Meet The Owner: Ruffles Cottage, Orford

Owner of the delightful Ruffles Cottage, Peter Turner, tells us how he came to own the property and his experience of holiday letting.

I used to visit Orford in the '50s with my parents, invariably to have lunch at Pinneys, and I have retained fond memories of the village ever since. I was always attracted to the cottages on the green running down Quay Street and some years ago we saw a 'For Sale' sign outside Ruffles Cottage - shortly thereafter Gill and I became the proud owners.

To help finance the purchase we decided to rent the cottage out as a Furnished Holiday Let, and the Estate Agent who sold it to us recommended Suffolk Cottage Holidays. We have been with them ever since and latterly joining forces with sister brand Suffolk Secrets.

One of the factors in our purchase was that the cottage had a wonderful garden and paddock at the back, with plenty of off-street parking for cars and boats - although I’m still waiting for my boat!

Throughout our twelve years of ownership we have continued to see bookings going from strength to strength with guests increasingly looking to holiday within the UK - and where better than the Suffolk coast?

We have met some delightful people who have stayed at Ruffles Cottage over the years, many commenting favourably on the garden and the charm of the cottage. Bookings have become so successful that we have realised that we need to be somewhat more organised and book periods out if we are to stay there ourselves!

We have had guests staying from the US, Australia, Hong Kong as well as Europe and the UK, and we are delighted that we see the same families returning time and again to stay with us. One UK family have stayed eleven times, and we have another family from Hong Kong who have stayed for the last five years in succession.

Orford is a great place to holiday, with a variety of highly regarded shops and eating establishments, including an award winning village shop, a butcher, a fresh and smoked fish shop, a renowned bakery and chocolatier, an hotel and two pubs, along with the Riverside cafe - not to mention the already noted Pinneys restaurant.

When you visit Orford you go there for a reason; there is no through traffic and this undoubtedly adds to its charm, and to the attractiveness of the area for cycling and rambling. The delightful comments we receive in our Guest Book regarding the high level of cleanliness and presentation in the cottage, and the attractiveness of the garden are very rewarding and credit here must go to our wonderful housekeeper Nicky, and our awesome gardener Bobby, without whom our lives would be even busier!

Click here to find out more about Ruffles Cottage. Alternatively, click here to find out more about the picturesque village of Orford.