The Gig House, Stowupland

What better recommendation than to say that we liked this place so much in early May that we decided to come back in October, wanting to experience the different seasons.

We liked it just as much, explored more churches (Thornham Parva is beautiful) and are plnning to be back in the Spring to see the flowering of the hundreds of bulbs that were just arriving as we left, and to admire the new bridge over the moat, whose foundations were just being laid. This is a very special place.

Superb half timbered barn in a lovely location with a grand period house adjacent surrounded by a moat.

Beautiful contained garden for two young grandchildren and two dogs, suited jus very well. Children loved walks around the farm and location was ideal for the Steam Railway, Jimmy's Farm, Ixworth Hall and Sutton Hoo, all within a 20mile radius.

The owner was incredibly kind and helpful and let us take 4 dogs instead of 2 by special request.

The bedrooms and bathroom were spotless but the downstairs was quite grimy, the cleaning wasn’t the best. There were cobwebs everywhere and we had to scrub the oven for an hour before it was useable and there was food left in the sink. We didn’t let it affect our stay and it’s a beautiful place but the cleaning could definitely have been better. Overall very comfortable and beautiful surroundings.

Such a stunning setting.

The cottage deserves to be 4 star! Couldn’t believe how stunning the walled garden was as we opened the door. Wow! The beds were really comfortable & so grateful that we could wander around the grounds. Perhaps it’s time for a little update of the sofas ( or add large washable throws) and swap the washing machine for a dishwasher. The cooker door could benefit from a deep clean. As mentioned in other reviews, the towels were rather old & larger wine glasses would be a bonus. A bigger smart TV would be great too. But these are all quick fixes… in general it’s just beautiful. Thanks

lovely cottage with beautiful gardens

Lovely cosy place with wonderful Historical surrounding !

We loved sitting by the moat watching the ducks I saw a Kingfisher first time in my life! We sat read Huw’s book About the history of the property ! Everything we wanted t be !

The Gig House was a great place to stay, its very characterful and retains much of the original structural frame and is very tastefully decorated and presented throughout.

It was warm and comfortable and the little private garden was very nice. The history of the building and Columbine Hall made interesting reading. Its position within the Columbine Hall Estate and the access to the grounds and surrounding gardens was also an added bonus. We found it a great base for the week.

Stayed here last year but never got round to giving feedback.

Visited my sister in care home & booked this as peaceful haven to relax in. Lovely surroundings/dog walks, comfortable beds. Great quality cooking utensils/saucepans Fridge inadequate for 3 guests. Downstairs could’ve been cleaner compared to other Sykes cottages stayed in. Garden not private,woke up to gardeners picking veg attending garden so be careful opening back door in morning to let dogs out. Garden furniture in tiny private bit of garden needs replacing.Wish Sykes were honest in advertising lack of privacy in garden & you woke up to strangers. Emailed Sykes direct but advertising never rectified from last year which is disappointing.

A cosy and comfortable barn in the grounds of a beautiful 14th century Manor House with picturesque moat.

Lovely surroundings, peaceful and quiet. The accommodation is well equipped but a second bathroom and certainly a second toilet would have been useful. High end beds and linen although the towels were mostly thin and fraying. Stated barbecue facilities were unusable. We enjoyed our stay.

We absolutely loved Gig House and the gardens of Columbyne Hall.

Every room was like a picture from a magazine. Misty mornings, sunny days and cosy evenings by the open fire - perfect for us! Thank you for sharing such a beautiful place with us.

Just the most perfect place for an escape.

.we'd imagine, at any time of the year. The house itself, the fixtures and fittings, and the gardens are just beautiful. Wonderful evenings with an open fire, so lovely to return to after a day out. Absolutely no complaints whatsoever..the only possible suggestion we'd make would be perhaps an outdoor mat to clean shoes and boots before coming inside..or perhaps boot stand or box to keep them outdoors? Many thanks to everyone connected to Columbine for making us feel very welcome..and providing the most perfect much-needed escape.

The Gig House has a lovely ambience and is a really successful conversion of a period property.

