Dennington, SuffolkSold

Badingham Road

Drenched in natural light, the glazed dining room overlooks an ornamental pond and fields beyond

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This charming cluster of vernacular buildings sits amid bucolic grounds in Dennington, Suffolk. The main farmhouse, two guest cottages, a studio and a workshop amass to over 6,000 sq ft internally and lie within beautiful grounds of over two acres. The house has been sensitively remodelled over the years, with additions including a glazed dining room that abuts the 18th-century main house and a contemporary Scandinavian-inspired guest annexe. Badingham Road sits on the edge of the charming village of Dennington, just a 15-minute drive from Wickham Market, which runs direct trains to Ipswich and London Liverpool Street.

Setting the Scene

Built in the early 18th century, the main house is a wonderful example of domestic vernacular architecture; originally conceived as an agricultural farmhouse, its interiors are brimming with original oak beams, inglenook fireplaces and whitewashed walls. In later years, as the grounds were reclaimed for domestic usage, the ancillary buildings were converted into studio spaces, guest houses and holiday lets, all with sensitivity to the original essence of the farm. For more information, please see the History section below.

The Grand Tour

The façade of the main house is finished in a wonderful pink, befitting the surrounding ‘Suffolk pink’ style. Via a small porch, which acts as a wind-break, entry to the home is to a smart sitting room. Here, painted white floorboards and whitewashed walls are the perfect backdrop to the exposed oak timbers. A vast inglenook fireplace dominates, recently updated with a Scandinavian woodburning stove. Adjacent is a drawing room with a near-identical layout, a large inglenook fireplace, and dual-aspect windows overlooking the front and rear gardens. A door grants access to one side of the cottage garden, which wraps around the rear of the house.

The rear of the plan is home to a voluminous conservatory, currently laid out as a dining room. The space has a wonderful view of the gardens and connects the house to the surrounding trees, grounds and landscape beyond. Laid out with stone flags, the room has part-exposed walls and waist-height tongue-and-groove panelling. Connected to this is the kitchen, where picture windows overlook a sweet herb garden and outdoor dining area. A hardy slate floor runs underfoot and timber cabinets have been painted in a refreshing Aquamarine paint by Little Greene. An original fireplace has been opened to accommodate a stove, and original beams sit above in the open apex. Next to the kitchen is a large utility room with a separate WC.

Planning has been granted here for an open-plan kitchen space, with office and separate utility – details of the application documents can be found here.

Between the sitting room and kitchen/utility is a snug and breakfast room that unfolds over two levels, currently put to good use as a study.

Stairs ascend to the first floor, the far end of which is home to the primary bedroom suite. Spanning the width of the building, the room has dual-aspect views over the front and rear gardens and is flooded with natural light throughout the day. Finished in soothing neutral shades by Farrow and Ball, the room has built-in cabinetry and an en suite bathroom with a shower, vanity and WC.

A further three bedrooms occupy the first floor, one of which has direct access to the ground floor via an enclosed staircase. A family bathroom is at the far end of the plan; finished with mint green accents and geometric tiles, the room has a bath, walk-in shower, vanity and WC.

Externally, the original stables block has been converted into two guest houses. Spanning some 1,702 sq ft in total, the current owners run the spaces as two established holiday rentals, each with 2 bedrooms, its own individual entrance, garden and parking area.

The larger of the two is a light-filled space with contemporary architect-designed interiors; split across two levels, it has been designed with a Scandinavian-inspired interior of exposed wood, whitewashed walls and Crittall-style doors. A double-height reception room dominates, with a woodburning stove, an open-plan kitchen and access to an enclosed garden. There is one bedroom and a mezzanine loft area laid out as a secondary bedroom along with two bathrooms.

The adjoining guest house is a charming spot, finished in a style more reminiscent of the farmhouse. An enclosed porch, handsome living room and separate kitchen have all been finished with exposed brickwork and tongue-and-groove panelling. There are a further two bedrooms and a bathroom.

Between the guest accommodation and the main house is a detached workshop and studio space. The workshop has windows to two sides, and overlooks the allotment. This connects to a beautiful studio space with whitewashed brick walls, original arched windows, and a high timber-clad ceiling. A recently installed wood-burning stove provides a great source of heat during the winter months, and the skylights ensure a wonderful sense of light filters into the workspace.

