As if a fairy-tale cottage plucked from the pages of Hans Christian Andersen, The Tea Caddy's unique architecture and setting is the stuff of wondrous and magical fantasy. Built around 1818 in the shape of a tea caddy by a member of the famous Wedgwood family, this historically-important building is protected by the National Trust. With a modern twist, it has recently had a luxurious and meticulous renovation with the interior design developing its origins in Wedgwood patterns and decorative contemporary finishes. It is a rich, indulgent, comfortable and cosy out-of-the-ordinary experience tucked away down a quiet country lane, opposite a vineyard in the heart of the delightful Dedham Vale. There's nothing like it!
Lower Ground Floor Emerald Forest Bedroom - Named after the mesmerising kaleidoscopic wallpaper and featuring a fluffy bespoke double-bed with views to the garden through the farmhouse style splitable door. There are matching bedside tables and a large built-in cupboard. Bathroom - En-suite to the Emerald Forest bedroom and centred around a traditional freestanding roll top bath tub. There is also a walk-in power-shower, hand-basin and lavatory. Utility Room- With sink, worktop, cupboards, washing machine and tumble dryer. Upper Ground Floor Dining Room - Under pink painted and peacock-pasted walls is a 19th century rectory dining table with six matching chairs and a traditional wooden school desk with inspiring views over the garden and pink camelia tree. Waterlily Bedroom - Again named after stunning wallpaper, it features a bespoke Super King-sized bed adorned with bronze birds that can split into two full-sized single beds. There are matching bed-side tables and designer reading lamps along with a large built-in hanging cupboard and nook next to an antique mirror. Shower Room - No ordinary washing space, with more peacocks inhabiting a feature full wall pattern of beautiful and intricate tiling. There is a walk-in ‘rainfall' power-shower, hand-basin and lavatory. First Floor Kitchen - Open plan at the top of the stairs with a long curved real marble worktop with bespoke handmade Farrow and Ball-painted cupboards containing full-sized fridge freezer, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, toaster and generous storage. In a central decoratively-framed chimney alcove is an electric oven and hob with encaustic Bert & May pink blush tiles. Sitting Room - Matching two-seater comfy sofas sit beneath exposed wooden beams and vaulting to create a enveloping space that feels larger than it is. Within the central chimney breast is a glass fronted log-burner below a cleverly ‘hidden' Picture Frame Smart TV. The gothic window provides views over the woodland-inspired garden and vineyard beyond. Outside Garden - Accessed from the front door or the Emerald Forest Bedroom is a quarter-acre newly-turfed lawned garden surrounded with replanted flower beds that emit varied scents of tea. There is a large charcoal BBQ and garden table and chairs. To unwind and relax in the summer there is a hammock between two oak trees and four wooden recliner chairs. The garden is enclosed, though a determined canine escapologist could find ways to freedom! Bike storage - At the far end of the garage is secure storage for bicycles and other holiday paraphernalia. EV Charger - Charged at cost
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Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has not indicated whether there is a smoke detector on the property
About the area
Colchester
Colchester is home to this cottage. Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum and Hollytrees Museum are cultural highlights, and some of the area's attractions include Brantham Leisure Centre and Green Island Gardens Ardleigh. Assington Barn and Tenpin Bowling Colchester are also worth visiting.
Is A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy pet-friendly?
Yes, pets are allowed at this property.
How much does it cost to stay at A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy?
As of 16 May 2026, prices found for a 1-night stay for 2 adults at A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy on 10 Aug 2026 start from AU$803, including taxes and fees. This price is based on the lowest nightly price found in the last 24 hours for stays in the next 30 days. Prices are subject to change. Choose your dates for more accurate prices.
How much is parking at A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy?
On-site parking is available at the property.
What time is check-in at A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy?
Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.
What time is check-out at A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy?
Checkout is at 10:00 AM.
Where is A fairy-tale luxurious cottage - The Tea Caddy located?
