Cool place of the week: Crossways Farm

A fairytale farmhouse just an hour and a half from London

It’s the season for lazy days in the garden, and we have just the place for the most indolent of weekend breaks – deep in the bucolic Suffolk countryside yet just an hour and a half from London.  Set in two-and-a-half acres of grounds, Crossways Farm is a Grade II-listed, 14th-century farmhouse that would be an enticing place to stay whoever was running it. But, as luck would have it, it's the home of Yalda Davis, who has turned part of this beautiful beamed old building into as comfortable and welcoming a B&B as you could wish for, with two guest rooms in the far end of the west wing which she rents out on an exclusive-use basis. 

There is a separate private entrance and staircase, a spacious bathroom and a private breakfast and sitting room with a wood-burning stove, and two double bedrooms furnished with luxury mattresses, Egyptian cotton bed linen, Freeview TVs and DVD players and tea and coffee-making facilities – and whether you book one or both, the accommodation is reserved exclusively for you. Breakfast is delicious and locally-sourced, including eggs from Yalda's own chickens, and Yalda also serves you tea, coffee, homemade elderflower cordial and cake or biscuits on arrival. You can also purchase her delicious homemade cakes, biscuits, ice cream and other produce to take home, and environmentalists will be pleased to know that the property's power is in part provided by the solar panels that Yalda has recently installed at the back of the garden, hidden by trees.

In summer you can enjoy your own private area of the beautiful garden, complete with hammocks, table and chairs; there's a swing and a den which children will love, a paddling pool for hot days and a rowing boat for exploring the small lake in grounds, plus a slightly bumpy but full-size tennis court for matches between non-serious players (Yalda can provide racquets and balls). She can also introduce the various animals who share the grounds with you, and provide carrots to feed the goats and grain to feed the chickens and ducks. The kids can also join her in collecting the chickens’ eggs that you will have for your breakfast. 

There’s also loads to do:, with the area immediately around Crossways Farm  perfect for walking and easy-going cycling, with various circular walks accessible on foot from the house (Yalda has maps to help you explore, as well as child bikes, seats and helmets of various sizes to borrow). There are lots of pubs within easy cycling distance – not least the renowned gastropubby Bildeston Crown and the more accessible Swan Inn in Monks Eleigh.  As Yalda says, Crossways Farm is more than a place to stay, it’s a restorative place for all ages to relax in peaceful surroundings while enjoying the countryside and its wildlife. Just as well she decided it share it with us.