New to Curated Property: The Battlies House, Suffolk
New to the Collection · Suffolk
Some country houses reveal their history immediately. At The Battlies House, it appears in layers.
The oldest parts of this Grade II listed Suffolk house date to the 16th century, when it formed part of the historic Rougham Estate. Its kitchen still carries great timber beams thought to have once belonged to ships, while the Georgian frontage that greets you today came later. Beyond it, the house has continued to evolve into something altogether more contemporary: a seven-bedroom home with a cinema room, vast kitchen, heated outdoor pool and an adjoining annexe, surrounded by eight acres of private grounds.
Those grounds are a significant part of what makes The Battlies special. Ancient oaks rise above the lawns, woodland runs away from the house and a resident peacock and peahen wander through the gardens. There is a tennis court, firepit and cedar cabin tucked away from the main house, while the pool terrace becomes the natural centre of things through the warmer months. After dark, a lit trail leads through the woodland, with tawny owls overhead and remarkably little between you and the Suffolk night sky.
Inside, there is room for up to 18 guests, but the scale of the house means a full group need never feel crowded. Several reception rooms, a library with a wood-burning fire, two studies and a dedicated cinema room provide plenty of places to disappear to, while the kitchen, formal dining room and pool terrace bring everyone back together.
It is a house with centuries behind it, but one that feels very much designed for how people want to spend time together now.
Five centuries of The Battlies
The Battlies has changed considerably since its earliest incarnation in the 16th century, but its history has not been polished away.
The original house once formed part of the Rougham Estate, and traces of its earliest construction remain inside. Most notably, the kitchen, thought to be the oldest room in the house, retains substantial timber beams believed to be reclaimed ship timbers. The Georgian frontage arrived later, including the finely carved decorative lintel above the entrance that gives the house much of its formal character today.
What sits behind that façade, however, is not a country house preserved as a period piece. The historic architecture now shares space with smart lighting, integrated Sonos, room-by-room heating controls and the practical additions required of a house regularly filled with a large group of guests.
That contrast is part of its appeal. You can spend the evening beside the wood burner in the library, then head upstairs to a principal suite with a marble bathroom, air conditioning and a private balcony overlooking the pool and ancient oaks beyond.
Summer at The Battlies
In the warmer months, much of life at The Battlies moves outside. The kitchen and breakfast room opens directly onto the pool terrace, making it easy for mornings around the island to turn into afternoons by the water without anyone really deciding to move.
The heated outdoor pool is open from April until the end of September and is said to be the deepest in East Anglia. Around it, there are loungers and space for outdoor dining, while elsewhere in the grounds guests can play tennis, light the barbecue or firepit, or find a quieter corner beneath the mature trees.
For children, there is plenty of room to roam, along with a dedicated play structure. For everyone else, eight acres means there is no shortage of places to escape for an hour. The cedar garden cabin sits away from the main house, while ancient woodland and open lawns extend beyond the more formal garden.
And then there are The Battlies’ less predictable residents. A peacock and peahen wander freely through the grounds, while muntjac deer, hares, woodpeckers and buzzards are regular visitors. As evening arrives, a lit trail through the woodland offers one last reason to stay outside, with tawny owls calling from the trees and bats appearing overhead.
Room for everyone
The Battlies sleeps up to 18, but its layout gives a large group considerably more than somewhere to sleep. Several reception rooms occupy the ground floor, including a drawing room, sitting room and family room, alongside a library where the wood burner is lit during the cooler months. There is also a dedicated cinema room for evenings in, while two separate studies provide quieter spaces when needed.
The bedrooms have their own character too. The principal suite occupies a private wing, with an emperor bed, dressing room and marble bathroom with a freestanding bath and walk-in shower. Doors lead onto a private balcony overlooking the pool and the ancient oaks beyond. Elsewhere there is a second emperor bedroom, a super king, a children’s twin and an attic bedroom tucked away at the top of the house.
Two further bedrooms sit within the adjoining annexe, giving larger or multi-generational groups a little more independence while keeping everyone within the same estate.
At the centre of it all is the kitchen. Large enough for the group to naturally congregate around its island, it opens directly onto the pool terrace, while a separate formal dining room provides somewhere to bring everyone together for dinner. A butler’s pantry and walk-in drinks room make hosting on this scale feel considerably easier.
More than a country house
Part of the appeal of The Battlies is just how much there is to do without leaving the grounds. A stay can be as active or as unstructured as you want it to be, with spaces designed for long summer days, rainy afternoons and evenings that continue well after dinner.
Swim, play and explore
The heated outdoor pool opens from April to the end of September, with a sun terrace for lounging and dining alongside it. Elsewhere across the eight acres there is a private tennis court, children’s play structure, barbecue and firepit, as well as lawns and woodland to explore.
Settle in for the evening
When the weather sends everyone indoors, there is a dedicated cinema room, Sonos throughout the main living spaces and a hi-fi in the lounge that can be connected to Spotify. There are even microphones for anyone willing to turn the evening into a singalong.
Find your own corner
Not everything at The Battlies needs to be a group activity. The cedar cabin offers a quiet retreat in the garden, the library has a wood-burning fire for cooler days, and two separate studies make it possible to disappear for a few hours when work cannot quite be left at home.
Bring the occasion to you
The grounds can also accommodate activities arranged in advance, including clay pigeon shooting, archery and outdoor team-building. External caterers are welcome too, giving groups the option to turn a birthday, anniversary or other celebration into something more substantial without having to leave the estate.
- Heated outdoor pool, open April to the end of September
- Private tennis court and children’s play structure
- Cinema room, Sonos and a hi-fi with microphones
- Barbecue, firepit and a lit woodland trail
- Clay pigeon shooting, archery and team-building, arranged in advance
- External caterers welcome
Beyond the gates
There is plenty to occupy a stay at The Battlies without going far, but its position near Bury St Edmunds makes exploring worthwhile too. The Suffolk market town is around ten minutes away, with independent shops, restaurants and cafés alongside the Abbey Gardens, cathedral and Theatre Royal. The owners are particularly enthusiastic about the local food scene, with everything from gastropubs to tasting menus within easy reach.
Closer to home, the surrounding Rougham Estate has waymarked walking routes passing the ruins of Rougham Hall and the site of a former Second World War airfield. Its surviving control tower is now a small museum, and vintage Spitfires can still sometimes be seen taking off from the airfield at weekends.
For longer days out, Ickworth House and its parkland, Thetford Forest and the medieval village of Lavenham are all within reach, while Cambridge is around 40 minutes away. Suffolk’s coast, including Aldeburgh and Southwold, makes an easy day trip too.
The location means The Battlies can feel properly removed from everyday life without being particularly difficult to reach: Bury St Edmunds station is around ten minutes away by car, and London Stansted around 45 minutes by road.
Discover The Battlies House with Curated Property
Five centuries of history, eight acres of Suffolk countryside and a house built for bringing people together. The Battlies is the kind of place where the setting shapes the stay, whether that means summer afternoons between the pool and tennis court, dinner for the whole group or a quiet evening by the fire.
Sleeping up to 18, it offers the space for family holidays, celebrations and gatherings that call for somewhere a little out of the ordinary.