THE ABBEY BAKEHOUSE
Easton, IP13 7QY
This late 15th-century timber-framed brick barn has been thoughtfully reconfigured as a home that sits in harmony with its bucolic setting. The range of barns now provides five bedrooms and four bathrooms, a generous open-plan kitchen and breakfast room, and a large double-height living room with a vaulted ceiling, original timbers and glazed doors opening onto a private courtyard terrace.
Careful restoration of the barn's historic features runs throughout, using time-honoured materials and local craftsmanship. Ancient timbers, original Suffolk bricks and clay pantiles have all been retained, rooting the home firmly in the local vernacular.
A separate and well-proportioned ground floor annex offers flexible use as a home office, gym, studio or additional residential accommodation. A private courtyard provides views across the extensive garden and pastoral landscape beyond.
The Abbey Bakehouse, the conversion of a Grade II-listed former brewhouse and bakehouse built in 1610, is the figurehead home on the Abbey Yard development. It is located on the historically significant site of Letheringham Abbey, originally occupied by a priory of Augustinian canons in the Middle Ages, now only survives through the presence of the charming St Mary’s Church. After the abbey’s dissolution in 1536, a Jacobean mansion was built on the site by Sir Robert Naunton but was later demolished.
Two further historic barns, Priory Barn and Sanctuary Barn, are currently being converted to homes that enjoy stunning views of St Mary’s church and the Scheduled Ancient Monument. They are due for completion in the spring of 2027, swiftly followed by the release of five new-build homes to the east of the site in the summer of 2027.
Abbey Yard enjoys a tranquil elevated setting overlooking the Deben Valley, surrounded by pastoral countryside.
The scheme has been designed by HAT Projects, whose award-winning work has been widely praised for responding sensitively to place and context. The practice has particular experience in rural and heritage settings, and has previously designed contemporary vernacular housing in Suffolk, making them a natural collaborator for the careful conversion of the historic barns and considered new-build scheme.
Overall success generally rests on us getting the simple things right: making the most of natural light, creating well-proportioned spaces and selecting good honest materials.
Abbey Yard is conveniently situated a stone’s throw from the historic market towns of Framlingham and Woodbridge, and within easy reach of Snape Maltings concert hall and the Suffolk coast.
The village of Easton is home to the charming 17th century Coaching Inn, The White Horse, sister to The Suffolk in Aldeburgh, run by the enigmatic restauranteur George Pell previously of L'Escargot in Soho. The village is also home to the historic serpentine or 'crinkle crankle' boundary wall which once surrounded Easton Hall, before it was dismantled and shipped to the US in the 1920's where it was rebuilt as a ranch.
Should you be interested in further information please contact us at info@nestdevelopment.co.uk or on 01473 316895
