Nestled in rural Suffolk, Woodfarm Barns features eight dog-friendly Cottages & Barns, each a haven for you and up to three dogs.
As if that wasn’t enough, we also have two fully converted historic Dutch Barges to choose from. These fantastic “floating holiday cottages” are moored on the River Alde at Snape Maltings and on the River Deben, Woodbridge.
Table of contents
- Cottages near Stonham Aspal – in the heart of rural Suffolk
- Pooch-Perfect Perks: For Happy Dogs and Happier Stays
- Suffolk: The Perfect Dog-Friendly Destination
- Getting your Dog here safe & sound
- Woodfarm VIPooch Passports
- Fetching Reviews: 1000+ 5-Star Ratings
- Dog-Friendly Barge Holidays in Snape & Woodbridge
- Awards & Press
- FAQs
Cottages near Stonham Aspal – in the heart of rural Suffolk
Settle into your Barn or Cottage, where details are tailored to your delight. Enjoy your private hot tub, watch your dogs bound around in your private enclosed garden, and savour the wonderful views. Inside, enjoy a luxury living space designed to be your home away from home, blending modern convenience with rustic charm.
On-site, we also have a fully enclosed two-acre dog meadow, purely for your four-legged family to go bonkers and make new friends, too.
Pooch-Perfect Perks: For Happy Dogs and Happier Stays
Cottage Comforts
- Dogs Stay Completely FREE
- Fully Enclosed Private Gardens
- Dog treats waiting for every pooch
- Doggy Hampers (£15 each)
- Dog Beds
- Bowls
- Dog Crates
- Stair Gates
Out & About
- Spare collars and leads
- Dog Passports
- Woodfarm branded Poop Bags
- Dog Buggy
- Car Ramp for elderly or disabled dogs
- Dog Tags
Pre-order your dog food and treats from our pet partners, Doodledales: the lovely team that supplies us with healthy dog treats for our four-legged guests.
What to bring with you for your dog’s dream holiday
We provide almost everything you and your dog could want in our Cottages & Barns, but there will still be just a few things you should make sure you don’t forget to bring!
Fully Enclosed, Dog-Friendly Private Gardens
What is a dog-friendly garden?
To ensure your canine friend, and other guests and dogs at Woodfarm, are safe and happy, all of our holiday cottages have fully enclosed gardens. This feature is part of what earns us our Pets Welcome accreditation and allows dogs to roam around their own private space, which is essential for owners of nervous dogs.
We always get asked if our gardens are enclosed. We’ve met guests who have experienced ‘dog-friendly’ holiday cottages without enclosed gardens, so we’re proud to be able to offer this feature as part of our comprehensive dog-friendly experience.
Woof-Farm Meadow: Our 2-acre Pooch Paddock
Another excellent feature popular with people who book holidays with their dogs at Woodfarm Barns is our 2-acre, fully enclosed meadow. Designed so your dog can roam freely and safely, it’s ideal for a walk, run or a game of fetch. The meadow is filled with lots of sights & smells to satisfy your dog’s sense of curiosity and adventure. It’s also a great place to meet other dogs and their owners, and make friends during your stay. Take a rest in our seating area while your dog takes a wander, and enjoy a chat with other like-minded pet owners who stay at Woodfarm for its dog friendly ethos.
Click here for further details about our amenities for dogs!
Suffolk: The Perfect Dog-Friendly Destination
You and your furry companions will find yourselves near Stonham Aspal, at the heart of Suffolk‘s natural beauty, where every path leads to adventure in stunning surroundings; from open fields to tranquil woodland trails, picturesque river walks, and inviting coastal beaches.
Venture beyond to explore historic market towns and quaint villages nearby. Here, you can enjoy traditional country pubs and fantastic restaurants & cafes; all against a backdrop of cultural & historic attractions. Join in local festivities like country fairs & food and drink festivals, immersing yourself in Suffolk’s community spirit.
Walking your Dog
There are plenty of dog walking trails near Woodfarm Barns – there’s even a twenty-minute walk which begins right on our doorstep! Head next door but one to Crowfield Church, where you’ll find one of the last timber-framed churches in Suffolk, as well as a quick and convenient loop trail.
Dogs with more stamina will enjoy the many walks available around the county. In your cottage, you will find books about Suffolk walks worth exploring with or without dogs. However, if you would like some ideas before you arrive, you can read more here on ‘Walking in Suffolk’.
Dog friendly pubs
Whether you’re visiting Suffolk for the first time, or are a frequent visitor or resident, it’s nice to know where you can go with your dogs. Suffolk has a wide range of dog friendly pubs dotted all over. Whilst some request that you keep your dog in the garden or terrace area, many allow dogs inside the pub as well.
