Manor houses, Town houses, Rectories and Halls

The Old Rectory, Suffolk

Escape to the Suffolk coast where the fresh sea air will stir up an appetite for the local produce served up in this beautifully furnished Georgian property.

This elegant Georgian house oozes warmth and charm, helped by the fact that Michael and Sally Ball used to be in the hotel business and love hosting house parties.

Sally also has a flair for interior design, evident in the stylish drawing room with its plush sofas, silk cushions, ornate carved wooden fireplace, piano and a smattering of smart coffee-table books. Even the downstairs cloakroom with its Cath Kidston wallpaper has not been overlooked, while the hallway is decorated with Far Eastern artefacts collected when the couple lived in Hong Kong.

In the drawing room, help yourself to a drink from the honesty bar and sink into a sofa, tinkle the ivories or just admire the views of the gardens from the south-facing picture windows.

The dining room is equally welcoming with its wooden floors, rugs, plum silk curtains and an open fireplace that creates a cosy atmosphere on winter evenings. In summer the lofty, double-height conservatory overlooking the lawns and orchards makes the perfect setting for a meal.

Wherever you eat, you’ll find that much is made of local, seasonal produce in the carefully crafted menus (Sally includes cooking in her repertoire). In summer tuck into the Suffolk Platter: locally smoked salmon and trout, Peasenhall ham and pickles; all laid out on a wooden board and accompanied by fresh breads and homemade soup. Dinner might feature starters such as butternut squash soup with coriander, Oriental duck salad or locally smoked salmon. This could be followed by rack of lamb or fillet of beef with seasonal vegetables, rounded off with chocolate mousse tart or tiramasu cheesecake. Wash it all down with one of 36 carefully selected wines from the well-stocked cellar.

Breakfast is an equally gastronomic affair. Try the award-winning local sausages along with eggs from neighbouring farms; homemade quince, plum jams and marmalade; yoghurts and organic muesli.

The eight ensuite bedrooms are mostly country-house style with one contemporary room: very Kelly Hoppen with its taupes and chocolate browns complemented by Oriental furniture and art. Another has a Victorian fireplace and gargantuan cast-iron, roll-top bath. Two of the double rooms, which are located in the grounds in a small cottage and the Coach House, also come with sofa beds, making them ideal for families. There’s also a more secluded, light-filled room up a private winding staircase in the main house with wonderful views over the acres of tranquil gardens.

There’s plenty to do here. The Balls host numerous pheasant and partridge shooting parties (where lots of red meat, claret and port are consumed) and the odd hen party where they can arrange for a local beauty therapist to come and pamper you.

Head out for the day and you can be on the Suffolk coast, with lots of coastal and woodland walks, within minutes. Also nearby is the Anglo-Saxon royal cemetery with its low grassy burial mounds at Sutton Hoo, and Snape Maltings, a collection of granaries and malthouses converted into galleries, restaurants and a concert hall beside the River Alde.

You don’t have to go to a concert there to enjoy one, though. Back at the rectory, entertainment from a harpist to a live band can be organised. Some house-party guests have even been known to bring their own guitars.