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Lux barn retreat, in wraparound garden. 4 bedrooms, sleeps 11. Close to beach

Photo gallery for Lux barn retreat, in wraparound garden. 4 bedrooms, sleeps 11. Close to beach

Property grounds
Property grounds
Interior
Property grounds
Exterior detail

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
4 bedrooms2+ bathroomsSleeps 11325.2 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Air conditioning
  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Barbecue grill
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly

Explore the area

Map
Wrabness, Manningtree, Essex
  • University of Essex
    ‪16 min drive‬
  • Jimmy's Farm
    ‪22 min drive‬
  • Ipswich Waterfront
    ‪27 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

4 bedrooms (sleeps 11)

Bedroom 1 Ensuite

1 King Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 4

1 Double Bed and 1 Single Bed

2 bathrooms, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1 Ensuite

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 3

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Shower only · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Balcony
Outdoor play area
Garden

About this property

Lux barn retreat, in wraparound garden. 4 bedrooms, sleeps 11. Close to beach

Sleeps 11 nicely, perfect for 6-8

Our barn home is an escape, a release, with the constant feeling of space. Hoping you love it too

Main open-plan barn room with double height ceilings brings breadth & light flooding in. The 3/4 acre surround garden has 360' rural views, & many different zones adding to the vibe of expansiveness

Nicely balanced between being just out of the village, whilst not being isolated. The local beach, river estuary, Nature Reserves, are all close by & walkable
The space
Some info on the barn to give you a better idea:

* OUTSIDE - It sits on a large plot of land (3/4 acre), with a wraparound garden containing a few different zone areas for you to hang out in --> front back and side lawns; 2 separate fire pit seated areas ; rear wooden decking terrace with dining table/chairs and benches for afternoon sun; front garden terrace with wooden table/chairs for morning sun overlooking the palm tree/grasses/lavender shingle & stone garden; a few sculptures and art objects scattered around; water well; pro NBA basketball net and 3/4 size football goal; private driveway and parking area; is all fenced in so our dog doesn't go AWOL; the Summer House is there for you to use too, either keep the glass doors closed, or open them to be inside/outside; the views from any part of the garden to the surrounding fields and feeling of space, is just fab!

* INSIDE - dating back to 1830, was fully redeveloped in 2010, is now spanning c.3,000 sq ft in space --> it's all on ground floor level; the main room was originally the thresher barn area, with double height ceilings; it's open plan; great for socialising/hanging out across the 2 living/seating areas, 1 dining zone, a breakfast bar, and all basic mod-cons in the kitchen space; this big open plan room is a great canvas for lots of our art, wall hangings and sculptures, many items shipped over from India and Asia; the views out from the extensive glass windows/doors onto the fields and surrounds, we find are better than watching any TV (apart from watching the footie); spotting a deer & rabbits happens weekly; the bedrooms and bathrooms are located in 2 connected wings, with oak wooden floors throughout, some bedrooms have wooden/glass double doors opening onto their own terrace; all 4 x double bedrooms are large, 2 have additional single beds with room to spare also, some bedrooms have original exposed oak ceiling beams; bathrooms are all in terracotta floor tiles, limestone wall tiling, all showers & taps are new in an antique style; the gamesroom has darts, pool, air hockey, table tennis, board games, with its own drinks fridge, you can also open the glass bifold doors to also make the "inside" gamesroom be "outside too; there's a small washer/dryer room which also houses the newly built "dog bath/shower". Would prefer if you're able to smoke outside and not inside the barn, if that's OK.

A bit on what's around us locally in Wrabness:

* IMMEDIATELY SURROUNDING THE BARN - Our garden is adjacent to the farmers fields, was growing wheat last summer, this is our view from the back & side garden. Across this field, we get a view of the lovely Dimbles Hall house, plus distant view across the valley of the old village church. 75m away is the neighbours farm house, they've recently bought a pig and some black sheep who roam in the field adjacent to our front garden, a lovely additional view for us, and gives our dog Thiago something new to bark at !

* IN THE VILLAGE - 8-10 MINS WALK AWAY - there's Wrabness train station, goes into London Liverpool St Stn; the Wrabness Village Shop, a community shop for some of the basic food stuff; The back of the shop turns into a pub on Thur/Fri/Sat nights; And the tourist attraction of Grayson Perry's 'A House for Essex', see the photos for this

* SOME OUTSIDE STUFF THAT'S 10-15 MINS WALK AWAY - Our fave spot is Wrabness Beach, with it's wooden beach houses, this is actually on the Stour River estuary, can swim here, walk here, moor up a bit here, no cars, no pavement, no boardwalk here, it's quite wild, is a protected Essex coastline spot, and adjacent/part of the Nature Reserve; There are a few Nature Reserves within walking distance, lots of bird watchers & walkers come, it's by the rivers edge, barn owls, geese, turtle doves are all to be seen; Wrabness Woods is close too, our Thiago dog often gets an evening walk here

* AND SOME THINGS A FEW MILES AWAY - main shops including large grocers (Tesco, Morrissons) are in the towns of Manningtree (3.5 miles to the west) or better for this stuff is at Harwich (3.5 miles to the east), these are easy to find on the A120; for a quaint old town with antique, tea shops & decent Gastro Pubs then the towns of Mistley which merges into Manningtree are both nice, it has a nice harbour and pubs overlooking the river estuary; And going the other way to Harwich, it's really pleasant to visit the old Harwich port and pier, Harwich is on the North Sea, see photos of all these places; Merging into Harwich is the town of Dovercourt (also 3.5 miles away), which has an 'award-winning'
Beach with Victorian antique lighthouses to guide the old ships; 10 miles away is one of Eastern Englands finest beaches Frinton-on-Sea; And finally, Flatford Mill with its historic buildings is great, famous for John Constable paintings from the early 19th century

