Berners Yard, Woolverstone, Suffolk

This immaculate, four-bedroom house is located on the bucolic Stour peninsula in rural Suffolk, with landscape views of the surrounding farmland. It sits within Berners Yard, an award-winning collection of six beautifully considered homes crafted from the original bones of a set of agricultural buildings. The meticulous remodelling of this house has created a series of light, lofty and sociable living spaces. It has a richly stocked private garden, with a dining terrace, access to the communal central courtyard, plus a generous provision of parking and a garage. Ipswich and Manningtree are close at hand, with trains to London Liverpool Street from the latter taking just under an hour.

The Architect

With a primary focus on residential projects, the work of the RIBA award-winning Andrew Hughes Architects encompasses both new builds and contemporary interventions within historical buildings. Much of the firm's work lies within East Anglia, where it has established a reputation for skilfully combining space, light, and form with a finely tuned material palette. Berners Yard is one of the latest award-winning collaborations between them and Nest Development. Emphasis throughout was placed on retaining and recycling original materials to reduce the embodied carbon of the conversion works, while also ensuring that its contemporary design remained rooted in the local vernacular.

The Tour

Warm red brick walls and grey-speckled pantile roofs establish a wonderfully tactile palette to this home, which sits in striking contrast to the surrounding broad-leafed canopies and panoramic countryside views. Unique in its detachment from its neighbours, the layout of the house takes cues from the shape of the original building, a granary, and is arranged in an L-shaped plan.

Entry, via an oversized, gently arching doorway, is to a warm and welcoming kitchen, where the authentic essence of this home is immediately established. Light floods from the front and back, earthy terracotta runs underfoot and the cabinetry is formed from generous runs of simply detailed white joinery with marble slabs sitting atop. A handy utility room/back kitchen sits alongside, and there is access to the private rear garden.

At the heart of the home is the main living space, a lovely, sociable place to retreat, gather and entertain. A glazed door frames enticing views of the outdoor dining patio and garden beyond, while a captivating woodburning Skantherm stove creates a wonderful place to congregate. A large roof light is carefully positioned to bathe the room in daylight, ensuring a natural embrace throughout the seasons.

The generous main bedroom, with a skylit dressing room and en suite shower room, lies in the westerly, single-storey wing. A further double bedroom sits centrally and would also make an excellent study or working-from-home space. Alongside is a large family shower room.

The architects have worked carefully around the existing structure of the building, particularly on the first floor, where they have used the beautiful original trusses to highlight the truly singular nature of this house. Exposed 19th-century timbers have been revealed and carefully preserved, accentuating the lofty nature of the top floor. Crisp, white, plastered walls provide a neutral backdrop to this patchwork of peg-jointed beams, purlins and rafters.

The two remaining bedrooms are dual aspect, their long windows framing mesmerising panoramas of the big East Anglian skies. A shared family bathroom sits centrally.

A NIBE air source heat pump and underfloor heating provide a stable internal environment. There is a single garage, attached to the house. The home has a 10-year warranty from when it was completed in 2022.

Outdoor Space

The house has a lovely south-facing private garden that receives copious amounts of light throughout the day. Edged in post and rail fencing, softened by verdant hedging, colourful bushes and shrubs emerge from newly established beds.

An alluring outdoor terrace, which unfolds directly from the living room and the kitchen, is a wonderfully convivial spot to enjoy an afternoon in the sun or alfresco dining.

The Area

The residents of Berners Yard have created a small, neighbourly community. Radiating around the quiet central courtyard, they are immersed in farmland and embedded in nature.

The hamlet of Woolverstone, with its marina and riverbank, lies just over a mile north and Holbrook, with its handy butchers, local shop and terrific pub, The Swan, with a tempting selection of real ales, is two and a half miles south. Pin Mill, another little water-edge village, is less than a 30-minute stroll away, across fields and through woods, from Berners Yard. On arrival, the famous The Butt and Oyster awaits–a lovely spot to enjoy an alfresco lunch. Suffolk’s answer to Wholefoods, The Suffolk Food Hall, is a 10-minute drive away, where, after stocking up on delicious breads, cheeses, meats and wines, terrific coffee and wonderful Orwell estuary views await.

The house is near Suffolk’s county town of Ipswich, with its array of supermarkets, theatres, galleries and museums. It has plentiful restaurants, and Butterworth and Son and Applaud Coffee are great spots for coffee.

There are countless footpaths and quiet country lanes for walking and cycling and fantastic sporting facilities locally. These include highly regarded golf, rugby and rowing clubs in Ipswich. There is superb sailing and paddleboarding in both the Orwell and Stour estuaries, which surround the Peninsula. Royal Harwich Yacht Club is only 5-minutes' drive from Berners Yard.

The area is well-regarded in its provision of good schools; Orwell Park Prep, Framlingham College, The Royal Hospital School and Ipswich High School are all excellent options.

Manningtree Station is around 10 miles from Berners Yard, with trains connecting to London Liverpool Street in under 50 minutes and on to Heathrow, via the Elizabeth Line. The A12 and A14 are easily accessible, and Stansted Airport is just over 50 miles away.

Council Tax Band: C