Before you book
Frequently asked questions
Answers to the questions guests ask us most about staying at Wattisham Hall Holiday Cottages: three converted barns, each with its own private hot tub, on our working family farm near Ipswich in Suffolk. If you can't find what you need, email us at enquiries@wattishamhall.co.uk or call 01449 740240.
About Wattisham Hall
Where is Wattisham Hall Holiday Cottages?
Wattisham Hall Holiday Cottages are at Wattisham Hall, The Green, Wattisham, Ipswich, Suffolk IP7 7JX. The three cottages are converted farm buildings around a shared courtyard beside the Hall's medieval moat, on a farm that has been in our family since 1932. The village of Bildeston is about two miles away, Lavenham is a 20-minute drive and Bury St Edmunds is 30 minutes.
How many people can stay at Wattisham Hall?
Up to 19 people across the three cottages. Owls End sleeps 8 in 3 bedrooms with 3 bathrooms, Tithe Barn sleeps 7 in 4 bedrooms with 2 bathrooms, and Willow Cottage sleeps 4 in 2 bedrooms with 1 bathroom. You can book one cottage, two, or all three together for a group stay.
Does each cottage have its own hot tub?
Yes. Every cottage has its own private hot tub on a fenced patio looking out over the moat, so there's no sharing with other guests. The hot tubs are available all year round. Owls End and Tithe Barn also have wood burners, with firewood included in the price.
Are the cottages good for families with young children?
Yes. There's a fenced playground with swings, a climbing frame and a slide, and a games room with pool and table tennis (both free) and table football (which takes 20p pieces). Each cottage has its own fenced patio, and cots and high chairs are available at no extra charge. The moat is deep with steep banks and the path beside it isn't fenced, so please keep a close eye on young children near the water.
Booking and prices
When do stays start, and what's the minimum stay?
Stays start on a Friday or a Monday, for a minimum of two nights. Choose your start date on our booking page to see availability and the price for your stay. Prices include VAT.
How do we pay?
A 25% deposit is due when you book, by debit or credit card through our secure online payment system, and the balance is due six weeks before you arrive. If you book within six weeks of your stay, the full amount is charged when you book. We don't accept cheques or American Express.
Is there a security deposit?
Yes. We take a returnable deposit of £100 per cottage to cover accidental breakages, or £300 when you book the whole site. We let you know within 48 hours of your stay if we've found any damage, and otherwise return the deposit within two weeks.
Is booking all three cottages one booking or three?
One. You can book all three cottages together as a single booking, at one price for the whole site, for up to 19 people. See how group stays work.
Should we take out travel insurance?
We strongly recommend it, so that your costs are covered if you have to cancel. You can read the details in our booking terms and conditions.
The cottages
What's provided in the cottages?
Bed linen is provided, along with one bath towel and one hand towel for each guest. You'll also find tea, coffee, sugar, salt and pepper, washing-up liquid, dishwasher tablets, matches and firelighters, a hairdryer and a Tassimo coffee machine with a few pods to get you started. Firewood is included for the wood burners in Owls End and Tithe Barn, and there are biscuits waiting for you when you arrive.
Do we need to bring towels for the hot tub?
Yes, please bring your own towels for the hot tub, or you can hire them from us for £2 per towel. Bath and hand towels for use indoors are provided.
Is the hot tub ready when we arrive?
Yes. We change the water in each private hot tub between stays, so it may still be warming up when you arrive. The hot tubs are self-chlorinating and available all year round.
Can we use the hot tub during pregnancy?
Yes, at your own risk. The hot tubs are usually kept at 38°C, and we ask pregnant guests to keep the temperature below 38°C.
What time can we arrive, and when do we need to leave?
Check-in is from 3pm, and we ask that you leave by 9.30am on your day of departure.
Is there wifi and a phone signal?
Yes. Wifi is free in all three cottages, at a speed of around 22 Mbps. All the mobile networks work here, although some are limited indoors, and Vodafone tends to be the strongest.
Is heating included?
Yes. All three cottages have oil-fired central heating, and it's included in the price. Owls End and Tithe Barn also have wood burners, with firewood provided.
Can we do some washing?
Yes. There's a shared laundry room next to the games room with two washing machines and two tumble driers, which are free to use.
Do you have cots and high chairs?
Yes, we have cots and high chairs for every cottage at no extra charge. Just let us know how many you need when you book.
Which cottage suits older relatives or guests with limited mobility?
Every cottage has a bedroom on the ground floor. Tithe Barn has two bedrooms and both bathrooms downstairs, Owls End has a ground-floor double with its own shower room and its own door from the courtyard, and Willow Cottage is all on one level. We can fit a ramp at any of the front doors, and a toilet frame and seat riser are available if you ask us beforehand.
