New Inn

The centre of this handsome range of buildings is a late medieval hall-house, in use as an inn by 1478, and almost certainly built as such. Inns were then a fairly new invention, which had arrived in response to an increase in trade and therefore of travellers. It was some time before they evolved into a distinct building type, however; until then most kept to the basic form that everyone knew, of a hall with chambers off it — and this is just what there is at the New Inn.

We repaired the hail and all the other cottages in the row as well. The three oldest we kept as Landmarks. Two of them, at each end of the impressive hail, are entered from it, as they would have been originally. (The hall is open to the public and is sometimes visited.)

The high end is the grander, with one particularly fine bedroom — a solar or great chamber with a crown-post roof.

At the backs of the cottages we removed some decayed sheds to make a garden and a place to hide cars. We also bought the land in front, closed the road that ran across it, and turned it into a village green. Peasenhall is a long, open village, with a stream running beside the road. It is much-visited by connoisseurs of sausages and ham, sold in more than one of its excellent shops. Add oysters from Orford, fish from Aldeburgh, wines from Framlingham vineyards, and sit down to your own feast in the lofty hall, as might those medieval travellers over five hundred years ago.

Features

High End

• For up to 4 people
• Shared garden
• Adjacent parking

Low End

• For up to 4 people
• Open fire
• Shared garden
• Adjacent parking

The Cottage

• For up to 5 people
• Shared garden
• Parking nearby
• Steep staircase
• Low ceiling on upper floors