The other day I took the opportunity to visit one of our more rural holiday cottages near Stowmarket, Broad Oak Cottage.
The drive towards the village of Great Finborough is the perfect introduction to the atmosphere of the area; lush green undulating countryside, rabbits scurrying beneath the hedgerows and birds swooping over the fields. Nestled in the village itself is Broad Oak Cottage, set in the large grounds of a beautiful period vicarage with abundant lawn, trees and flowers.

On entering the cottage, it seems a lot more spacious inside than you might expect from the outside, each room is lovingly decorated and set out to make the most of the space and the views from the windows. Quiet evenings by the open fire are surely an essential, after a day spent on a refreshing stroll around the countryside. There is a lovely mile long walk along footpaths from the village, through the fields and ending up at the Buxhall Crown for a tasty cooked-to-order meal.
There are many places to visit in the area, such as the Museum of East Anglian Life in Stowmarket, Bressingham Steam Museum near Diss, Teapot Pottery in Debenham, and the coast isn’t too far a drive either with the seaside favourite of Aldeburgh at the end of a countryside drive. There are also lots of pretty villages to explore if you just fancy pottering around in the sunshine!
All of this is sure to clear the cobwebs from your head as you soak up the atmosphere and you’ll leave with a happy, relaxed glow.
To see more peaceful places like this, take a look at the Countryside page of our website.