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The welcome book was up-to-date and had plenty of trip ideas. Hot tubs were well kept and clean.
Bradley, Google review
Coming as a group
Can our whole group eat together at one table?
Yes. If you're booking more than one cottage, we'll set up an extra table and chairs in Tithe Barn so that everyone can eat together, at no extra charge. It seats 16 comfortably, or all 19 at a squeeze. Please let us know when you book, or at least a week before you arrive.
What's the bedroom layout in each cottage?
Owls End has a ground-floor double with an en-suite shower room, and upstairs two large bedrooms, each with a super king and a single day bed. Tithe Barn has a double and a single on the ground floor, with a super king and a twin upstairs. Willow Cottage has a super king and a twin, all on one floor. All four super king beds can be made up as two singles if you send us your bed plan before you arrive.
How many cars can we bring?
There's room for 10 cars in the courtyard, right outside the cottages. We don't have an electric car charger at the moment.
Which pubs and restaurants are suitable for a big group?
We'd suggest The Bildeston Crown, named Pub of the Year by Suffolk & Norfolk Magazine, for a special dinner, the King's Head in Hadleigh for a Sunday roast, or the Six Bells at Preston for pub food. Tables for larger groups are hard to find at short notice, so we recommend booking before you travel. There are more ideas on our Things to do page.
Do any takeaways deliver to the cottages?
Yes. Deliveroo and Just Eat both deliver to Wattisham.
Can we have a supermarket delivery?
Yes, all the major supermarkets deliver here, and many groups book a delivery for the evening they arrive. Use our postcode, IP7 7JX, and add your name and the name of your cottage to the delivery notes. All we ask is that you're here to take the delivery in.
Dogs
Are dogs allowed at Wattisham Hall?
Yes. We welcome one well-behaved dog per cottage, for a £25 supplement, which you can add when you book. If you'd like to bring more than one dog, please ask us first.
Where can dogs go?
Dogs need to be kept on a lead whenever you're out on the farm, because of the gamebirds and other wildlife. Indoors, we ask that dogs stay off the beds and sofas and are never left alone in the cottage, and that they don't foul on the patios, for hot tub hygiene.
On the farm
Can we fish in the moat?
Yes, if you have a fishing licence. There are bream, roach and chub in the moat.
Where can the children play?
The grass in front of the Hall is ideal for football, cricket and other games, and there's a fenced playground and a games room by the courtyard. The farmyard itself is out of bounds, as the machinery can be dangerous even when it's parked.
Where can we walk?
Public and permissive footpaths cross the farm, and you can walk around the moat through the orchard, or follow the footpaths to the spinney and down Needham Lane to the pubs in Bildeston. You'll find maps of the area in each cottage, and Combs Wood, a Suffolk Wildlife Trust reserve, is within ten minutes' drive.
Do the helicopters fly a lot?
At times, yes. Wattisham airfield is close by, so you may hear helicopters during the week, although weekends are much quieter.
Do you have any animals?
Jeremy's brother Simon keeps 3,200 laying hens in nearby Hitcham, although we're not able to offer visits because of bird flu restrictions. You'll usually find Margo, our golden retriever, wherever Jeremy is, and she's always pleased to say hello. Read more about us on The Farm page.
House rules
Can we smoke?
The cottages, the games room and the playground are all no smoking. You're welcome to smoke on your patio or in the courtyard.
Can we light candles or fireworks?
We're sorry, but candles and fireworks aren't allowed. You're welcome to use the wood burners and the barbecues, and we ask that there are no other open fires.
Are there quiet hours?
Yes. After 10pm, please keep music down and stay out of the hot tubs, out of consideration for our neighbours and other guests.
Getting here and nearby
How do we find you?
Our postcode is IP7 7JX. Come up our drive past the church and the egg stall, and you'll find the cottages around the courtyard, with parking right outside. There are directions and a map link on our Contact page.
Can we come without a car?
Yes. The nearest station is Stowmarket, and a taxi from there costs around £20. The nearest shop and pubs are about two miles away in Bildeston, so a car does make shopping and days out easier.
Where are the nearest shops and services?
The nearest shop is Bank House Stores in Bildeston, about two miles away, and the nearest supermarket is Morrisons in Hadleigh. There are chemists in Hadleigh and Needham Market, a doctor's surgery in Bildeston and vets in Hadleigh and Stowmarket. For days out, see our Things to do page.
Access
Every cottage has a bedroom on the ground floor, and we can fit a ramp at any of the front doors if you let us know in advance.
Stays start on a Friday or a Monday, for a minimum of two nights.
Check availability →