Entire home

Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Photo gallery for Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Food and drink
South facing terrace, perfect for al fresco dining.
The wood fired oven can be used for cooking more than just  pizza.
Miscellaneous
Souters is approached down a well maintained private road.

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
1 bedroom1 bathroomSleeps 2

Popular amenities

  • Onsite parking available
  • Dog-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Washing machine
  • Barbecue
  • Deck or patio

Explore the area

View map
Colchester, Essex, ENG
  • Place, Dedham Vale
    ‪1 min walk‬
  • Place, University of Essex
    ‪22 min drive‬
  • Place, Colchester Castle Park
    ‪25 min drive‬
  • Airport, London (STN-Stansted)
    ‪63 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

1 bedroom (sleeps 2)

Bedroom 1

1 King Bed

1 bathroom

Bathroom 1

Toilet · Shower only

Spaces

Deck or patio
Kitchen
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Set in quiet woodland Souters is an ideal base from which to explore area

Souters Holiday Cottage is a quiet and relaxing private place to stay. It is well placed to give access to many interesting areas, sites and actitivites. See our website for more detail:
Souters is a small converted barn and suitable for couples. It has a large sitting room with a high vaulted ceiling, a well equipped open plan kitchen, separate double bedroom and a shower room with power shower. It is all on one level inside but has sloping paths and steps outside. Souters has underfloor heating throughout and also a stylish modern woodburner which makes for very cosy evenings in the colder months. Outside there are two terraces to be enjoyed during the summer and a large grassed area for play or relaxation. Fresh herbs can be found in the garden borders which guests are welcome to use.

There are a wealth of public footpaths in the area which make for good and varied walking. Up to 2 well behaved dogs are welcome. Please note that the garden and woods immediately around Souters are unfenced but there is a securely fenced adjacent field where guests are welcome to run their dogs. We ask that dogs are not allowed on furniture but if this is impossible to police and your dogs are used to doing so at home please bring adequate rugs/covers as well as their beds. Please make clear at time of booking how many dogs you will be bringing with you.

Souters Holiday Cottage is found in the grounds of Valley Farm Cottage, home to the owners. It is just off the track leading to their smallholding and fields, which stretch as far as the river Brett, a tributary of the River Stour. It is a great spot for bird watching and present through various times of the year are nightingales, kingfishers, hobbies, woodpeckers, owls, buzzards, sparrow hawks and numbers of other woodland, river and garden birds. There is wildlife in abundance too including deer, foxes, badgers, slow worms and grass snakes, stoats and a great number of rabbits.
Guests are welcome to walk through the coppiced woods to the river and enjoy the peace. A new project of restoring wildlife habitat on the property has been underway for the past two years and already the benefits can be seen in the increase of wildlife, flora and fauna. We hope to develop this further.

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About the area

Colchester

Located in Colchester, this holiday home is in a rural area. Dedham Vale and Bridge Cottage are local landmarks, and some of the area's activities can be experienced at Suffolk Distillery and Tenpin Bowling Colchester. Brantham Leisure Centre and Green Island Gardens Ardleigh are also worth visiting. Discover the area's water adventures with kayaking and windsurfing nearby, or enjoy the great outdoors with horse riding and hiking/biking trails.
Map
Colchester, Essex, ENG

What's nearby

  • Dedham Vale - 1 min walk - 0.0 km
  • Flatford Mill - 11 min drive - 11.4 km
  • University of Essex - 22 min drive - 19.9 km
  • Colchester Zoo - 24 min drive - 27.0 km
  • Colchester Castle Park - 25 min drive - 19.9 km

Getting around

  • Manningtree Station - 12 min drive
  • London (STN-Stansted) - 60 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪The Anchor Inn - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Hare & Hounds - ‬6 min drive
  • ‪Jubilee Restaurant - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪The Marquis - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪Le Talbooth - ‬5 min drive

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
Learn moreOpens in a new window
Rating 10 - Excellent. 67 out of 70 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 3 out of 70 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 70 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 70 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 70 reviews

9.8/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mark P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy
The property is ideal for 2 people with a dog. Plenty of walks available and very quiet.
Stayed 7 nights in May 2026
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Alistair M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely

