August News from Butley Priory
Our monthly news blog posts are always a gentle reminder of how quickly each month comes around and I’m always amazed and aghast in equal measure at how time flies so quickly.
August conjures up the long summer break for schools and with it brings a busy influx of holiday guests to Butley Priory Cottage. We’ve had some lovely reviews from guests, and you can check these out on our Airbnb listing. Here’s just one from Tim who stayed with us recently…
Earlier in July, we welcomed a charming group from Earl Stonham WI who visited the Priory for a history talk from Edward Greenwell. It was a beautiful summer evening and they thoroughly enjoyed their visit which was organised through Historic Houses Invitation To View scheme. After their talk, they were given the opportunity to explore the Priory and then return to the Great Hall for tea and biscuits.
If you are part of a club, group or society which organises its own social calendar and your members might enjoy a fascinating talk on the history of Butley Priory, then please do get in touch with our Events team on 01394 450046.
As usual, we’ve been very busy with some amazing weddings here at the Priory. We’ve welcomed an array of different structures on the front lawn, from tipis from Events Under Canvas to clear-span marquees from Miller Marquees. We particularly loved Jenna & Sonny’s wedding, which took place on a beautifully hot day with some cool, stylish wedding planning – it looked amazing.
Then we celebrated with the adorable Dagnija & John, who welcomed some international visitors from Dagnija’s home country, Latvia. They chose to host their ceremony in the Great Hall with drinks in the South Garden before returning inside for a sumptuous wedding breakfast and evening dancing.
Photography: Beth Beresford Photography
Exciting news! We’ve now scheduled all our dates for next year’s Suffolk Sandlands metal detecting tours. We welcomed Kim from Bury & West Suffolk Magazine who wanted to try her hand at the full metal detecting experience. Our host Andy Sampson, was her guide for the afternoon and she thoroughly enjoyed it. As such, no hoards of jewels or coins on this occasion…though we look forward to seeing what our guests will uncover in September.
We have now sold out for spaces on our later tour, but still have some available spots for the tour starting on 5th September. To read more about it, take a look here.
Nigel delighted the events team with a ride in his open top dune buggy. Lovingly restored, coloured bright red and on a really warm day, we took a short drive at lunchtime to view what remains of ‘The Clumps’. For those who are familiar with our street address, the quincuncial 'Clumps' are a group of four beech trees surrounding a single pine tree, planted as an avenue near Butley Priory. It was a lot of fun and not too dissimilar from feeling like you’re inside a tumble drier!
Finally, our long-awaited Team ‘Pizza & Pimms’ night took place on the hottest day of the year so far. It was great to spend an evening relaxing with the team, such a jolly bunch – and the Pimm’s slipped down a treat.
The younger ones enjoyed playing hide & seek inside the Priory and splashing around in the water sprinklers, a dual-purpose effort of watering the garden and keeping them cool at the same time.
Looking ahead to August, we’ll be welcoming the residents of Grove Court in Woodbridge for a visit to the Priory, plenty more romantic weddings, holiday stays and a photo shoot for a childrenswear brand. It’s going to be a busy one!
May News
May news from Butley Priory
Spring has definitely sprung here at Butley and we’ve enjoyed seeing the daffodils, tulips and now a glorious sea of Bluebells in the surrounding woodland.
As ever, we’ve been welcoming many lovely couples to Butley, showing them around the Priory, Cottage and Farmhouse, with viewings booked midweek, evenings and weekends – keeping us very busy indeed.
April saw our first wedding of the year for Emily & Marie who enjoyed fantastic weather throughout their wedding weekend, albeit a little blustery.
Their ceremony took place inside the Great Hall, followed by a confetti line outside the Church gate where Emily’s father rang the church bell with gusto! Many of Marie’s family had travelled over from France to join in with the celebrations.
After canapes in the South garden, our guests were welcomed back into the Great Hall for a delicious four course dinner, complete with cheese course – interestingly served before dessert in traditional French style. After dinner, guests adjourned to a tipi on the front lawn for music and dancing until the wee hours – we wish them our hearty congratulations!
Butley Priory Cottage enjoyed its first influx of guests over the Easter holidays for midweek and weekend breaks. We’ve had wonderful feedback and many 5 star reviews. Guests particularly enjoyed its great location for visiting the Suffolk Coast and tourist hotspots, plus that it’s dog friendly, with plenty of safe outdoor space.
“Beautiful cottage in an amazing location. We had a great time as did our dog!” - Darren
“Great house and grounds. Great for dogs to run around safely in the grounds” – John
Meanwhile, Brian has been beavering away at repairing our stone wall just outside Butley Abbey Farmhouse. It’s taken a while, but he’s so nearly there and it’s looking fantastic, we particularly love the gargoyles he’s installed and don’t the red and yellow tulips look striking against it?
Our new venture ‘Suffolk Sandlands’ is gathering some attention with a brilliant feature in the East Anglian Daily Times. We’ve had a good response from the metal dectorists favourite magazine, the May edition of Treasure Hunting.
Suffolk Sandlands provides metal detecting enthusiasts with an incredible opportunity to enjoy a three-day detecting holiday on prime farmland with unrivalled archaeological interest, with evening talks from our local expert historians. You can read more about our tour dates for September HERE
Lastly, a couple of birthdays have been celebrated in the Events office for both Kimmy & Donna, where ample supplies of delicious cake were provided by Libby – too tasty for words, thank you Libby.
