Badingham, SuffolkSold

Low Street

A wonderful, joyfully decorated lateral home that blends seamlessly into the Suffolk landscape

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This charming, detached four-bedroom house lies in the village of Badingham, one of the highest villages in Suffolk. Set on a hill, in a quarter of an acre of land, the house blends seamlessly with its surroundings. Tucked into the hillside, a large veranda extends the entire width of the building and creates a sense of privacy. Constructed in the 1960s and subsequently extended in the ’90s, the house takes architectural cues from several influences, including the local vernacular and the buildings of pre-independence India (a previous owner spent much of their life in the country).

Setting the Scene

Badingham is a pretty village nestled in the heart of ‘High’ Suffolk, on the periphery of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One of the highest villages in Suffolk, Badingham is unusually hilly, a feature not generally associated with East Anglia. The area is also known as bow and arrow country, alluding to its ancient past and archaeological significance. For more information, please see the History section.

The Grand Tour

A discreet driveway tucked off a small lane leads to the house. The front door is large and gabled with an overhanging porch framed by glazing, creating a striking first impression. Entry is to a large bright hallway with glazed roof; oak floorboards run underfoot throughout the house. On the left are the living spaces, and on the right are the bedrooms.

The focal point of the galley kitchen is the power-blue, four-door Aga. In this space, and throughout the house, a playful colour palette has been used and is reminiscent of the iconic Richard and Ruth Rogers’ River Café. Cabinetry is blue and orange and is offset by stainless steel finishes, including a large industrial double sink set into a nook. A wooden-framed, glazed door leads from the kitchen onto the garden.

Adjacent to the kitchen is the reception room, which leads into the dining room. This is an immensely characterful and bright room, extending over 20 ft in length with high-pitched ceilings. The room is extensively glazed; a triple set of south-facing French doors lead onto the veranda at the end of the room, and there are two large windows to the side; all are painted zesty lime green. The dining room is a serene space overlooking the veranda and garden beyond; open-front shelving runs the length of one wall.

The bedrooms are all well-sized and bright. The main bedroom overlooks the veranda and has an en suite. Two further bedrooms, one currently used as a study, share a good-sized bathroom.

A self-contained annexe lies next to the main house and is accessed from the kitchen. Externally clad with timber and slate, coupled with a corrugated steel roof, the building sits comfortably in its surrounding landscape. Accommodation is generously proportioned internally and features a kitchenette and en suite bedroom. Double Crittall doors open onto a decked terrace, which overlooks raised beds with naturalistic planting.

The Great Outdoors

The garden is a quarter of an acre and has been thoughtfully designed. It is filled with a vast array of plants and trees, and dense hedging at the perimeter ensures privacy. It has been divided to create a series of outdoor ‘rooms’ and has beautiful views of the valley below. A whimsical door separates an area of raised beds from a small orchard. The sun tracks around the garden majority of the day with the side garden being a veritable sun trap.

The veranda, extending the full width of the house seamlessly blends indoor and outdoor spaces allowing for contact with nature come rain or shine.

A portion of land belonging to village Church lies adjacent to the house and has been given over to the local community for use as an allotment.

Out and About

Badingham is home to the well-regarded Badingham White Horse, which has a village bowls club, along with the Badingham shop and café serving delicious home-baked cakes. There are a tremendous amount of footpaths and bridle paths on the doorstep.

The village is just a 15-minute drive from Saxmundham, which has numerous farm shops, home stores, and a local supermarket.

Framlingham is also a 10-minute drive and provides a wide variety of facilities, including supermarkets, shops, library, doctors surgeries and numerous cafes, pubs and restaurants. Aldeburgh, along with the entirety of the beautiful Suffolk coast, is a 20-minute drive.

The nearest railway station is Saxmundham, which runs frequent services to London Liverpool Street in under two hours. Marginally further afield, services from Ipswich (a 35-minute drive) to London Liverpool Street take an hour and ten minutes.

Council Tax Band: D

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 High Suffolk landscape gives a glimpse into what Britain would have looked like before the Enclosures Act of 1604. The area is characterised by a tapestry of open grassland known as greens, which are grazed by livestock and are rich in biodiversity.

The area is also the site of some impressive archaeological finds. Saxon burial ground at Sutton Hoo (the subject of the recent film The Dig) is near the house and within walking distance are the ruins of the Bishop’s Palace at South Elmham Minster.

Closer still is South Elmham Minster itself, described as “one of the most romantic and enigmatic ruins in England” it is a hauntingly beautiful Norman chapel set amongst the trees, built within Roman or potentially Iron Age earthworks.