Stow Manor

Stow Manor was once the Estate Manager’s house, and has been renovated to work as a great holiday house, quiet and private – perfect for family celebrations, or large groups of friends (although no stag dos).

There are nine bedrooms in total, sleeping up to 18 people, although a further six guests could sleep on sofa beds (bringing the total to 24). The bedrooms are both in the main house itself, and in the adjacent Gardener’s Cottage. The main house has seven large bedrooms, three twin, three king-size doubles, and a double. All the bedrooms have an en-suite bath or shower room. The Gardener’s Cottage has a further two bedrooms, one twin and a double (both with adjoining bathrooms).

The main house has lots of entertaining space, starting with a big, modern kitchen that leads to a garden room with a lantern roof light and French windows leading out onto the lawn. The tables seat up to 24 for big, jolly dinners (don’t worry, there are three dishwashers), and a further kitchen, should you have a sensitive chef in the party, who needs lots of space.  There is a third kitchen in The Gardener’s Cottage.

For relaxing and games, there’s a big living room with a wood-burning stove, and Sky TV.

Separate to the main house is the games room, which has a snooker table, beside the football pitch. If a raucous nine-aside doesn’t appeal, then there is also a tennis court. Should you be feeling terribly worn out by all the tearing around, there’s a hot tub on the terrace.

Stow Manor has two acres of private gardens, so there’s plenty of opportunities for romantic wanderings in the moonlight, or lawn games, or endless hide-and-seek. There’s a fire-pit, for telling stories around, and toasting marshmallows.

The Stowlangtoft Estate covers over a thousand acres, and has footpaths through its woods and sun-lit fields. There are other places to stay on the estate, so if you were a particularly large party, the estate could accommodate up to 50 guests (discounts are available for booking multiple properties).

Edmund’s Choice of Extraordinary Feature

“The Stowlangtoft Estate itself is pretty special. The family who own it are determined to follow farming with conservation principles, so have created acres of new woodland and spaces for wildlife. All makes for a great environment in which to relax, recharge and have a bit of fun.”

About this location

The Stowlangtoft Estate is about ten minutes’ drive from Bury St Edmunds, which has a main-line train station (trains are just under two hours from London).

Things to do

There are lots of walks over the estate, and some great pubs, but if you want to go further afield, Bury St Edmunds is a great plan. It’s a thriving market town with a cathedral and a ruined abbey. England’s original patron saint was St Edmund (who knew?), and the town was once one of the wealthiest pilgrimage sites in Europe. It’s now known as a bit of a foodie destination, and holds big food festivals in the Abbey gardens.

The East Coast is just over an hour’s drive away, or there are lots of National Trust properties and parks near the estate, including Ickworth House.