Duke’s Lodge, the ‘characterful, dog-friendly self-catering cottage of distinction’ near Bungay in the Waveney Valley, will be representing the region in Visit England’s prestigious National Tourism Awards in June this year, together with just a handful of businesses from around the region.
Duke’s Lodge secured this exciting opportunity when it was placed ‘Runner Up’ in the ‘New Tourism Business of the Year’ category at the Norfolk & Suffolk Tourism Awards ceremony held in Norwich Castle last night.
The luxury holiday let, which accommodates up to 16 guests in seven ensuite bedrooms, has been a labor of love for retired farmers Simon and Bobbie Watchorn. Sharing their passion for the countryside and the community of local producers is, for them, an all-important factor in the Suffolk-Norfolk holiday experience.
‘Luxury large holiday retreat’
From gaining their 5-Star and Gold accommodation awards to their Silver Award for Green Tourism, and now this Suffolk & Norfolk Tourism accolade, their goal has been to create a top-quality showcase for all that the region has to offer.
“We’re absolutely delighted and just totally blown away at receiving this award and the opportunity that it brings,” says Simon Watchorn, who in 2023, together with his artist-wife Bobbie, set about transforming the then-practical Earsham Park Farmhouse into a luxury large holiday retreat, complete with outdoor dining and a hot tub complex.
“It has been an incredible, two-year, hands-on journey, and it’s only when you see guests truly at home in the space we have created—sharing quality time together and engaging with the rural farm setting—that you know your instinct and vision were right. The recognition this award brings is just the icing on the cake!”
‘Nod to history’
From restored and re-loved items of furniture to the clever and quirky individually themed bedrooms and time-out-together spaces, artist Bobbie has been the eye (and creative hands) behind the house interiors, with everything sourced and shared as locally and responsibly as possible.
But why the name change – Duke’s Lodge? “We wanted to celebrate the land’s connection with the Duke of Norfolk,” explains Bobbie. “It was also probably part of Baron Bigod’s deer park all those centuries ago. It’s a nod to history, another way to share the wonders of the Waveney Valley.”
