Suffolk Retreats

Even reading about this site has soothed our Pitchup.com city dwelling hearts... The yurts of Suffolk Retreats are less than an hour from London (and 40 minutes' drive from Stansted) and tick oh so many topping holiday boxes – they're in nine acres of private grounds overlooking a Grade II-listed property, on a serene site with horses and a miniature donkey. They also have owls and bats flitting overhead, and two reindeers resident on site being looked after for Santa...

You might also see the occasional deer roaming here and foxes and badgers generally prowl around at night. The grounds have a large pond teeming with over a thousand fish (no fishing allowed, but do toss in some bread or cake to see the nibbles) and flocks of birdlife such as swallows, blue tits, finches, woodpeckers and kingfishers. And then there's the croquet, the outdoor cricket and the giant chess and draughts... we would like to stay here for quite some time please.

The yurts at Suffolk retreats have been handcrafted to the high standards all the above might lead you to expect; each is set on a solid wooden base and comes with its own solid oak locking front door and carved oak window and woodburning stove for heating and cooking. All materials used inside and out are fire retardant.

And yet more: Suffolk Retreats also has a cosy games room with air hockey, darts, a TV, football and table tennis tables, and a fridge/freezer and microwave for guests' use.