Rustic retreat in heart of rural Suffolk

Thoroughly enjoyed our stay. So peaceful. Wish we could have stayed longer

We had very specific needs in that we lived between Glemsford and Fenstead End (same road as Cockles) in the early 1970s and we wanted to return and inspire memories of very happy times there. Cockles was the ideal location being away from the village and incredibly quiet - and light-free at night. In fact, I got good milky way shots with both my cellphone and my camera. So, Cockles is incredibly quiet and peaceful. The house itself is large and rambling with lots of character plus several rooms in addition to the four bedrooms, two of which have in-suite showers. The kitchen is well-stocked with everything you can imagine or need if you wish to self-cater. The booking process was quick and easy, while Mark was very quick to respond to questions. Perhaps I can summarise by saying that this trip comprised only my daughter and grandson (other family members missed the trip through various circumstances), but I hope to return with my wife and her two daughters from California in the near future because it's a perfect base from which to explore the fascinating beauty and history of West Suffolk (I was born and raised in East Suffolk).

We enjoyed a relaxing few days in Suffolk. The house is a comfortable family home full of character set in a large garden with an eclectic mix of artefacts and a massive book collection. The living /dining area is spacious, the kitchen well-equipped and the bedrooms large and airy. It was however quite dirty in places. We needed to wash some of the cutlery and crockery before use and the kitchen work surfaces were sticky. One of the mattress covers was stained. And there were quite a lot of cobwebs. All these issues could easily be rectified and once addressed would enhance the overall experience.

The house is set in a lovely peaceful area. We had fun exploring the Long Melford, Clare and Lavenham. Seeing a hare on the lawn several times was beautiful. The house is very well stocked, if anything too well stocked. It was hard to find things in the kitchen as there was so much that was not needed for a holiday stay. We were worried we might leave things behind, as virtually every surface was covered with fascinating books and trinkets. The house could be wonderful, but it was not clean (cobwebs in several rooms, the fridge and a lot of kitchen equipment was dirty, carpets only vacuumed in centre of room, toaster tray full of crumbs), some of the furniture and carpets have seen better days, taps dripped and the whole place had a bit of a tired air. We saw a mouse on several occasions and had 2 different sets of flying ants in the kitchen and lounge. It was a shame, we had a good time, but it could have been great.