Entire home

Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Photo gallery for Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Seasonal flowers for every guest
Dining
South facing terrace, perfect for al fresco dining.
The wood fired oven can be used for cooking more than just  pizza.
Exterior detail

Overview of Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Reviews
10 out of 10 Exceptional
1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 290 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Pet-friendlyPet-friendlyPet-friendly
  • FireplaceFireplaceFireplace
  • KitchenKitchenKitchen
  • Barbecue grillBarbecue grillBarbecue grill
  • WasherWasherWasher
  • DryerDryerDryer

Check out the area

Colchester, Essex, ENG
  • Popular LocationFlatford Mill10 min drive
  • Popular LocationColchester Castle Park15 min drive
  • Popular LocationUniversity of Essex16 min drive
  • AirportLondon (STN-Stansted)64 min drive

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 2)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining Area

About this property

Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Souters Holiday Cottage is a quiet and relaxing private place to stay. It is well placed to give access to many interesting areas, sites and actitivites. See our website for more detail:
Souters is a small converted barn and suitable for couples. It has a large sitting room with a high vaulted ceiling, a well equipped open plan kitchen, separate double bedroom and a shower room with power shower. It is all on one level inside but has sloping paths and steps outside. Souters has underfloor heating throughout and also a stylish modern woodburner which makes for very cosy evenings in the colder months. Outside there are two terraces to be enjoyed during the summer and a large grassed area for play or relaxation. Fresh herbs can be found in the garden borders which guests are welcome to use.

There are a wealth of public footpaths in the area which make for good and varied walking. Up to 2 well behaved dogs are welcome. Please note that the garden and woods immediately around Souters are unfenced but there is a securely fenced adjacent field where guests are welcome to run their dogs. We ask that dogs are not allowed on furniture but if this is impossible to police and your dogs are used to doing so at home please bring adequate rugs/covers as well as their beds. Please make clear at time of booking how many dogs you will be bringing with you.

Souters Holiday Cottage is found in the grounds of Valley Farm Cottage, home to the owners. It is just off the track leading to their smallholding and fields, which stretch as far as the river Brett, a tributary of the River Stour. It is a great spot for bird watching and present through various times of the year are nightingales, kingfishers, hobbies, woodpeckers, owls, buzzards, sparrow hawks and numbers of other woodland, river and garden birds. There is wildlife in abundance too including deer, foxes, badgers, slow worms and grass snakes, stoats and a great number of rabbits.
Guests are welcome to walk through the coppiced woods to the river and enjoy the peace. A new project of restoring wildlife habitat on the property has been underway for the past two years and already the benefits can be seen in the increase of wildlife, flora and fauna. We hope to develop this further.

Property manager

Nick and Cath Marno
Premier Host
Premier Host

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Outdoor space
Barbecue grill

House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 18
Check out before 10:00 AM

Children

Adults only

Events

No events allowed

Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 50 lb per pet (limit 2 pets total)
£15 per pet per night fee applies

Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
No smoking inside properties.
Dogs not allowed on furniture please and must not be left alone at any time in property. Garden is unfenced but secure adjacent field available
Responsible smoking permitted in garden only.

Damage and incidentals

You will be responsible for any damage to the rental property caused by you or your party during your stay.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

We should mention

A car is recommended for transport to and from this property

About the area

Colchester

Located in Colchester, this holiday home is in a rural area. Ipswich Waterfront and Dedham Vale are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Suffolk Distillery and Chantry Park. Travelling with kids? Consider Green Island Gardens Ardleigh and Assington Barn. Make sure you get close to the area's animals with activities such as game walks and birdwatching.

What's nearby

  • Dedham Vale - 2 min drive
  • Flatford Mill - 10 min drive
  • Colchester Castle Park - 15 min drive
  • University of Essex - 16 min drive
  • Ipswich Waterfront - 18 min drive

Getting around

  • Manningtree Station - 12 min drive
  • London (STN-Stansted) - 60 min drive

Restaurants

  • Anchor Inn - 9 min drive
  • Capel Village Bar - 8 min drive
  • The Sun Inn - 6 min drive
  • The Shepherd & Dog - 9 min drive
  • The Red Lion - 7 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 2 total) with a maximum weight of up to 50 lb per pet.

What time is check-in at Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area?

Checkout is at 10:00 AM.

Where is Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area located?