Lovely place in a lovely location, owners are lovely, highly recommend
Stayed 2 nights in Dec 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 6 January 2025
Thank you so much for your kind comments. We look forward to welcoming you for another visit.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Peter v.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great stay in a lovely house

Souters is a lovely house, very quiet (remote), very well equipped, everything was there, underfloor heating was great and a nice fireplace to make it homely...we will come again!
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 7 January 2024
We were very glad to host you over New Year before your return to Holland. We hope to see you again
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Justin R.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely quiet cottage

Was a lovely cottage in a really peaceful and quiet location. Enjoyed walking in the woodland walk and down to Higham. Thanks for lovely stay :)
Stayed 9 nights in Dec 2020
Response from VrboOwner on 4 January 2021
We are glad you were able to have a few days respite.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

John M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Soul Cleansing

Lovely, quiet and tranquil stay. Highly recommended!
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Richard W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful and peaceful retreat

This was our first time in the area and the cottage was the perfect base to explore from. Perfect for walks with our dog and visiting the beautiful villages around Dedham Vale. Cath was a wonderful host and we are looking forward to a return trip!
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 22 May 2022
Thank you and we look forward to welcoming you.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ann D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Happy holiday

A well equipped comfortable cottage.
Stayed 7 nights in Jun 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Andrew S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect relaxing getaway

We loved our weekend stay - a tranquil location perfect to unwind. A lovely lemon drizzle cake on arrival was an unexpected surprise! Lots of wildlife and lovely walks with our dog. Highly recommended.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 5 June 2023
Thank you for your review. We are so glad that you enjoyed your stay.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mark P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Mr.P. The cottage was everything we were expecting.

Good size cottage for us and the 2 dogs. Plenty of walks for us and the dogs. We go back at some point.
Stayed 3 nights in Oct 2023
Response from VrboOwner on 29 October 2023
We hope to welcome you and your entertaining dogs back some time.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Julie V.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

3night New Year’s Eve stay

Beautiful cottage with everything you could want. Cath was super helpful yet not intrusive. We enjoyed exploring Constable country and the local beaches with our dog. Made good use of the cozy cottage while the storm raged outside. Loved our stay at Souters.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Pauline W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Relaxing peaceful stay

Booked this property a year in advance as it sounded so good. In fact it exceeded expectations and we had a delightful stay. Very rural but still convenient for road network. All the comforts of home and more. Lovely hosts and first class communications, thank you both very much.
Stayed 14 nights in Jun 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 17 March 2020
We were very flattered by your positive review. We hope very much that you will return to continue exploring the area.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Chris B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Exceptional- brilliant hosts even better cottage

The cottage was everything we wanted. Brilliant for the dogs. The secure field was excellent and our dogs loved it. Although the cottage garden said not a secure location for the dogs technically it isn’t but ours were perfectly safe off lead. Couldn’t fault it. Also just eats do deliveries there.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 6 June 2022
Thank you Chris for your review. I am glad that Souters met your expectations - and good to learn that Just Eats deliver here too! We hope to see you back some time.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

David G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

An idyllic hideaway

We absolutely loved Souters and everything about it exceeded our high expectations! Cath was a delightful host who made us feel so welcome and the cottage is a quiet, beautifully appointed hideaway which felt like a home from home. The area is outstanding with the walk down to the river through the woods a particular favourite. We really can’t wait to return and recharge our batteries when the opportunity arises. Thank you for a splendid holiday!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Claudia J.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect Weekend at the Cottage

We had a lovely stay here, Cath was a great host and communication was quick and very helpful. In a lovely area of the Suffolk countryside, with lots of birds to listen to from the patio. We did a fabulous walk from the front door and there are plenty of pubs to choose from only a short drive away. We thought the cottage was even nicer than the pictures show, and loved using the pizza oven one evening. Thank you Cath!
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 28 May 2024
I am so glad that you enjoyed exploring the countryside around here and using the pizza oven at Souters. You would be very welcome to return.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Panos A.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Absolute peace and tranquility!

