A 4,500-acre country estate with woodland, parkland and a spectacularly landscaped sunken swimming pool, Wilderness Reserve offers a collection of manors, farmhouses and country cottages to rent in Suffolk. The latest addition to its portfolio is the Cartshed, a converted timber-framed barn with an expansive glass-walled open-plan living space and an Ergofocus wood burner. This is a great party space, but the true luxury comes from the bespoke nature of each visit – from private chefs to archery lessons on the surrounding grounds, the fantastic staff can make anything happen.
The House: Modern design is cleverly juxtaposed with ancient materials in the Cartshed. Beautiful old stone floors are friendlier than they look, with underfloor heating, and the low lights over the large slate and wooden farmhouse table make it a spot for lingering. While close inspection reveals the designer’s penchant for high-street deals – colourful items from MS and Anthropologie feature throughout – there are also serious bits of luxury kit, including the magical Falcon 1092 Deluxe Induction stove. A squishy U-shaped sofa heaped with pillows surrounds the pendant wood burner (the lines of which are echoed in festive light fixtures with over a metre of fringe hanging down from the ceiling). Impressive retractable glass walls that open both sides of the living space up to the rolling landscape outside should get plenty of use each summer.
With four ensuite bedrooms, two with giant copper bathtubs, the Cartshed sleeps eight, though the property can be combined with neighbouring houses for larger groups. Daily housekeeping keeps everything ship-shape.
Wilderness Reserve is a place that appreciates discretion and relaxation, both of which are embodied in the estate’s talented chef, Matthew Appleton, who cooked us an elegant meal of modern European fare. From smoked salmon with capers to lamb cutlets with potato gratin, nothing was pretentious, but everything was delicious.
Standout feature: Open skies over vast, rolling private parkland are the USPs of Wilderness Reserve; it would be difficult to imagine a more idyllic English setting. The flurry of land and building restoration and development at Wilderness Reserve is the pet project of Foxtons founder Jon Hunt – a man who knows his way around a property. Intriguingly, his approach – with the help of the British landscape architect Kim Wilkie – isn’t the “re-wilding” conservation seen elsewhere; it’s more the creation of a vast pleasure park with space for rowing and fishing, nature walks, biking and private picnics.
Not so keen: For this level of property, better wine glasses and bedding would be appreciated; while the bright high street accents work, cheap cotton pillows do not.
The area: Wilderness Reserve can organise any activity you like on-site, so only those with the itchiest of feet would need to leave over the course of a weekend – but for them, the nearby coastal towns of Southwold or Aldeburgh have plenty of good options for lunch or a seaside wander.
Who it’s good for: Families will love the wide open spaces, and the almost complete absence of cars, while the Cartshed and its neighbouring properties, all of similarly high quality, offer the perfect venue for a big birthday or a hen or stag party. Grandest of all is the glorious Grade II-listed manor house Sibton Park, which sleeps 24 and is licensed to hold weddings in its drawing room. Dogs are very welcome everywhere.
Sleeps: Eight in four double bedrooms.
Getting there: Guests can arrange to be collected from Darsham station (just one mile away) or Ipswich station (27 miles away). Wilderness Reserve is 100 miles from central London and there is a private airstrip adjacent to the estate for light aircraft and helicopter landings.
Cost and how to book: The Cartshed is from £495 per night. Over Christmas and New Year, it is available for a minimum of five nights, which would cost £2,938. Call 02074845700 or visit www.wildernessreserve.com