Click here for a list of loads of dog friendly pubs and restaurants in Suffolk.
Dog Friendly beaches
Suffolk is a great place to bring your dog on holiday with miles of beautiful beaches open to the public year-round. Our cottages are just half an hour from the beautiful heritage coast, and plenty of our guests head there for walks.
There are no dog restrictions in force on Suffolk’s beaches from October to April, so your pet can enjoy the benefits on any stretch of beach you like! However, some restrictions do apply during Summer.
Click here for more info about a day at the beach with your dog in Suffolk.
Getting your Dog here safe & sound
There’s no denying it – dogs are our thing, though we also accept humans with them as dogs can’t drive yet!
We think that a happy dog is a safe dog, which is why we decided to put together a few handy travel tips on how to keep your dog(s) safe in the car when you’re (hopefully!) travelling to Suffolk for a fabulous holiday with us.
Woodfarm VIPooch Passports
Your dogs are family, so we treat them just the same as humans. Ok, you don’t need your passport to stay with us in Suffolk (you would for Woodfarm Tuscany of course!) but we figured it’d be nice to honour your furry family with their very own VIPooch Dog Passport.
This contains lots of useful information for you about beaches, vets, walks etc. There’s even a spot for their photo!
Fetching Reviews: 1000+ 5-Star Ratings
From wagging tails to satisfied smiles, our commitment to excellence is reflected in well over 1000 5-star reviews across Tripadvisor, Facebook and Google Reviews. our accommodations promise an unforgettable retreat for both you and your furry friend.
Dogs and their owners love Woodfarm Barns!
We now have thousands of testimonials from our guests with dogs.
It’s so nice to be recognised for offering dog-friendly holidays. Most people struggle to find this, so we score massive K9 brownie points. These testimonials are taken from the guest recommendation books in our holiday cottages.
“Gipping Barn was absolutely charming, couldn’t fault it and all the little added extras were very much appreciated. Always a bit nervous going anywhere new with our rescue dog but enclosed garden was perfect for our crazy mutt (who is usually a bit of an escape artist but she was so settled and happy at the barns). The garden was bigger than expected, she enjoyed plenty of time sniffing around out there and enjoyed zooming around your meadow too. We can’t wait to come back to enjoy the peace and quiet. Thank you for a wonderful little haven.”
Kay & Neil with Evie the dog, February 2024
“Our dog loved the walks in the secure field and the garden was secure and safe for our dog, whilst we enjoyed a glass of bubbles in the hot tub!”
Rona and Alan with Buddy the Dog, December 2023
“The Barn is beautiful, so warm and cosy with thoughtful little extras. Barley loved it too – to see her little face running around the dog meadow was priceless!”
Jo and Steve with Barley the dog, November 2023
“Such a cosy barn after muddy, waterlogged dog walks and the outside hot water doggy shower was very much appreciated by Macey. These barns are simply the best dog friendly place we’ve ever stayed. Favourite walks at Dunwich, Walberswick, Needham Lakes and Hoppit Woods. Lots of good dog friendly pubs too.”
Gail and Allan with Macey the dog, November 2023
Dogs Love Woodfarm!
“Hey dogs, guess what?”… “What?”
“We’re going on holiday!” …“So?”
“You’re coming with us this time!”… “Really?”
“Yes!”… “But will it be dog friendly?”
“Yes!”… “Like, really dog friendly?”
“Yes!”… “How do we know you’re not lying?”
“Because we’re going to Woodfarm Barns in Suffolk!”… “Woah, really?”
“Yes!”… “OMG, we’ve heard about Woodfarm!”
“Have you?”… “Yes, half the dogs we sniff bottoms with on our walks go on about Woodfarm!”
“What have you heard?”…
“That we can chill out cos’ we’ll have a fully enclosed garden, and that they have a huge fully enclosed meadow where we can go bonkers and meet other dogs. We’ll get dog treats, and bowls, and towels, and our own shower, and crate and bed if we need them. There’s amazing walks, and beaches and stuff, and they have pawesome Dutch Barges so we can be even nearer the seaside. They even have a place in Italy where you can take us as well!”
“So that’s a yes then?”… “Waddaya reckon!?!?”
Dog-Friendly Barge Holidays in Snape & Woodbridge
For something a little different, choose from two truly unique, dog-friendly ’floating holiday cottages’ in iconic Suffolk locations.
