Old Hall Farm- Old Dairy

Dairy Cottage (sleeps 3 plus cot) is one of a cluster of three stylish barn cottages in a tranquil courtyard setting with beautiful views over 80 acres of meadowland, interrupted only by the odd friendly Friesian cow. Brilliant onsite facilities include a large indoor/outdoor (sides slide back) heated pool (available Easter- late October), a mini astro pitch for tennis or football, and a games room equipped with table tennis, giant draughts and a pool table. Parents can pack light thanks to a comprehensive range of toys and nursery gear, and enjoy a more relaxing stay with optional services like home-made frozen ready meals, catering, babysitting - even daily fresh milk deliveries courtesy of the neighbouring cows!

Despite its idyllic rural setting, the pretty village of Walpole is almost on the doorstep, whilst the bustling market town of Halesworth, with its charming cobblestone streets crammed with independent shops, delis, pubs, bistros and toddler-friendly pedestrianised town centre, is just a two mile walk, cycle or drive away. A little further afield is the world-renowned Suffolk Heritage Coast and its many picturesque coastal towns and villages some of which seem barely touched by modern life, and others crammed with cosmopolitan pubs, bistros, art galleries and shops. In addition, Norfolk and its famous Broads are just 8 miles away.

Once the milk store, the Old Dairy is now a light, bright and modern 2-bedroom cottage. Downstairs has real wood floors throughout and an open-plan living area including an electric 'log' burner in the lounge and full equipped kitchen with all mod cons including microwave, dishwasher and washer-dryer. Upstairs there are two bedrooms - a large double with ensuite bathroom, and a single that has room for a z-bed. The single shares the bathroom but has its own access from the landing. Outside, The Old Dairy has its own furnished Indian Sandstone patio, facing into the sheltered courtyard and a gas BBQ.

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There's plenty to do in around Old Hall Farm including a fun nature trail set up by owners the Winter Family and designed to suit all aged. There's a set route to be followed, complete with laminated sheets giving details at each point of what to look out for, and information about the countryside around. There's a wealth of wildlife surrounding the cottages and the nature trail is a brilliant way of enjoying it.

The pretty village of Walpole is on the doorstep whilst the good selection of independent shops and pedestrianised centre in the charming market town of Haleworth are just two miles away. The town has a couple of good takeaways, which are handy if you don't feel like cooking or aren't making use of the homemade ready meals. Also with a short drive are the popular and pretty waterfront towns of Woodbridge, Southwold, Sutton Hoo, Bawdsey, Orford, Aldeburgh and Snape. All have a good selection of boutiques, cafes, bistros and gastro-pubs, along with their scenic attractions. It’s hard to improve on Southwold for a beach day with little ones thanks to its lovely sandy beach old fashioned seaside appeal with its lighthouse, pretty multicoloured beach huts and delightful pier with traditional amusements like Punch and Judy, and Victorian end-of-the-pier shows. There's also a brewery and a host of decent pubs and restaurants.

More recommendations for eating out with little ones in tow include the family friendly Thorpeness Brassiere and the Regatta in Aldeburgh, as well as the brilliant field kitchen at Jimmy's Farm, made famous by the TV show and a great day out for kids in itself thanks to its animals and nature trail - stick up on supplies in the shop too.

Other nearby attractions include the award-winning Easton Farm Park which is perfect for toddlers and offers animal feeding, petting, egg collecting, horse and cart rides and mini train trips. Whilst, the Africa Alive safari park nr Lowestoft has a fabulous re-creation of the African savannah in which animals roam freely as they would in the wild, plus a fun land train trip with commentary on the animals.

If babysitting is an option, the restaurant at the Crown and Castle, owned by food writer and TV presenter Ruth Watson, and The Froize Inn near Woodbridge both regularly receive rave reviews.

testimonial scores:4:4:4:5

Bit rustic but a good find overall. Really friendly owner. A bottle steriliser w...

Bit rustic but a good find overall. Really friendly owner. A bottle steriliser would have been really handy as an idea
Overall Experience Rating: 80%

Fantastic find in the middle of beautiful countryside. So toddler-safe that it m...

Fantastic find in the middle of beautiful countryside. So toddler-safe that it made our break so much more easy and relaxing. Owner very friendly and helpful. Loved fresh eggs in the morning and ice-creams from the dairy on-site.
Overall Experience Rating: 80%

We had a really great time in the Old Dairy. With the upstairs stair-gate closed...

We had a really great time in the Old Dairy. With the upstairs stair-gate closed, our son had the full run of the upper floor which he thoroughly enjoyed. He also very much enjoyed the 'play-barn', which he always wanted to go in and never wanted to leave.
Overall Experience Rating: 80%

This was the ideal accommodation for our little family. Very well equipped and p...

