Jo and Nick’s back story and history of how Belle Grove Farm became a boutique self-catering retreat, is a fascinating one.
Nick’s family took over the farm in 1960, but there was insufficient work to keep him fully occupied. For around five months a year, Nick diversified into running long haul expeditions overland from Suffolk to East/South Africa, camping all the way. Jo and Nick met when she booked on his first ‘departure’ in 1974.
Together, they ran African trips for the best part of 30 years. When they eventually sold their business, they self-financed their ‘retirement project’ – a mammoth task converting several decrepit farm outbuildings into appealing spaces, launching the business in 2008. In 2021, Nick sadly died from complications of Parkinson’s Disease and Jo now runs Belle Grove Barns with the help of her housekeeper Eva, and Kris, her ‘right-hand man’, along with a team of cleaners.
The Paw Award
Everyone knows we dogs normally have four paws, so to get a five paw award is super special. Four is an extremely positive Frankie recommendation, any less and it’s just a question of personal choice.
Belle Grove
Arriving at Belle Grove in summer was like going back in time. The oak framed entrance with its giant, overhanging weeping willows leading to the timber framed barns, certainly echo Jo and Nick’s aspiration to create a rural retreat.
The award-winning Dragon House – completed as a self-build by Nick in 2011 – is an intriguing addition to the site; in juxtaposition is Griffin Lodge, an oak framed house owned by their son. The grounds – and barns – contain an eclectic mix of curiosities gathered by Jo and Nick while on their travels. Dragons feature highly!
Friendly & welcoming atmosphere
We stayed at the Gate House which has a lovely warm, cosy feel and the accommodation is exactly as depicted on the website. Fresh flowers and wine chilling in the fridge were very welcoming for the adults!
Helpful staff
Jo manages all the online booking and subsequent communication via email, responding promptly to questions. There’s a comprehensive welcome app which she sends you when you’ve paid your final invoice; this contains everything you need to know about your stay.
Arrival is self-check in and so there was no personal welcome from Jo, but we met both her and Eva when we bumped into them while looking around Jo’s small Emporium shop. I suspect the ‘hands off’ approach is a hangover from Covid.
Accommodation suitability & cost per dog
Nothing feels too precious considering the contents of each of the barns are treasures brought back by Jo and Nick from faraway lands. We were able to relax with the dogs and not worry about them accidentally damaging anything.
Although the retreat is dog friendly, there’s a whole page on the welcome app which is primarily ‘please don’ts’. We can only think they must have had some bad experiences over the years when there’s a need to include: “Stopping pets chewing the sofas, rugs etc goes without saying.”
The cost of the supplementary pet charge at £10 per dog, per night added £140 to our bill and one of the most expensive we’ve come across on a self-catering holiday. With two single coated cockapoos, neither of whom shed, have their paws cleaned every time they walk through the door using our trusty Kärcher, it’s excessive to say the least. The explanation on the welcome app is:
“…to assist with the additional cleaning costs that we frequently find to be necessary, even when the above [the please don’ts] is faithfully followed by careful dog owners. Sadly, we have recently had to increase the charge because it just didn’t cover the cost of the time involved in painstakingly clearing every dog hair!”
You are asked not to put your dog in the bath to clean paws – it’s a fabulous bath so totally understandable. The shower is over the bath, wet room style, so unsuitable for a quick wash; the only cleaning facility for your dog is an outside tap to rinse your dog after a muddy walk. Again, we bring our Kärcher for paw washing and Equafleeces to protect them during poor weather.
The tiny, enclosed courtyard at the rear of the Gate House is not suitable for dogs in that it’s paved and only good for a quick sniff. However the spacious, mown field just along a private lane is excellent for morning walks. This leads to a wide grassy path which circulates for a mile around a managed crop field, a walk Freya and Frankie appreciated each day! Note: If you’re looking for a barn for two people and a dog, the Stable does have a small lawned garden.
Little extras offered
Two bowls were provided with a pouch of treats, along with helpful instructions listing the dos and don’ts during their stay.
Location & dog walks
Belle Grove Barns are around a 15-minute dive away from the market town of Halesworth, with larger Southwold, 25 minutes. The walks we enjoyed while staying at Belle Grove were on beaches. Three of our favourites were:
Southwold
Dogs are only allowed on the Denes north beach between October and March and we were visiting in September. However, Freya and Frankie loved racing around on the southern end of the beach (farthest end away from the pier). Here there’s a good stretch of sand dunes where dogs are welcome to walk off lead all year round. You can park at the commercial end near the pier, and lead walk along the promenade, past the town to reach this area, or drive and park at the southern end which also has a lifeboat station and a lifeboat museum.
Walberswick
Walberswick has a lovely beach just across a small inlet from Southwold. You can catch a ferry – actually a rowing boat ride – to and from Southwold, or drive directly to the tiny village. Here there’s a long sand and shingle beach backed by grassy dunes and surrounded by marsh and heathland. There’s also a great pub, The Bell Inn, where dogs are welcome and you can sample the local Adnams beer.
Aldeburgh
While dogs are banned from 1 May to 30 September on the main Aldeburgh town beach, a short distance from the town is a long pebble beach which houses The Scallop. This sculpture, by local artist Maggi Hambling, is a tribute to composer Benjamin Britten, who walked almost daily along the stretch of coastline between Aldeburgh and Thorpeness.
Frankie awarded Bell Grove Barns 3 Paws
Click here if you’d like to find out more about staying at one of the Belle Grove Barns.