The Tudor Barn

Step back in time, without ever losing signal, and set the mood for an unforgettable wedding, family celebration, or civilised hen party at The Tudor Barn.

This ancient 16th century historic barn with adjoining cart lodge sleeps 25, and has become a very popular destination for big, atmospheric self-catered parties in rural Suffolk.

Everything about the place is huge – a great, flexible space for gathering, celebrating, feasting, dancing, dressing up in Tudor costumes, playing games around the wood burner in winter and enjoying tennis or croquet in the herb garden come summertime, walking the farm trails or grabbing a bike and exploring the area. Phew! 

The barn itself is situated in the grounds of Milden Hall Farm – a glorious, unspoilt and much-loved 500-acre family farm, owned and run by the Hawkins family.

The cosy underfloor-heated cart lodge has a ground-floor private double with a bathroom, a second bathroom accessible to all, and a huge, sunny kitchen with a big table. Upstairs there are two twin bedrooms (including the ‘emergency’ TV).

The adjoining open plan barn has oak banquet tables for a candlelit feast and a large comfortable sitting area around the wood burner for 25 guests. Then there’s sleeping arrangements for 16 in a huge open plan room filled with comfortable Suffolk oak beds (four-posters, doubles, and singles), and the adjoining ‘potting shed’ double has its own WC and basin. A hop, skip and a jump away are the very modern showers and WC. Additional guests can sometimes be accommodated in private bedrooms in the Hall Farmhouse adjacent, or the Old Brooder Bunkhouse 100m down the farm track.

The large well-equipped kitchen has 21st-century facilities, and your hosts are happy to direct you to the best local food and drink if you’d rather not cook, or even put you in touch with a local chef. You can choose to feast in the kitchen with up to 14 guests, or head to the main barn with oak banquet tables seating 14 to 50. If you’re lucky enough to be staying during the summer, enjoy the barbecue and a spot of croquet in the herb garden next to the barn. Bliss…

The hosts are unashamedly ‘green’. There are discounts for arriving on bicycle (plus 25 adult road bikes available for guests to use), their solar setup produces more energy than is used, they coppice their hedges and woods for the wood burner, they donate money to the local Wildlife Trust if you don’t use their towels, they grow loads of vegetables to share with guests, the farm is teeming with newts, moths, birds and other wildlife…you get the idea!

For those partial to a bit of fun dressing up, there are 50+ ‘Tudor’ costumes (and a dressing up chest for children to delve into) and plenty of period tableware to help you go the full Henry VIII.

You can feast, Tudor-style, on local venison or pheasant, home-reared pork or delicious vegetarian options from the farm’s garden. Your hosts can even provide wooden platters and goblets for your wine and ale. Huzzah!

Prefer a lazy Sunday lunch or a midweek evening drinks party? A sunny tea party or a BYO picnic in the garden? Perhaps a small wedding reception with delicious food or a jolly barn dance? Whatever you’ve got in mind, The Hawkins family will happily discuss your options. For a small chilled-out country celebration in a beautiful unspoilt, slightly quirky rural location on a working farm, look no further than The Tudor Barn.

About the location

The Tudor barn is off the beaten track, down Milden Hall Farm’s quiet Suffolk farm drive, but easily accessible from London, the North and the West. The property is peacefully surrounded by ancient wildflower meadows, hedged countryside, a beautiful listed hall farmhouse, aisled barns and cart lodges.

Edmund’s favourite feature

“The barn itself is simply breath-taking, even if you don’t go full-on Tudor for your celebration theme. I think guests will also appreciate the relaxed, renewable energy vibe that the Hawkins family has established. 25 bikes!”

Things to do

There’s so much to do on the estate that guests rarely venture out too far.

Explore the waymarked trails around the farm (castle earthworks, woods, ponds, meadows, farmland) and surrounding villages. Why not leave your car behind, borrow a bicycle, helmet and map to tour the local area and pubs?

Beyond the farm, you can explore historic wool town villages such as Lavenham and Long Melford, enjoy Constable Country, the Suffolk Coast and lots of National Trust properties.