1 The Cottage

This listing is in Polstead, a village set in a fold of the Stour Valley in mid-Suffolk. This is Constable country: the painter grew up four miles away in East Bergholt and spent much of his working life capturing the light and landscape of this valley (see our about section for one of his paintings). St Mary's Church stands on the hill above the village, its Norman tower visible for miles. Below the church we have The Cock pub, a village hall, community shop and network of footpaths which crisscross through picturesque orchards and meadows. 1 The Cottage occupies a prominent position on Polstead Hill, a key feature of the street scene, and one glance at the aerial photograph shows why.

The cottage dates from the early 18th century with a later Victorian rear addition. The render is the warm orange-pink of traditional Suffolk limewash; the thatched roof was recently reconditioned with a new straw ridge. A stable door opens into the kitchen and breakfast room, which has pamment tiles underfoot and heavy oak beams overhead. Beyond it lies the central dining hall with an open fireplace, and the sitting room with a second fireplace beyond that. Three bedrooms occupy the first floor, the front rooms looking toward Stoke-by-Nayland. The accommodation runs to 1,159 square feet.

The garden is elevated and south-west facing, with lawn, herbaceous borders in established planting and a small orchard to one side. Behind the house stand the Victorian stables, brick-built and well proportioned, with conversion potential for an annexe or studio. Stoke-by-Nayland is a short drive; Hadleigh, where Chapman Stickels are based, is six miles. Manningtree station, with direct trains to London Liverpool Street, is within easy reach.