Flybe / June 2018

JUNE

CONCIERGE

SPEND TIME

HEX COTTAGE, SIBTON, SUFFOLK

( LONDON STANSTED)

A dreamy thatched former forester’s cottage for two,

electricity-free, candlelit and set in woods overlooking its

own meadow. That’s Hex Cottage in Suffolk. An Esse

wood-burning range in the kitchen provides all the hot

water and heating, with an open fire in the sitting room. In

the kitchen, the original bread oven, brick floors and butler

sink add to the nostalgic charm. The fairytale candlelit

bedroom has a muslin canopy, arched leaded windows and

a crackling woodburner to keep you toasty. In the en-suite

bathroom the freestanding roll-top bath looks out over

woodland views through leaded-light windows, perfect for

long soaks. Outside, you’ll find your own herb garden,

barbecue, log store and the wilderness beyond. If you can

bear to leave, you’ll also have the use of a cedarwood hot

tub and Pashley bikes at the nearby Sibton Park Estate.

THE ROOKERY,

CLERKENWELL, LONDON

( LONDON)

Tucked away a short distance from St

Paul’s Cathedral and the Old Bailey,

The Rookery, a converted Georgian

townhouse, is all period charm with

polished wood panelling, stone

flagged floors, open fires and antique

furniture – and a very proud house

cat. A boutique time-warp in the

depths of Clerkenwell, its art-filled

corridors lead to 33 individually-

decorated large bedrooms, some with

four-posters and bathrooms with

restored vintage fittings. The

two-storey penthouse Rook’s Nest

suite under the building’s 40-ft spire

has an ornately-carved bed with a

gilded frame, a Victorian bathing

machine on a raised plinth in one

corner and stairs leading to a fabulous

sitting room under the spire.