The Old Brooder bunkhouse is situated down a long drive on our environmentally-friendly working farm in rural Suffolk within three miles of historic Lavenham, but accessible by train and within an hour or so from London, and 16 miles of Colchester, Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich. The bunkhouse is surrounded by ancient wildflower meadows, ponds, hedged countryside, ancient listed barns and Milden Hall farmhouse.
The bunkhouse sleeps 22 single guests in two 8-bed rooms and two 2-bed rooms with 3ft wide, joiner-made oak bunk beds and conventional beds with comfortable mattresses, and twin beds in the restored Shepherd’s Hut - all made up with linen. 4 WC, 4 separate showers. You can all cook and eat together in the kitchen or relax together in the cosy upstairs sitting room.
The bunkhouse is perfect for friends, walkers, cyclists, scouts, school or church groups, and civilised hens to get together, BBQ on a summer evening, play croquet, badminton, ping-pong,table football, rounders, football - and beyond explore the tracks and enjoy the wildlife around our lovely farm.
Bunkhouse hire includes the use of 20+ adult road bikes so you can explore the local historic towns on the quiet country lanes of the South Suffolk Cycle Route and our own planned circular routes - and try our Wool Town Quiz. BYO bikes if you're on one of the Long Distance Sustrans routes that passes within 2 miles of here. Alternatively hire boats and kayak down the River Stour from Sudbury, Go Ape in Thetford Forest, visit local National Trust properties, enjoy Gainsborough House art exhibitions and print workshop courses, explore local castles (and our own castle earthworks) or re-enact different eras at nearby Kentwell Hall or the West Stow Anglo Saxon village. Visit bird reserves on the coast and nature reserves closer to home - or spend a wet day at Colchester Zoo.
If you have a larger group or a bigger budget consider the completely the separate Tudor barn which sleeps 23+ (also in this guide).
Comfy, farm stay self-catering in rural, but train-accessible, Suffolk. Sleeps 22 in five bedrooms, including a restored Shepherd’s Hut. Mix of oak bunks & beds. Relax in cosy sitting room; croquet, BBQ, ping-pong & badminton; explore the farm, picnic in a meadow. 20 bikes included in hire or kayak down the River Stour. Go Ape, visit castles, coast, historic towns. Larger groups can also book the Tudor Barn (also in this guide).
The Old Brooder bunkhouse is situated down a long drive on our environmentally-friendly working farm in rural Suffolk within three miles of historic Lavenham, but accessible by train and within an hour or so from London, and 16 miles of Colchester, Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich. The bunkhouse is surrounded by ancient wildflower meadows, ponds, hedged countryside, ancient listed barns and Milden Hall farmhouse.
The bunkhouse sleeps 22 single guests in two 8-bed rooms and two 2-bed rooms with 3ft wide, joiner-made oak bunk beds and conventional beds with comfortable mattresses, and twin beds in the restored Shepherd’s Hut - all made up with linen. 4 WC, 4 separate showers. You can all cook and eat together in the kitchen or relax together in the cosy upstairs sitting room.
The bunkhouse is perfect for friends, walkers, cyclists, scouts, school or church groups, and civilised hens to get together, BBQ on a summer evening, play croquet, badminton, ping-pong,table football, rounders, football - and beyond explore the tracks and enjoy the wildlife around our lovely farm.
Bunkhouse hire includes the use of 20+ adult road bikes so you can explore the local historic towns on the quiet country lanes of the South Suffolk Cycle Route and our own planned circular routes - and try our Wool Town Quiz. BYO bikes if you're on one of the Long Distance Sustrans routes that passes within 2 miles of here. Alternatively hire boats and kayak down the River Stour from Sudbury, Go Ape in Thetford Forest, visit local National Trust properties, enjoy Gainsborough House art exhibitions and print workshop courses, explore local castles (and our own castle earthworks) or re-enact different eras at nearby Kentwell Hall or the West Stow Anglo Saxon village. Visit bird reserves on the coast and nature reserves closer to home - or spend a wet day at Colchester Zoo.
If you have a larger group or a bigger budget consider the completely the separate Tudor barn which sleeps 23+ (also in this guide).
W/ends: 2 nights min from £1250. 3 nights Bank Hols £2,700. 2 nights m/week from £900. Ask for a quote for small groups or 1-night stays.
Booking:
By email or telephone, non refundable deposit required.
Directions:
0.6 mile farm drive is opposite telephone box in village of Milden, fork right in farm yard, bunkhouse car park on left. Or ... 0.3 mile front drive on sharp bend (and quite easy to miss, especially in the dark) on the B1115 between Milden crossroads and Little Waldingfield village.
Public Transport :
Train: from south to Sudbury (15mins) change at Marks Tey on Liverpool St-Colchester line, from north and west to Bury St Edmunds (25 mins).
Easter farm stay at the Old Brooder Bunkhouse, Suffolk
March 14th 2024
Easter weekend and midweek Easter breaks available on our lovely environmentally-friendly Suffolk farm in both our Old Brooder Bunkhouse and the Tudor Barn. Farm trails to walk, adult road bikes to borrow. Easter eggs to hunt, spring wildflowers, ponds with courting newts, hunting barn owls, dawn chorus …. come and enjoy sole use of these lovely properties in spring! Quote IHUK.
The Old Brooder is really cosy and then … step outside into glorious spring on the farm. We have family activity idea packs with lots of ideas to do whilst you’re here – on-site tree hugging, den-building, bird-watching, wild art attacks and walking and then planned circular walking and cycling routes for further afield.
Contact us with number and approximate age range of guests, preferred arrival and departure dates and we’ll get back to you with a quote – and perhaps a discount if you quote IHUK.
Latest News
Easter breaks for walkers & cyclists at the Old Brooder in Suffolk!
January 26th 2024
Bring your friends or family to the Old Brooder on a walking or cycling holiday – we’ve got 22 road bikes and maps to borrow with short or long walking or cycling routes planned for guests. Enjoy our farm trails, footpaths or quiet country lanes with pubs, nature reserves and Millennium Greens to stop at and have a picnic! Historic houses, beautiful countryside, medieval villages … and come back for an evening feasting together in the kitchen or, in the summer, a barbecue with croquet.
This modern and quirky farm stay offers very comfortable group accommodation for up to 22 people. The cosy feel of the property, on our environmentally friendly farm full of ponds, birds and flowers – and masses of ideas for local adventure makes this the ideal break!
CYCLISTS! Borrow our 22 bikes at the Old Brooder Bunkhouse or BYO! Various Suffolk cycle routes pass by our drive, so you’re in good cycling country. We have maps and laminated circular routes for varying fitness (45 mins – 5 hrs), different interests (nature reserves, medieval ‘Wool’ villages, pubs) along quiet country lanes.
WALKERS! Walk around our farm trails through woods and meadows and picnic by a pond – or enjoy longer routes further afield including the Stour Valley Path, St Edmunds Way and in Constable Country. Families can potter around the farm tracks doing a scavenge hunt along the way.
Contact us for cyclist and walker discounts this winter, Easter and spring.