We enjoyed our stay and loved the location, being on the estate with access to the moat walk and gardens, which was a daily treat for our dogs. The only criticisms are that the kitchen area is starting to look a bit tired. The utensils & crockery could do with either updating or some more useful additions. There are far too many tins in the oven and most could do with being disposed of. The fridge door needs rehanging on the same side as the covering cupboard door, as this was a bit of a bug bear! And a small dishwasher would be good. That said it did not impact on our over all enjoyment of this peaceful property. Very comfortable beds, good shower, efficient fireplace, light & airy in all rooms, and open plan layout downstairs is really functional. Finally, it should be made clear that the private garden is not directly accessible from the back door, but is through the estate's cottage garden. This meant we could not let our dogs straight out, but had to put a lead on them to get to it, just in case they gave chase to any of the wildlife around! (They're used to livestock but a rabbit would have led them astray. Thankfully the hedgehog didn't move quick enough to engage them!) Lovely having views over the cottage garden though. Just a shame the path to the private garden is not closed off. That said, would happily recommend the Gig House if you want a relaxing, peaceful stay in in historic and rural surroundings.

Beautiful cottage set on incredible grounds would 100%return and recommend

The Gig House was a really really great place to stay and be based for exploring Suffolk for the first time.

The walled garden we opened the back door onto and looked over was idyllic. Bed and overall layout very comfortable, it was a lovely serine place to stay. The work going as advertised was not intrusive, and we had a lovely relaxing holiday......Would we return? - YES!

Absolutely gorgeous property, surrounding area is great to explore.

The owners were very friendly and helpful, and the gardeners keep the walled garden just beautiful. We visited Southwold, Sutton Hoo, Stowmarket and Lavenham whilst we were there and had the most fabulous short break. Highly recommended.

We had a lovey stay at the gig house.

Absolutely stunning property surrounded by beautiful fields and overlooking a wonderful garden. Our dog absolutely loved watching the doves through the window over the archway! It was spotlessly clean and welcoming. ! The Kitchen could do with some better cutting knives, but we got by. We also found the beds very firm but they had wonderful linens and plush duvets. It was cold at night time but we didn’t light a fire so can’t really complain! would definitely recommend taking slippers and a dressing gown . Over all all of the highs outweigh any minor lows ! Stunning , beautiful perfect setting , we loved it .

we have a very large, very well-behaved dog and the 29 acres of land that we could explore was amazing everybody was so friendly and the history of the hall was amazing as well, the gig house was well equipped with everything we could possibly need, ie washing machine , cleaning supplies, ironing board and iron hair dryer etc , the house was immaculate and cosy, the open fire was set up ready to use adding to the homely cosy feel, all local amenities are dog friendly and welcoming, pub,fish shop and butchers and chinese highly recommended.

also hew was always available if needed and such a lovely man, all staff and locals on the grounds are very friendly, we will definitely be rebooking, kind regards lisa and john plus bully the dog.

We had a very enjoyable stay at the Gig House.

It was warm and cosy despite the cold wet weather and had everything we needed to feel at home. Beds were very comfy. The house was located in a quiet but convenient area with some interesting history. Will definitely look to rent it again.

A property with historic charm set in a delightful Suffolk farm group in a peaceful rural location.

Perfectly centrally located for East Anglia site seeing. Open fire a bonus during the cold spell when visiting and adding to the period atmosphere of the place. Upgrading of door seals would be an obvious improvement to reduce on cold draughts. Larger wine glasses perhaps? A minor point! TV handset slightly unresponsive. High standards of cleanliness and comfort. All in all a great property which we would highly recommend.

This is our fourth visit to The Gig House now.

We keep coming back because we love it! The atmosphere in the house, the location within Suffolk and also the location next to Columbine Hall and its gardens all make it one of our favourite places to stay. It's warm, friendly and is equipped with everything we've needed each time we've stayed. I highly recommend it.

Lovely guest house.

Amazing location - very peaceful and great for a family or couple looking an escape from the big city! Lots of walking and beautiful scenery! We lived every minute! Thank you Hew x

Enjoyed staying at your property very much such a great place.

Would definitely re book. Thanks very much.