This was the ideal accommodation for our little family. Very well equipped and practially furnished. The chickens, pony, games room and pool were perfect entertainment for a toddler.
Overall Experience Rating: 100%

The accomodation was of a really good standard and perfect for us and a 2 year o...

The accomodation was of a really good standard and perfect for us and a 2 year old. He especially loved the play barn with the little tikes car and plenty of room to speed around in. Lots of entertainment for toddlers within driving distance too.
Overall Experience Rating: 80%

We really loved our time at Old Hall Farm and didn't want to go home at the end ...

We really loved our time at Old Hall Farm and didn't want to go home at the end of our stay. The play barn was a hit with our daughter (and us too) and the cottage itself was clean, well equiped and beautifully presented. There was lots of local attractions near by to keep us entertained and we would love to come again.
Overall Experience Rating: 100%

We were delighted at how spotless the accommodation was, and the house was fully...

We were delighted at how spotless the accommodation was, and the house was fully equipped for an easy and relaxing holiday with a baby, toddler or older child. There was a wide range of toys and books available in the play barn which could be taken into the cottage, a gated patio so my son could play safely and a home made cake on arrival! There is also the option of organising home made meals at reasonable prices for your stay, which are perfect for a first night away when you don't want to cook. We felt that every need was catered for.
Overall Experience Rating: 100%

4 Stars for baby gear and interiors/luxury, 5 stars for location and customer se...

4 Stars for baby gear and interiors/luxury, 5 stars for location and customer service. Overall outstanding

We really loved our time at Old Hall Farm and didn't want to go home at the end ...

We really loved our time at Old Hall Farm and didn't want to go home at the end of our stay. The play barn was a hit with our daughter (and us too) and the cottage itself was clean, well equiped and beautifully presented. There was lots of local attractions near by to keep us entertained and we would love to come again. Overall Rating: Outstanding 5 Stars

For families with young children, John and Lucy offer a very warm and welcoming ...

For families with young children, John and Lucy offer a very warm and welcoming first class self-catering accommodation.

The three gorgeous self-catering cottages...combine olde-world charm with all th...

The three gorgeous self-catering cottages...combine olde-world charm with all the luxury and comfort of modern living. Daily Mail, May 2009

Really lovely holiday cottage. Owner is extremely helpful and there is plenty f...

Really lovely holiday cottage. Owner is extremely helpful and there is plenty for the little ones to do. I would definitely go back again.

lovely barn & service , kids loved it - thank you...

lovely barn & service , kids loved it - thank you

Fantastic holiday, perfect accomadation and a lovely part of the world...

Fantastic holiday, perfect accomadation and a lovely part of the world

We all loved staying here, particularly the kids. There was so much for the chil...

We all loved staying here, particularly the kids. There was so much for the children to do - we actually wished for a rainy day so we could spend a day on the farm! Will definately be coming back.

Owner Profile

Hello, welcome and thank you for taking the time to find out about us! We are the Winter family of Old Hall Farm. John (mid 40s), Lucy (41 and a bit), Archie (11yrs) and Rose (9yrs). Having sold a Dairy business 6 years ago, we decided that the timber framed buildings in the original cattle yard deserved to be lovingly converted into, what are now our three, very different holiday barns, that you may have been looking at on our website. The project took us just 11 months from start to finish and was both exciting and at times, challenging! We had our first guests booked in for Easter 2007 and finished painting just the day before. We have been welcoming guests here ever since, and can truly say we feel very privileged to have met some great people. John continues to run the farm and other projects while Lucy`s time is split between the holiday barns and the children. Archie has his chickens and enjoys selling guests his eggs, while Rose loves all the animals especially her pony, Alfie Moon. Come to Suffolk and meet us for yourselves! .

We love it here for so many reasons.....! Its our home and our workplace..... we are surrounded by the countryside and fresh air, very nearby we have the wonderful Suffolk coastline, not to mention the market towns with independent shops, delis and restaurants, the abundance of locally produced ingredients, the farmers markets and fish stalls on the Harbour at Southwold. Award winning pubs and restaurants within a few miles from us and being equidistant between Ipswich, and historical Norwich we don`t have to go far for a few bright lights!! And still the brighter lights of London Town, are only about two and a half hours away!! We hope that you would love it too....

Having children of our own we like to think that we know what makes life easier......if the children are happy then so are we! Reasons that they love it here...the playbarn, with indoor astro turf pitch, goalposts and footballs galore. The dressing up box, the huge blackboard with chalks, the pushchairs and dollies, the ride on toys and little bikes, the puzzles, board games, table tennis and pool table. The heated swimming pool (Easter until the end of October), the pets, dog and pony. The egg collecting and the individual tubs of homemade ice cream that we sell! The beach at Southwold and the fun they can have on the Pier. The crabbing at Walberswick. The delicious fish and chips at Aldeburgh and Dunwich. Finally, after a full day of fresh country air and open space we hope the little darlings love our beds.... and sleep soundly so that you can have some well deserved grown up time!