins away) – famous concert hall and nice shops.

Suffolk Punch Trust (IP12 3JR) near Woodbridge to see these beautiful heavy horses.

Sutton Hoo (National Trust) has been recently refurbished and houses the world famous Viking Ship burial.

Aldeburgh – famous for Benjamin Britten (and fish ‘n’ chips!). A visit to The Red House where Britten lived with his partner, Peter Piers, is worth a visit.

Orford – nice oysterage for a meal, great bakery and chocolate shop (Pump Street Bakery), a castle and lovely boat trips from the quay in the summer months.

Woodbridge – lovely Tide Mill Museum and town with excellent independent shops.

Norwich – interesting city with gorgeous cathedral and The Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts gallery on the University of East Anglia campus.

Booking Conditions

1. A booking deposit of 25% of the rental fee is payable if the booking is made more than 6 weeks before the start of the rental. This deposit must be paid within 5 days of your booking. The balance of the rental cost is payable 6 weeks before the arrival date. For bookings made less than 6 weeks before the commencement date the full rental amount is required.
2. All cancellations must be notified in writing. The owners will endeavor to re-let the cottage. If successful the client will be refunded, but if not all monies paid by the client shall be forfeited. We recommend cancellation insurance to cover this.
3. Bookings usually run from 5pm on the day of arrival to 10am on the day of departure, unless stated differently on an individual property page. The client is responsible for leaving the accommodation in good order and in the same clean condition as they found it. The client undertakes to pay for any breakages or damage, requiring replacement or repair, and for any extra cleaning costs on departure. A Security Deposit of £150 is payable at the time when the balance or full payment is made for the rental, and will be refunded to you once the housekeeper’s check has been made on your departure.
4. Only those named on the reservation form may use the accommodation. Subletting or assignment is not permitted.
5. The owners cannot accept any responsibility for loss or damage to client’s baggage or personal effects. We recommend insurance to cover this.
6. Whilst every effort is made to ensure that equipment in the property is in working order, occasionally breakdowns occur. The client is requested to inform the owner should this happen, so repairs or remedial action can be initiated promptly.
7. One dog is allowed at this property by prior arrangement with the agent, £30 per stay.
8. Smoking is not permitted inside any property by law.
9. It is the client’s responsibility to supervise children at all times. The owners accept no responsibility for any accident, injury or sickness howsoever caused.