The Bull Pen

From the pictures advertising the property noone has obviously looked at the property recently the surrounding buildings in the farmyard look as if they are ready to fall down.

The property itself could do with some tlc there are electric sockets that have holes in the wall immediately above them The fridge has a freezer compartment that is frozen up so cannot be used the garden is full of weeds and the lovely picket fence around it is falling apart And finally the owner needs to remember that guests are paying for the privilege of using the property's and a bit of courtesy wouldn't go amiss. Apart from that the surrounding area is lovely place to visit with lots of interesting attractions

We enjoyed our stay at The Bull Pen.

The property was clean and comfortable with everything we needed. The only downside was that the surrounding farm buildings were totally empty with nobody about.

The bull pen is as described!

No airs and graces, it's not a luxury accommodation so if that's what you're looking for then scroll on. What this accommodation is, is practical and accessible for people with mobility issues. It's been well thought through in the layout and the owners have even provided a shower stool in the wet room for those that need it. All the basics are provided for, for a comfortable and pleasant stay. We are fortunate to live in beautiful rural Wales and it was lovely to see a different variety of birds of prey and even woke one morning to 4 deers grazing just outside the patio doors, which was wonderful! Our stay here was to use as a base to visit with family in the area, but we did drive out to Sutton hoo and other national trust sites as well as Sandringham.

Lovely and quiet down off the beaten track .

Nicely situated for visiting Suffolk and Norfolk .. just a couple of niggles , shower mat was mouldy , kettle needed descaling ( which we did try to get most off ) also the internet

We had a lovely week at the Bull pen , No complaints Ideal place to explore the local area within a 25 mile area

Small but fine for our needs as an elderly couple ie.

walk in shower,remote with excellant view of sunset. Plenty of places to eat within 3 miles! Ideal for exploring the area but 40 minutes from the Suffolk coast. We know the area and have many friends to visit and it was good for that. Hope to stay again.

A hidden gem, i am reluctant to review it as want to keep it to myself.

Quiet and off the beaten track, but close enough to find all the delights of Suffolk.

A very pleasant little cottage, met all our requirements.

Only negatives were that a car was essential since it was a long walk to the A140 and no bus stops were seen. Nice surroundings + walks leading to beautiful Suffolk Punchs.

Second time here and enjoyed just as much.

Very peaceful.

Garden area looked a bit unloved.

Lovely cottage in a beautiful quiet setting with easy access and parking.

Great touches like drying rack and shower stool. And outside table and chairs to sit and admire the sunsets. Suffolk is really beautiful and roads incredibly empty. One very minor complaint was lack of mugs and glasses. An extra couple of each would make a great difference but loved it.

The photos on the listing need upgrading as the lounge & bedroom have been upgraded.

Safety mat in the wet room needs replacing & the stool in the wet room has seen better days. Having said that the Bull Pen has everything you need & is in a very peaceful location.

Lovely stay at the Bull Pen, great position, very peaceful

This was such a cute place.

The location was so calming and peaceful. Watched the bunnies and pheasants run in the fields. The cottage had everything in there. My only down is there were no wash cloths (Flannels). Other than that we thoroughly enjoyed staying here.

What a wonderful place to stay!

The cottage provides everything you could possibly need for a holiday, would recommend it to anyone.

Very comfortable place to stay.

A fantastic property and location.

I would definitely recommend this property to anyone wishing to explore Suffolk/ Norfolk. I have no complaints only a few observations which I must add did not detract from my experience. No washing machine and I accept there actually is no space for one, internet was intermittent, front door doesn’t close easily, as I’m over 6ft tall, the bed is a touch small but as I have said, these are just observations and I would definitely recommend this property.

Everything was as expected.

The Bull Pen is like the Tardis - deceptively large interior. Just two minor points. A second bedside lamp would be useful, if one likes to read in bed. Some sort of shower curtain to reduce splash over the floor - but not a major problem. An upgrade of some of the pans would be nice. Otherwise we enjoyed a comfortable and enjoyable stay. A good base for exploring Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridgeshire.

Would benefit a barrier between shower and toilet

We had to buy bottled water because of the quality of the tap water.

The scale in the kettle was terrible. We had to buy fly papers because of the amount of flies indoors. There was hardly any kitchen roll left so had to buy this too. The bed made a noise nearly every time you turned over. There was no visitors book (which is unusual). Eventually we enjoyed our week, but I'm afraid we won't be back !