The Great Outdoors

The house and its surrounding buildings sit within a plot of over two acres. A sweeping, gravelled driveway leads up to the secluded collection of buildings, which is encircled by established hedging, a row of cherry blossom trees and vast weeping willow.

The garden to the main house is defined by its handsome ornamental pond; with a decked jetty area, the space is perfect for entertaining during summer months and is surrounded by manicured lawns and established specimen trees. From here is a beautiful garden cabin built on raised stilts and with a wrap-around veranda. Inside, a log burner makes it a year-round retreat to enjoy the surrounding field views through a picture window.

A wild meadow is the perfect spot for local wildlife. Abutting the greenhouse and office building is a kitchen garden with raised planters and fruit trees including plum, pear, sloe, fig and apple. Scattered amongst the grounds are several ancillary buildings including a potting shed, chicken shed, compost bay and a bonfire and log store. There are also two electric car charging points.

The grounds have been laid out so that each guest annexe has its own enclosed garden. Each is enclosed by fencing and established trees and has a patio for entertaining in the warmer months. There is also separate parking for each annexe.

Out and About

Badingham Road sits on the edge of the bucolic village of Dennington. A thriving community in its own right, the Grade I-listed 14th-century St Mary’s Church sits at its centre, as does a village hall, playing fields and playgrounds. There is a village shop and café on the green, alongside a well-regarded primary school and the newly opened Badingham Play School. Just a 15-minute walk from the house, along a footpath running through open fields is the much-loved pub, Dennington Queen.

Around a 5-minute drive away is the market town of Framlingham, with a host of galleries, independent shops, pubs and eateries. The Station Pub, Crown Hotel and Watson and Pole restaurant are all firm favourites of the current owners, alongside Leo’s Deli and soon to open bakery Two Magpies. There is an arts venue, exhibition space and creative studio at 10 Church Street as well as a host of bookshops, antique stores and cafés. A twice-weekly market is also held – offerings include artisan cheeses, bread, fresh fish, fruit and vegetables.

A little further afield is the coast, with spectacular beaches at Southwold, Walberswick, Dunwich and Aldeburgh to name just a few. As well as the Suffolk Heritage Coast, there are many rambling walks throughout the beautiful surrounding countryside. The towns of Woodbridge, Halesworth and Southwold are reachable by car, while the immediate area is home to a host of excellent schools, including Framlingham College, Thomas Mills, Sir Robert Hitchams and Dennington Primary School.

The nearest train station is Wickham Market, around a 15-minute drive away, which has direct trains to Ipswich and London Liverpool Street beyond. Diss and Stowmarket are also less than a 30-minute drive away, each offering direct trains to the city in under 90 minutes. Cambridge and Norwich are under an hour’s drive away, while Ipswich is around 40 minutes by car.

Council Tax Band: F

Please note that all areas, measurements and distances given in these particulars are approximate and rounded. The text, photographs and floor plans are for general guidance only. Inigo has not tested any services, appliances or specific fittings — prospective purchasers are advised to inspect the property themselves. All fixtures, fittings and furniture not specifically itemised within these particulars are deemed removable by the vendor.

History

The area has historically thrived on agriculture, featuring ancient field patterns defined by winding hedgerows and ditches. In the 18th century, the agricultural writer Arthur Young described the area as the “dairying region” of the county. However, towards the end of the century, the introduction of clay drains transformed pastures into profitable arable land, reshaping field layouts. This process accelerated in the 20th century to accommodate modern farming machinery, removing hedges and amalgamating fields to create open ‘prairie’ landscapes.

The region boasts a nationally significant collection of traditional medieval and Tudor timber-framed buildings, commonly finished with plastered and colour-washed exteriors under peg-tiled or thatched roofs. As was the fashion, 19th-century structures often showcase red brick and slate or pan-tiled roofs. The abundant local clay was notably used for clay lump buildings throughout the 19th century. This East Anglian construction technique was most commonly used for farm buildings, where large bricks of unfired clay would be finished with clay plaster and often tarred to weatherproof them.