This family-friendly Colchester holiday home is located in a rural location, 1.1 mi (1.8 km) from Dedham Vale, and within 6 mi (10 km) of RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden and Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum. Bridge Cottage and Flatford Mill are also within 6 miles (10 km).

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 61 out of 64 reviews" "
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 64 reviews" "
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 64 reviews" "
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 64 reviews" "
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 64 reviews" "

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Lucy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Stunning quiet cottage
Absolutely loved our time here. We went for a short break to get some well needed respite. The cottage is beautiful and homely. Everything is done to a high standard but has so much history and charm. The upstairs nook was perfect to chill with a book and a blanket - looking at the night sky. Souters cottage is large with all modern amenities. Cath and Nick have put so much thought into their guests enjoying their stay and it really shows. There are the basics of everything that you will need already provided, leaflets & brochures & contact details for loads of local things to try or explore. On arrival the cottage was warm and there was a scrumptious fresh baked cake on the table and fresh flowers. Fantastic hosts. The local area is beautiful and tranquil, the cottage is surrounded by small farms, fields of horses and walking trails. The scenery is very beautiful, very private and quiet. I would definitely recommend! I look forward to coming back in the spring/summer months to make use of the pizza oven and private garden.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024

10/10 Excellent

Peter v.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Great stay in a lovely house
Souters is a lovely house, very quiet (remote), very well equipped, everything was there, underfloor heating was great and a nice fireplace to make it homely...we will come again!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023

10/10 Excellent

David G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
An idyllic hideaway
We absolutely loved Souters and everything about it exceeded our high expectations! Cath was a delightful host who made us feel so welcome and the cottage is a quiet, beautifully appointed hideaway which felt like a home from home. The area is outstanding with the walk down to the river through the woods a particular favourite. We really can’t wait to return and recharge our batteries when the opportunity arises. Thank you for a splendid holiday!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Mark P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Mr.P. The cottage was everything we were expecting.
Good size cottage for us and the 2 dogs. Plenty of walks for us and the dogs. We go back at some point.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Andrew S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
Perfect relaxing getaway
We loved our weekend stay - a tranquil location perfect to unwind. A lovely lemon drizzle cake on arrival was an unexpected surprise! Lots of wildlife and lovely walks with our dog. Highly recommended.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023

About the host

Hosted by Nick and Cath Marno

Host profile image
Souters is found in the grounds of Valley Farm Cottage, home to Nick's family for nearly 100 years. The restoration of Souters was completed in 2012 with most of the work being done by Nick. Both he and Cath enjoy continuing to develop features at the property. Nick works as a self employed heating engineer and is a keen conservationist and prioritises habitat restoration in the woods and fields around Valley Farm Cottage. Cath works for a local organic grower, enjoys growing fruit and vegetables for the home and is known for her baking and preserving. She has planted a herb bed at Souters for guests to use. Cath also enjoys walking the wealth of country footpaths with her dogs.

Why they chose this property

Souters is an oasis of calm and peace; despite being only a couple of miles from the A12 and with very easy access to a host of interesting places. You can choose to visit any number of sites and areas nearby or you can equally choose to stay put and enjoy watching the birds and other wildlife or just put your feet up with a book by the fire.
A great place for a romantic break. Up to 2 well behaved dogs are welcome and catered for. There is a safe, enclosed field adjacent to Souters in which to exercise dogs and a network of footpaths around, providing a variety of walks.
Please DO NOT travel to Souters if you are unwell/suffering from Covid-19 or any covid or flu-like symptons.

What makes this property unique

Souters was a derelict stable building, surrounded by overgrown trees and brambles when we moved back here in 2005. We realised it wasn't possible to try to incorporate it into the lower farmyard (which at the time we used for livestock) but that it could make a beautiful dwelling. Nick did much of the restoration himself. We have left many of the internal timbers exposed which give character to the building and there are some carpenters marks left on the beams inside. A spiral staircase leads to a small mezzanine area for reading and contemplation. We love living at Valley Farm Cottage and particularly enjoy the peace and quiet and the wealth of wildlife apparent throughout the year. It is lovely to be able to share this with guests at Souters and we have met some very lovely people. Although within the grounds of our home it is far enough away to feel private and secluded but near enough that should any questions or problems arise they can be dealt with immediately.

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Premier Host
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