An excellent week.

Perfect for winding down in peace and quiet with good privacy. Good access to roads for touring and seaside towns. The Bull Pen offers all of the necessary features for a comfortable stay. It is usual to list good and bad points but in this case no negatives spring to mind.

This was our second visit to this site which probably tells you all.

Very responsive owner. Comfortable with all amenities. Very happy to recommend the Bull Pen

shower could use a screen/curtain to stop flooding the toilet area.

. the bed was uncomfortable .. having said that the view was lovely and wildlife very active...

A secluded comfortable stay within easy reach of many local places of interest.

Spacious bathroom and comfortable bed. Kitchen a little small with under counter fridge making storage of perishable food a little restricted. Some items within kitchen inventory perhaps need replacing. If you are seeking a quiet getaway surrounded by nature this is the ideal retreat.

Adequate clean accommodation that could do with some updating (No USB) sockets.

Peaceful location within a working farm with plenty of opportunities to get close to the abundant wildlife Easy access to most of the areas attractions .

Warm and comfortable.

The Bull Pen was quiet relaxing and comfortable.

The owner and the manager Lisa were so kind we would deffinately book again.

Great week in a very quiet and peaceful setting.

Short journey to Lakenheath to watch the planes and lots of lost in time villages to explore.

Place is lovely for a nice little break away

Bull Pen was very comfortable and had everything we needed.

The rooms were more spacious than we expected.

Great place to stay nice and quiet.

Recommend if you like peace and quiet. Lovely surroundings just field's. Love it

Everything we needed, praise must go to manager Lisa who's friendly and helpful manner makes her a real asset to the owner.

Just some improvements- rear garden really needs some TLC; grass needs cutting and fence could do with attention. Also toilet roll holder in bathroom needs to be refitted as awkward without one. Bedding and towels scrupulously clean, kitchen had all equipment needed. Peaceful location.

Lovely cottage clean comfortable and well equipped.

Ideally situated to explore suffolk and norfolk, manager Lisa friendly and helpful thoroughly enjoyed my week highly recommend.

This is a very comfortable, well appointed and delightful property we found it as advertised a home from home, five stars, ***** The only downside we found was one of the bedside lights didn’t work.

We would have preferred a larger bed. It was a very quiet peaceful place. There was lots of wildlife; birds & mammals. The house was a wonderful, well appointed and just the right place for us. The information provided on the locality, county and region was comprehensive. The Wi-Fi worked.and all the other services We found the A140 a busy road during the day. We recommend the four horseshoes as the best food for miles around. Thank you and we’ll revisit this or another Sykes property later this next twelve months.

Convenient location and easy to get to local attractions.

The owners made sure we were happy with everything and were readily available. We were pleased to find there was good wifi even though not this was not listed.

Drain in shower was completely blocked with hair I had to clean and unlock it.

Mould in the shower area needs upgrading. The rest of the inside was very pleasant and tidy I would stay again providing the bathroom is cleaned up.

We loved our stay at The Bull Pen.

The cottage was warm, clean, comfortable and had everything we needed. It was a great base for exploring the area, whether driving or walking. We would recommend walking to The Black Horse at Thorndon for lunch, and The White Horse out on the main road was good, too. Some of our favourite places were a pleasant drive away - Minsmere, Walberswick and Dunwich. All in all, a very enjoyable week.

Lovely accommodation - could not fault it.

A lovely warm cosy and comfortable cottage.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay there. Set in beautiful countryside.

We had an amazing experience, peaceful and tranquil!

Looking forward to our next visit!

Wonderful relaxing break

The Bull Pen was very quiet warm and cosy and nicely situated for exploring East Anglia.

Beautiful property, would highly recommend, will certainly be booking again

Pleasant accommodation, pretty much as described.

A bit disappointed with the surroundings, not really a working farm, all pretty dismal. The outside could do with a good clean and tidy up. All in all a nice stay but could be better.

3rd time at The Bull Pen, love every minute, clean, tidy, totally relaxing.

A wonderfully relaxing holiday,the cottage is the perfect getaway ,sitting in the garden with birdsong watching them ,far enough off the beaten track but still close enough for local amenities one word perfect

The Bull Pen is a very comfortable cottage in a very peaceful location.