We had a wonderful time staying at Souter's. Super charming and very private, perfect to forget about the world and one's worries. We enjoyed the tranquility and privacy of the place and we were blessed with amazing weather. We had two barbeque days and all was well provided by Cath and Nick. Dear Cath, thank you so much for your great communication and the super tasty cake. Hopefully we can return soon.
Stayed 3 nights in Apr 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Debbie F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful Peaceful Retreat

Beautiful cottage set in a wonderful and peaceful location. Caths' directions were spot on and we found it easily. The cottage was so lovely clean and homely, we were met by Cath and shown around, our dog loved the woods walk and don to the river, stunning location and we also had gorgeous weather! There are somer lovely pubs locally too which are dog friendly which Cath told ud about. There was even a yummy banana and chocolate chip cake on our arrival at the cottage. We will definitely be back!
Stayed 2 nights in Sep 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 27 September 2022
We can't always guarantee the weather but the welcome will always be warm. . . .
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Judith C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Perfect place for a peaceful break

We rented Souters so that we could spend New Year with family nearby. Our big regret was that we got to spend so little time in the cottage and exploring the local area so we’ll be back. It is a lovely converted barn set in peaceful woodland. It’s off the beaten track but only two miles from the A12 and from the beautiful village of Dedham, which has shops and restaurants. It has all the character you would expect of a barn conversion with all the comforts needed for a relaxing holiday including underfloor heating, comfy bed, well-equipped kitchen and wi-fi. The owners are very welcoming and provided flowers, milk and a delicious homemade cake on arrival. They really have thought of everything and we look forward to going again for longer next time.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2019
Response from VrboOwner on 17 March 2020
We are so glad that you plan to return to spend more time exploring the area.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Lucy B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Stunning quiet cottage

Absolutely loved our time here. We went for a short break to get some well needed respite. The cottage is beautiful and homely. Everything is done to a high standard but has so much history and charm. The upstairs nook was perfect to chill with a book and a blanket - looking at the night sky. Souters cottage is large with all modern amenities. Cath and Nick have put so much thought into their guests enjoying their stay and it really shows. There are the basics of everything that you will need already provided, leaflets & brochures & contact details for loads of local things to try or explore. On arrival the cottage was warm and there was a scrumptious fresh baked cake on the table and fresh flowers. Fantastic hosts. The local area is beautiful and tranquil, the cottage is surrounded by small farms, fields of horses and walking trails. The scenery is very beautiful, very private and quiet. I would definitely recommend! I look forward to coming back in the spring/summer months to make use of the pizza oven and private garden.
Stayed 2 nights in Jan 2024
Response from VrboOwner on 7 January 2024
Thank you so much Lucy and we are glad that you had such a positive stay. We look forward to seeing you again.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

erin g.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Peaceful retreat

My husband and I loved this cabin so much and plan to return! It’s fully stocked and perfect for a couple of days of peace and quiet.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Verified traveller

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely location

A lovely spot in a beautiful area of Suffolk
Stayed 7 nights in Sep 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Matthew G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Simply beautiful

Cath is lovely and friendly the cottage is gorgeous and has everything you need. We loved it and will be coming back again
Stayed 4 nights in May 2022
Verified

10/10 Excellent

jacqui h.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful place

Exactly as we were hoping for, complete peace and quiet. Excellent undisturbed quiet walks.
Stayed 2 nights in Mar 2022
Response from VrboOwner on 28 May 2022
So glad that you enjoyed the peace and quiet.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Gary C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Christmas break

Souters is an idyllic retreat, lovely building, super cozy. The surrounding area is lovely and given better weather would have been great for walking. Even so I managed to spot an otter in the nearby river Stour. One slight criticism, due to the remote situation I feel a full size fridge/freezer is essential, especially in the warmer months.
Stayed 4 nights in Dec 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 8 January 2022
How lovely that you saw an otter while here. Point noted about the freezer although I am glad that you were able to make use of the offered space in our easily accessible chest freezer during your short stay. We also have a separate designated freezer for dog food which guests are welcome to use if they feed their dogs a raw food diet.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Ian W.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Wonderful stay!

Enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing weekend. Charming little barn out in the country. We had great fun making use of the pizza oven outside! Would highly recommend!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 8 January 2022
Great to hear that you enjoyed your stay and had some fun using the pizza oven.
Verified

10/10 Excellent

Mark S.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Souters Cottage Higham.

A lovely property in a beautiful secluded peaceful location. We will definitely book again.
Stayed 4 nights in Sep 2021
Response from VrboOwner on 6 October 2021
We are glad that you enjoyed your visit and hope that you are able to visit again.
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