Every year, a sprinkling of countryside escapes decorates my calendar like pixie dust and – like so many Londoners – trips like these fill my soul, clear my mind and leave me returning to ‘real’ life with a lambs-spring in my step. City life is fun, but it’s fast and full-on. Retreating somewhere that promises blissful quiet and a clear night’s sky, a watercolour sunrise and best-of-British landscapes, feels medicinal.
I’m no stranger to the UK’s classics (some might say the clichés): The Cotswolds, Cornwall, Surrey, and Somerset have all featured heavily in my quest for long weekends of idyll. But more so than ever, what draws me somewhere new is the temptation of a particular hotel, Airbnb or place to stay. Stumbling across Restaries Paradise Farm on Instagram one evening back in March, I knew I was onto something special. This kind of property is having a moment, both in the UK and further afield, and while some of the best farm stays in Europe instil visions of strolling through verdant kitchen gardens and neatly pruned vineyards, it’s the farms on my doorstep that I’m most enamoured by this year.
Restaries in Suffolk is a three-hour drive from London on a good run. It’s the brainchild of Gem and Thom Bon-Scherdel, who meet us when we arrive with infectious energy and clear passion for what they have created. As if I’m not excited enough to be here four months after my initial discovery, I’m as giddy as one of the pygmy goats on site at our welcome party. Gem walks me through the grounds. The main event – the enormous red, thatch-roofed house that wouldn’t be out of place in a storybook – is actually the family home, but it sleeps up to 12 and is being rented out for a big birthday celebration this weekend. Dotted at its base are three Airbnbs, The Cider Store (our barn for two nights), a romantic one-bed with a spiral staircase called the Gate House and one other. Between the accommodations are the animals – alpacas, Valais Black Nose sheep, pigs and chickens, all with their own names and personalities.
Great Job Sarah Leigh Bannerman & the Team @ Condé Nast Traveler UK Source link for sharing this story.