‘Onderneming’, moored on the River Alde at Snape, sleeps eight, and is a cavernous idyll for families and small groups of friends seeking a unique getaway, with incredible dog walks from your gangplank.
‘Twee Gebroeders’, moored at Tidemill on the River Deben in Woodbridge, sleeps four and is the perfect romantic refuge for couples, with room for a couple of kids too. Again with stunning river walks in either direction.
Both are a stone’s throw from great pubs and a range of boutique shops, coffee shops and delis.
Click here for more information on alternatives to cottage accommodation in Suffolk.
Maybe you’re considering the warmer weather in central Europe?
Awards & Press
Our cottage accommodation has won many awards for the comfort we offer to dogs and their owners alike.
VisitEngland award the ‘Pets Welcome’ accreditation to all our holiday cottages
We are very proud to display the Pets Welcome award from VisitEngland. This award assures dog owners that they are booking quality accommodation that meets their pets’ needs. Visit our Pets Welcome page, detailing what we must do to maintain the standard.
FAQs
Yes they are. As well as all being surrounded by either thick hedges or fencing, they all have chain-link fencing around them too. We have done absolutely everything we can think of to ensure that they are completely fully enclosed, but we don’t like to guarantee that we won’t be outsmarted by a determined Houndini (see what we did there?). But are the gardens really fully enclosed? Yes they are.
We have a minimum height of 1.2m. This is the height of the chain-link fencing and gates. Additionally, all gardens have very high hedging as well. The exception is Woodfarm House, which has close board fencing all the way round, and is over 2m.
We are more than happy to discuss a 4th Dog with you, and possibly a 5th if they are little. We have always maintained a limit as we want the properties to all be of a high standard of maintenance. We feel that if we had no limit, then it is possible for standards to drop. We have worked hard since 2009 to ensure that whilst we are extremely Dog-friendly, we have the very best accommodation for our human guests. We have found this very common feedback when guests tell us of bad experiences elsewhere, as it’s quite a typical concern that guests have.
When looking at hotel reviews, ‘cleanliness’ is a topic that always pops up. It’s obviously a huge indicator of quality for many travellers; after all, none of us enjoy seeing traces of previous guests during a holiday! This is why we take cleanliness at Woodfarm Barns and Barges very seriously.
Our fantastic team dedicates hours to cleaning our Luxury, Dog-Friendly Suffolk Holiday Cottages and Historic Dutch Holiday Barges after each stay. They ensure that the cottages are not just tidy, but free of dirt and germs too. You can see from our outstanding reviews that we succeed in our efforts!
If you’re curious about just how we keep our Barns so spic-and-span, here’s a rundown of our cleaning regime, room by room.
Believe it or not, the owner of the business is also allergic to Dogs! With this in mind it is vital to us that each guest arrives without the faintest whiff that canine guests have just left
We are constantly spending money to replace or repair items as things to wear out and do get broken. With well in excess of 1200 Five Star reviews on Tripadvisor, Facebook and Google, we do everything we can possibly think of to ensure that we retain this kind of record and reputation.
No. Obviously we can’t guarantee that anybody living nearby won’t set off the odd whizz-bang, but our nearest neighbour is half a mile away and they never have. We are locked down a very rural lane, and ever since we opened we have had guests booking to get away from lots of unsettling bangs.
Do we? We’ve got thousands of them! We all rely on reviews these days, and we have spent a decade and a half building ours up. You can read our reviews from dog owners here.
Whether you fancy nipping in for a quick pint, a dog-friendly place to eat, or you’re looking for a romantic meal, there are some great pubs in Suffolk. We have written extensively about loads of them all over the county so check our other blog posts and our own Tourist Guide website Where Do We? for places to eat & drink. Click here for more on our favourite nearby pubs, in no particular order.
What’s more British than heading to the pub for a spot of lunch on your staycation?
At Woodfarm Barges, we’re in two prime locations for some of the best pubs in Suffolk: Onderneming is moored on the River Alde at Snape Maltings and Twee Gebroeders is at the Tidemill in Woodbridge. Both of these locations feature an array of delicious local cuisine and cosy pub atmospheres within easy reach.
You don’t need to be a rambler to enjoy taking a walk around Suffolk from one of our Barns or Cottages. To ensure you’re heading off in the right direction, we’ve rounded up a selection of the best strolls to take when joining us in sunny Suffolk.
We’re incredibly blessed when it comes to our surroundings. Situated in two of Suffolk’s most iconic locations, our Barges have stunning dog walks right from your gangplank. To make it easy to find the one that’s best for you, we’ve rounded up a few favourite walks here.
