Peasenhall, SuffolkSold

The Causeway

Vaulted ceilings reveal the intricate timber-framed bones of the building

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Sitting bright on a leafy street in the enduringly charming village of Peasenhall, this Grade II-listed four-bedroom home has all the hallmarks of a Suffolk house. Its timber frame is enrobed in a warm-toned plaster and topped with a thatched roof, while the interior spaces are characterised by exposed beams, original brick fireplaces and views out into the expansive rear garden. Located within the Peasanhall and Sibton Conservation Area, the setting is at once pastoral and well-connected; the Suffolk coast is less than 10 miles away and nearby Saxmundham Station runs trains to London Liverpool Street in under two hours.

Setting the scene

Running through the heart of Peasenhall, The Causeway is a street lined with mature beech, oak and plane trees, enhancing its bucolic feel. Its buildings have a diverse range of scale, form, and details which illustrate the rich traditional material palette of Suffolk. The house itself was once two mid-16th century cottages, attested to by its asymmetrical front façade and jettied gable. For more information, please see the History section.

Grand Tour

Set back from the road, the front façade is finished with the warm ochre hue of ‘Gorst’ limewash by Ingilby, and punctuated by white-painted casement windows and a broad timber front door.

At its core, a light and generous hallway is warmed by a wood-burning stove set within a handsome brick fireplace. Following the curve of the substantial chimney stack, a corridor leads to the spacious living room crisscrossed with well-preserved beams. Polished timber floors run throughout, and a large tripartite casement window looks out over the garden. The room is one for all seasons; a deep open fire is set within its original brick fireplace, perfect for hunkering down in the darker months, while for the dog days of summer, Crittall French doors lead directly out into the established garden.

A dining room at the opposite end of the plan is a calm and refined counterpoint, with exposed beams and soft light from north-facing windows. The space is served by an open brick inglenook fireplace with bespoke shelving on one side and a timber door leading directly to the jettied side passage outside on the other. A convenient ground floor bathroom is complete with a shower, toilet and large ceramic sink.

The kitchen has a linear plan with an adjoining orangery, creating a warm, light and convivial space. Spacious, bright cabinetry is topped with dark mottled granite and houses a gas-fired Rangemaster oven and a generous one-and-a-half basin sink. Quarry tiles ground the space, while a vaulted ceiling and exposed beams give height and exude character.

Upstairs, three bedrooms lie connected by a light corridor lined with bookshelves. Echoing the broad proportions of the living room, the principal bedroom has timber-framed windows to three sides and plenty of storage space. Separated by the chimney breast, a versatile second bedroom is currently used as a study, whilst a third has integrated cupboards, a fireplace and easy access to the shared bathroom. Each of the rooms are decorated with a neutral palette that allows the exposed timber structure to define and delineate the spaces. Only in the family bathroom are the beams partially concealed, with mid-height butt and bead boarding painted Farrow and Ball ‘French Grey’ that wraps around the inset bath.

A concealed staircase leads up to a second floor nestled within the eaves. The long space is divided by the exposed brick of the two tapering chimney breasts, while vaulted ceilings reveal the timber-framed bones of the building at their most intricate. A large anteroom, well-lit by clerestory windows that peek from below the thatched roof, leads to a bedroom with a casement window in the gable end.

A spacious bathroom sits at the opposite end, complemented by plenty of integrated storage and duck egg blue boarding.

Great Outdoors

The rear garden has been thoughtfully laid out as a series of spaces each with their own character. A brick-paved terrace runs alongside the rear south-facing façade; a well-appointed space for long lunches. Adjacent to the house, a sizeable outbuilding has been renovated to provide additional space that could be used as an office. Further storage is to the rear of the building, making for a handy spot to tidy away garden machinery and bikes.

A gravel path winds its way through a lawn bounded by perennial borders of lupins, acanthus mollis, and hollyhocks, to a second lawn with a black timber shed and plenty of space for seating. At the rear, a small orchard of fruit trees borders the open Suffolk countryside.

Out and About

Clustered around an ancient Roman crossroads, Peasenhall lies just over 5 miles north of Saxmundham in east Suffolk. The village is wonderfully idiosyncratic and is home to the renowned smokehouse and butchers Emmett’s, a traditional tearoom and a pride of peacocks that roam the village throughout the year. Neighbouring Saxmundham is home to a number of amenities, including supermarkets, schools, restaurants, pubs and a station.

Peasenhall is less than 10 miles from the sea, and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB, covering 403 square kilometres, including wildlife rich wetlands, ancient heaths, windswept shingle beaches and historic towns and villages. At its heart are the towns of Woodbridge, Aldeburgh and Orford. The latter, a pretty medieval village on the River Alde, attracts visitors for its twice daily drops of fresh lobster and crabs, its renowned oysterage and smokehouse and the excellent Pump Street Bakery.

Aldeburgh is famed for ice cream, fish and chips and having once been home to Benjamin Britten. There are also independent shops and galleries, wonderful places to eat, and several performance venues–including the world-famous Snape Maltings Concert Hall.

Trains from the Saxmundham Station reach London Liverpool Street within two hours. The A12 is reached in under 10 minutes, providing access to Ipswich in 45 minutes and London in around three hours.

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

With around 20 sites of archaeological interest dating from the Bronze Age, Peasenhall has a rich and varied history. The village as it is found today was formed at the convergence of two Roman roads: one that went south-west to Coddenham to a large Roman fort, the other north-west towards the Norfolk border and beyond.

The village is a fine example of a traditional linear settlement, set within a well-wooded valley running along a tributary of the River Yox. It has an enduring medieval character, reenforced by the eclectic character of the traditional buildings along the slightly curving wide main street.

A significant proportion of the village is included in the Peasenhall & Sibton Conservation Area, and the majority of the listed buildings are Grade II, while the fine 15th century parish church of St Micheal is Grade II*-listed. Along the main street, a number of older buildings exhibit features indicating that they were once shops or workshops, testifying to Peasenhall’s once significant status as a site of commerce.Suffolk’s usual vernacular materials are well represented within the village, where there is a mixture of render, red and white brick façades, with the roofs variously of pantiles, clay pantiles, or thatch.