Guest Blog Posts

Suffolk isn’t as sleepy as it looks from the outside. Luckily, based here at Woodfarm Barns and Barges, in the heart of the Suffolk countryside, we get to experience all of this county’s vast history, unique quirks and breathtaking beauty on our very own doorstep. 

This summer we had the pleasure of a trip to Slovenia, incorporating a few days at one of our newer One Off Places, Ortenia Six Stars of Nature.  What a place!  If you want to head a little off the beaten track, and disappear with a loved one to a simply stunning part of the world, then we can't recommend Ortenia enough.

A couple of weeks ago, Mr and Mrs One Off Places had the good fortune to be able to spend a couple of days at the idyllic Shepherds Hut Retreat in Somerset.  We've had our eye on this place for a while, and can safely say that it's a wonderful choice for a couple of days away with a loved one.  Set on an organic farm in rural Somerset, the first thing that strikes you when you arrive is that you are in the middle of nowhere.  Green fields and trees all around you, and aside from the odd tractor / farm vehicle, there's no traffic noise.  In fact, there's no noise at all, unless you count twittering birds and whispering trees.

There is so much going on in Herefordshire that we haven’t had a chance to do much more than scratch the surface. We moved into this seventeenth-century Blacksmiths house with an adjoining Forge from Sussex in 2015. We were charmed and fascinated by the buildings and set about unearthing their history. The Forge, located on Turnpike Road (though no-one calls it that anymore), was on a drovers’ way.

Gaucin is one of the most spectacular and unspoilt of the renowned “Pueblos Blancos”. 626 meters above sea level, with spectacular views to Africa, the Sierra de Ronda and The Alconocales National Park. Charming white washed houses range along a lofty ridge, vultures and eagles wheel overhead, surrounded by miles of sun-dried hills.