And finally, here's the overview, it's the "summary sell", so sorry about that:

Hope you enjoy the barn as much as we do ! We only came across it and bought it a year ago, and every week we're still amazed by: the inside space, the panoramic views from every window and terrace, the lovely garden, the local area, including the beach, the Nature Reserves and wildlife, the historic woods, and all are within a 10 mins walk, and it's only 1hr 45 mins away from London. Have fun "being in amongst it", and shout if we can point you in any direction, Dan & Sophie
Guest access

The entire house, outside summer house and gardens are open and available only to you guys, our guests.
Other things to note
Hope you enjoy our Domine Farm Barn as much as we do, Dan & Sophie

Property manager

Dan Benedict

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Air conditioning
Outdoor space

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House Rules

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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 25 kg per pet (limit 3 pets total)
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Smoking

Smoking allowed: in designated areas
Will assess your "Guest Rating" score - to ensure we have "great" guests coming

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
This property uses geothermal energy
Host has indicated that there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property

About the area

Manningtree

Located in Manningtree, this holiday home is in a rural area and on a river. The area's natural beauty can be seen at Dedham Vale and Holland Haven Country Park, while Harwich Maritime Museum and Lifeboat Museum are cultural highlights. Travelling with kids? Consider Green Island Gardens Ardleigh and Beth Chatto Garden.
Map
Wrabness, Manningtree, Essex

What's nearby

  • Flatford Mill - 16 min drive - 14.7 km
  • University of Essex - 16 min drive - 18.9 km
  • Jimmy's Farm - 22 min drive - 21.8 km
  • Alton Water - 23 min drive - 18.3 km
  • Ipswich Waterfront - 27 min drive - 26.3 km

Getting around

  • Wrabness Station - 13 min walk
  • London (SEN-Southend) - 87 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Red Lion - ‬28 min drive
  • ‪Mandarin House - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪McDonald's - ‬7 min drive
  • ‪The Mayflower Brewers Fayre - ‬8 min drive
  • ‪The Red Lion - ‬8 min drive

Frequently asked questions

Is Lux barn retreat, in wraparound garden. 4 bedrooms, sleeps 11. Close to beach pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 3 total) with a maximum weight of up to 25 kg per pet.

Where is Lux barn retreat, in wraparound garden. 4 bedrooms, sleeps 11. Close to beach located?

Located by the sea, this family-friendly holiday home is within 9 mi (15 km) of Mistley Towers, Harwich Maritime Museum and Dedham Vale. Lifeboat Museum and Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum are also within 9 miles (15 km). Wrabness Station is 13 minutes by foot.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 1 out of 1 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 1 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 0 out of 1 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 1 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 1 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

10/10

Check-in

10/10

Communication

10/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Shareena M.

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

NY 2025

A lovely spacious barn, fully equipped with an amazing games room which we thoroughly enjoyed. We celebrated NY here, and all had a great time. Hosts were lovely, beautiful outdoor space, and easy access to some lovely beach walks. Would highly recommend and hope to return again.
Stayed 3 nights in Dec 2024

About the host

Hosted by Dan Benedict

Host profile image
Sophie and I (Dan) have been together for nearly 40 years, bringing up 4 lovely kids, who are all now young adults, living in central London.

We've been fortunate enough to holiday all over the world as a family during our time together, where the Indian sub-continent and SE Asia seems to have been "our calling".

Over the years we've bought & collected art/artefacts/sculptures from Asia and beyond, and are now lucky enough to have a great "canvas" to place them in, since we bought the converted barn 18 months ago.

We had been looking for an escape-home away from London for a while. We looked in France and in Spain, as we love the warmer climate, but decided on a location closer by, where we can drive to/take train in under 2 hours, with the aim of being there each week.

We just stumbled on Wrabness in North Essex, and it's now already feeling like "home". We split our time between our London and Wrabness homes. We've been "hosting" guests a little this summer (2024) at the Wrabness barn, which has been a pleasure.

Why they chose this property

We recently bought the barn property, and on our first arrival to visit 18 months ago, we felt two things instinctively ... 1/ it just feels like a "retreat", like being on a "luxury holiday", and 2/ an excitement and suitability that this was "the place" for us!

It feels pretty unique, to us anyway ... hope you feel the same.

The barn itself sits on a lovely plot of land, with a 360' surround garden. We'd only ever had a small London town garden prior, and we love spending c.2 days a week tending and keeping the garden beautiful.

We love being 10-15 mins walk away from the beach, so does Thiago our dog !! It's an isolated, quiet, wild beach, with a few wooden beach houses, a pretty unique and special English beach. And if you're after a bit more "beach action", just drive 15 mins away to the "award-winning beach at Dovercourt.

We walk regularly in the local Nature Reserves, which are conservation areas, housing many rare breeds of birds and wildlife.

And all this is just over an hour away by train from Central London, with Wrabness Station being 12 mins walk away, so we're accessible too.

What makes this property unique

As soon as you drive inside the gate, it feels like a "retreat", an escape, that you're on holiday, that pressures/stresses/anxieties are easily lifted away.

This feeling that we experience must be due to a combination of the beautiful gardens and terraces surrounding the barn; the fields and animals surrounding us; the luxury and spacious feeling of the expansive double-height barn living room; the cosiness of the bedrooms; and the "ease" of everything there.

Hope you feel the same too

Languages:

English