The site manager Lisa was very friendly and helpful advising on local places to visit, we enjoyed a chat with her every morning.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our stay at the Bull Pen, in a very quiet, relaxing environment. The accommodation is basic but clean and cosy and had everything we needed. Very well situated for travelling between Norfolk and Suffolk quite easily. We had excellent meals at The White Horse Inn and Turkuaz in Diss Lovely walks in nearby Thornham Walks, with a beautiful pub The Four Horsehoes serving excellent Aspalls cider. Nearby town of Eye is very pretty for a wander around as was Dedham where John Constable painted The Hay Wain. Beautiful pink painted thatched cottages everywhere. Also visited Southwold and Aldeburgh, both beautiful little seaside resorts, like a step back in time ,very peaceful and not an amusement arcade to be seen. All in all a really lovely holiday and we chose the hottest week of the year so far too.

We had a very nice quiet time at the bull pen.

The owners were very nice and even allowed us to bring another dog which we had not booked for originally. the pubs around all served great food the black horse is dog friendly which is good. We found that this is a great place for exploring as its central and there are things to do which ever way you go out. So all in all a great Hoilday and place to stay.

It was a very good place to stay

Surroundings were awful and depressing.

Barns falling down the garden was overgrown with weeds growing under door of French doors. The garden chairs and table more for the size of a child. Not that u could sit out due to length of grass. The double bed very small and lumpy which led to my husband sleeping on setter some nights. The bathroom requires renovation and deeper cleaning. This is the second cottage we have booked with you that has been disappointing so maybe time to look at other sites from now on. Maybe you could discuss these points with the owner and also get your inspector up to speed.

Second time here, quiet and relaxing time again, hopefully look forward to staying next year.

We had a short break here.

The place is comfortable and warm and a lovely base to explore Suffolk . We found it quite expensive for a short break but it was our choice to stay. Would like it to feel a little more 'special'.

The Bullpen is fine but the road to it is dreadful.

Pot holes along most of it. Ideal for walkers quite far from facilities.

If you like peace and quiet and being surrounded by countryside, countryside walks on your doorstep then this is an ideal spot.

Lots of eateries within a short car drive if required.

My Wife and I really liked staying in the Bull Pen at Hill Farm.

Most importantly the Mattress and pillows made for a very comfortable nights sleep. All of the rooms were very clean, tidy and comfortable. The central heating system kept the Lounge, Bedroom and on-suite Bathroom at a good Temperature. the Kitchen was also fine with plenty of space to work in. All of the above made for a very enjoyable stay and we would both visit again at some time in the future. No complaints. Brian Roberts

Clean, tidy although, all the basics with no frills That said, it was comfortable, lovely and quiet and all we required/expected and certainty value for money.

No complaints.

we found a little bit of heaven,so relaxing and quiet yet not to far to local amenities the cottage was well laid out clean and we have no complaints at all

Accommodation was generally tired and dated.

Needs refreshing. Poor lighting. Poor cooking and food prep equipment.

Cosy place, would benefit with adding a dog rubber catch mat for dog bowls, as the floor was slippy with water on it from dogs drinking bowls.

Carving knife, extra oven dish, for roast vegs, we felt the place would only benefit one dog and not two, due to size of garden area, only fit for a small terrior size dog. Would benefit by moving side fence around side of cottage to give extra room, but overall we really enjoyed the place, lovely and quite.

there is no way door combination could work had to contact owner no cleaning materials ie toilet cleaner washing up cloths liquid vacume did not pick up no salt pepper pots milk jug the only dog walks were on a lead which was not made clear to us with a few minor alterations this could be a very nice place to stay

An excellent holiday let.

Well situated for most of East Anglia. Perfect for one or two adults (plus pets). Friendly owner, approachable but not pushy. Good facilities. Close to nearby pubs and walks. Highly recommended.

The cottage was perfect size for two people and was extremely quiet .

It had everything we needed. During the week we experienced a power cut and the water went off , neither of these issues was the fault of the owners but nevertheless they notified us immediately, with apology and had services dealing with the issue immediately. The little fenced area was ideal for our two border terriers and as they and us enjoy a walk we made use of the walking routes to the nearby villages( especially Thorndon and the nice pub there where we had lunch one day and evening meal another . Our only criticism of the cottage was that the double bed was a very small double bed. The wet room shower was great powerful, hot and roomy ( would have liked to transfer that home) all in all a lovely quiet week and excellent value for money.

Very quiet farm , people were friendly and arrived to tea ,coffee milk and biscuits .