Classic Olde England May 7, 2003 Imagine owning a chocolate-box English cottage that's at least a couple of centuries old--one with beamed ceilings and a reed thatch roof. Out of your price range? Maybe not…they still pop up in Suffolk's more remote corners for under $233,000. If you're seeking a home in a traditional corner of Olde England, I have no hesitation in recommending this sleepy county. I was here recently, researching an article for the May 2003 edition of International Living, and wanted to pass on the following property picks: * Painted primrose, Marie Cottage is a teeny-weeny terraced home in Haughley village. Recently refurbished, it has a pitched thatched roof (just like its neighbors) and living space amounts to little more than 500 square feet. You wouldn't entertain many houseguests--there's only one bedroom--but they could camp in the back garden, which is surprisingly long at 90 feet. Although you'd have to go into Bury St. Edmunds or Stowmarket for a big shop, Haughley has a village store/post office, bakery, and village inn. Price: $233,000 through Richard Green. * Listed as a "renovation opportunity," the green-shuttered Old Post Office at Stradishall (seven miles from Newmarket) is a detached period cottage within a conservation area near the village church. Requiring internal modernization, it has a beamed sitting room with open fireplace, three additional reception rooms, cloakroom, and space for a modern kitchen. Upstairs are three bedrooms with partly beamed walls and ceilings. There's also a rear garden and detached garage. Price: $279,000 through Cheffins. * Dating back to the 16th century, Ivy Cottage is painted palest pink, built of timber frame construction. Features include leaded casement windows, exposed wooden beams, and back-to-back inglenook fireplaces. Living space amounts to approximately 1,200 square feet and a secluded flowery garden is set around a lawn. Through Richard Green, this thatched property is in Thelnetham (16 miles from Bury) and priced at $420,000. Suffolk still seems so off-the-beaten track, it's astounding to think that London is within commuting distance. In my view, it really does offer the best of both worlds: a good quality of life, unclogged roads, charming medieval villages--plus the opportunity to enjoy days out in London. Steenie Harvey
Roving Euro-editor, International Living |
