Dog-friendly Cambridgeshire

If you are looking for an unusual place to stay, this unique and quirky barn conversion could be for you. This former granary has been converted into a beautiful, stylish cottage with many original features.
The spacious beamed living room has windows on three sides, allowing the light to flood in. With its vaulted beamed ceiling, oak floor, and log-burning stove in a large stone fireplace, it is a warm and welcoming room. Equipped with a large, comfortable sofa and chairs, it’s a delightful place for friends and family to relax at the end of the day. There is a separate toilet that is accessed from the living room. The fully fitted kitchen has oak worktops, a Belfast sink and a plate rack. The twin bedroom is in the attic and has exposed brickwork and sloping ceilings. The quirky layout of the barn means you access the double bedroom and en-suite shower room via an external entrance, enhancing the charm of this unique cottage. The delightful, tranquil bedroom also has a vaulted ceiling and oak floor, along with a New England colonial bed and Japanese hot tub. The room also has French doors overlooking a small patio garden equipped with a rattan table and chairs.
The village of Wicken is a charming base for your holiday with a village pond and green just opposite the barn conversion, as well as the local pub and Wicken Fen Nature Reserve. Cycle hire is also available at Wicken Fen, so you can tour the scenic routes of Sustrans Route 11 all the way through to King’s Lynn. The village is honeycombed with ancient waterways and the River Cam runs through the area.
Visit Ely Cathedral a little further afield; the city is also home to The Stained-Glass Museum, Oliver Cromwell’s House and a Saturday market. Newmarket is also nearby, a quaint market town hosting the National Horse Racing Museum. Or why not explore the picture-perfect streets of Cambridge? Where you’ll find plenty of museums, independent cafés and Cambridge University Botanic Garden.

Nestled in beautiful, open Cambridgeshire countryside, Wood Fen Lodges have been thoughtfully converted and decorated to provide all the home comforts that discerning guests need for a relaxing getaway. In a quiet location with exposed beams, cosy wood burner and private use of a hot tub (by arrangement), there really is nothing more you could need for a perfect break. Some guests may choose not to venture far, instead deciding to relax in their private garden, or perhaps book themselves in for a spa treatment at the on site spa (at cost), where refreshments are also available.

Those wishing to explore the area will have chosen well with so much to see and do nearby. The university city of Cambridge offers numerous museums, including the famous Fitzwilliam, lots of walking tours, including university routes, punting, shopping and great places to eat. You should also make time for the open top bus tour, which gives an insight into the history of this fascinating city. And, why not take a trip to Norwich with its impressive Norman castle overlooking a fine city full of attractions and things to do? History buffs will also enjoy a visit to the Hanseatic Old Quarter of Kings Lynn, The Royal Sandringham Estate or the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, which offers up an impressive collection detailing the history of aviation, including several aircraft. In fact, this may well be your only chance now to say that you’ve been on Concorde!

For a change of pace and some refreshing sea air, you can be in Hunstanton in less than an hour. Here you will find a wide sandy beach that seems to go on forever, a small funfair, a Sealife Centre, Norfolk Lavender and lots of seaside shops and cafes. Closer to home lies the bustling city of Ely with its impressive cathedral, nicknamed ‘The ship of the Fens’ because of the way it rises up on the horizon. Here you will find a fascinating stained glass museum, which offers a rare insight to this beautiful art form.

Bustling Newmarket is close by and offers a famous racecourse which often hosts musical entertainment evenings. For breathtaking countryside, visit Thetford Forest with its numerous walks and cycle routes, and its Go Ape centre, featuring tree walks, zip wires and Tarzan swings. And, after all your adventures, you can head back to Wood Fen Lodges, unwind, relax (perhaps in the hot tub?) and dream of places yet to see. Just perfect! Shop 1 mile, pub and restaurant 2 miles.
Property refs UKC563 and UKC564 can be booked together to accommodate up to 10 guests.

Built around a private fishing lake on a 230-acre working farm, with the owner living on-site, these semi-detached lodges (refs UK30603, UK30604, UK30605, UKC4325) are located on the edge of the village of Pidley. Accessed via a rough track, they are surrounded by vast fields and big open skies, offering stunning views of the countryside beyond. You can relax outside on the patio area, watching the sun set in this peaceful, rural location. These four lodges each have an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area with French doors leading out onto a private patio. The contemporary living area is equipped with a Smart TV, sofa and sofa bed, and offers picturesque views over Rook Lake, especially during the morning sunrise. There are two cosy twin/double bedrooms and a shower room.
Anglers can enjoy their own exclusive fishing platform right in front of the lodge, and can fish the well-established specimen lake, where carp reaching up to 28 lbs can be caught.
Rookery Waters has a café with licenced bar and fishing tackle shop on site and there is a golf course, pub and village shop all within a 10-minute drive.
The surrounding area at Rookery Waters offers lots of public footpaths and bridleways to explore and is ideal if you want to bring your dog with you. There is a wetland conservation area where you can spot birds such as lapwing, reed warblers, little plover and oystercatchers.
The historical market town of St Ives, which sits on the river Great Ouse, is just 5 miles away, and has lots of eateries, shops and interesting places to visit. You can also catch a bus from St Ives via The Guided Bus Route to Cambridge where you will find lots more to explore including the famous colleges, the Fitzwilliam Museum, the botanical gardens and of course, one of the most popular things to do in Cambridge is to punt along the River Cam, which runs through the heart of the city. Shop 5 miles, pub and restaurant 2 miles.
These properties can be booked together to accommodate up to 19 guests.

Beautifully decorated throughout, this holiday home makes the perfect hub to go off and explore all that picturesque Ely has to offer. With a modern yet country vibe this bungalow will comfortably sleep six guests with the option of adding a travel cot for the smallest family member.
There is a spacious open plan kitchen/dining room with all the amenities you could possibly need for your stay. Two large double bedrooms with integral storage, a single sized room with a pull-out bed that converts into a small double, a modern four-piece family bathroom and a cosy living room with a wood burner for those English winter nights.
Externally there is an enclosed rear garden offering views over the farm and off-road parking for 2 vehicles. Pets are allowed however must be kept on leads as the working farm has two gorgeous dogs with free rein. Locally there are many attractions from the breath-taking cathedral, the historic site of Oliver Cromwell’s House, Wicken Fen National Nature reserve, a number of museums, shops, restaurants and pubs. Venture down to the waterside which boasts spectacular views over the river Great Ouse and a number of water activities from boat hire, cruises and Wake boarding. You may spot Ely newest addition, Sarafa the giraffe peaking the skyline. Further afield you will have easy access to popular Cambridge with an extensive list of things to explore.