Situated in Colchester, this cottage is 0.9 mi (1.4 km) from Dedham Vale and within 6 miles (10 km) of Bridge Cottage and Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum. Suffolk Distillery and RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden are also within 6 miles (10 km).
Reviews
9.6
Exceptional
Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
We have had a truly lovely stay in Tea Caddy cottage, so peaceful and fab location with a great big enclosed garden for playing with our dog
The cottage is very tastefully decorated with the most gorgeous bathrooms, very comfortable throughout. Great places to visit nearby.
From a partner site
8/10 Good
6 Dec 2025
Short break
A lovely quirky cottage, really cute. Warm and cosy with a log fire. Dog friendly too. The stairs from the middle level to the kitchen and lounge floor are a little steep. But still a great place to stay.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Pauline B.
25 June 2025
Short Break
Had a lovely stay in this very picturesque property.
Great location for our wedding venue.
Lovely part of Suffolk
Pauline B.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
11 June 2025
A sense of history in harmony with modern needs that tick all the boxes. Excellent in every respect.
Tea Caddy Cottage is quirky, idyllic and just right. It would be hard to imagine a more perfect place to take a break.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
21 May 2025
What a lovely place to stay
What a lovely place to stay, everything we needed for our stay - including two dog bowls - was there for us. The garden was beautiful, the location ideal and Tea Caddy Cottage was an absolute pleasure to be in. We’ll be booking again very soon.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Angela H.
31 Mar 2024
Beautiful cottage
We had a wonderful stay at The Tea Caddy.
Beautifully decorated and such comfort. We would definitely recommend and will come back for sure.
Angela H.
From a partner site
8/10 Good
Kim P.
1 June 2024
Magical Cottage
The cottage is magical the garden
beautiful with easy access to local villages with river views lots of pub restaurants nearby
Kim P.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
2 Mar 2025
Suffolk break
Fabulous quirky cottage. Good base for all the places we wanted to visit. Warm, comfortable and very well equipped. Would recommend.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
5 May 2025
Inspiring time in a fantastic location
We had a wonderful time in the TEA CADDY COTTAGE in Higham. Very inspiring location in a great setting. The upside down layout of the cottage is a liitle bit special, but we knew that before did the booking from Germany.
Highly recommended.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
26 Apr 2024
Superb
Cosy cottage, interesting architecture, good local hikes. Thumbs up from us. We’ve stayed in a number of cottages from this company and they are always professional and responsive.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
28 Oct 2024
Beautiful Cottage
This cottage is the definition of quaint, when you arrive you cannot help but stand and admire its unique charm.
The interior does not disappoint with unusual bespoke features and beautiful Wedgwood accessories. We were visited by the local wildlife and had a lovely relaxing stay. We would definitely recommend this property to friends and family.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
24 Mar 2024
Beautiful, quirky cottage
We had 4 great days in this little gem of a house. Fabulous, eccentric decor with excellent attention to detail in the provision of all you need for your stay
Very comfortable beds with lovely linen, great showers with lots of hot water, well appointed and equipped kitchen for those inclined to cook rather than visit local pubs or restaurants.
Beware of steep stairs if you are not very agile!
An excellent place to stay I will be recommending to all and sundry!
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Gillian B.
25 Apr 2024
Extraordinary Cottage
This certainly has the wow factor ! A super little cottage tucked away in beautiful countryside. Beds were very comfortable and the showers a treat. Kitchen was fully fitted. The garden was beautifully planted with access to garden furniture and games in the garage. Charles at Idyllic Cottages was super helpful and friendly, we will definitely be booking with them again.
Gillian B.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
Vivienne H.
28 Oct 2024
A Beautiful Cottage
Tea Caddy is the most beautiful cottage. Its unique and stylish exterior is breathtaking, and the interior is beautiful. The cottage is comfortable, warm and cosy and it has everything anyone could need for a wonderful holiday. We were greeted with scones, butter, bread, milk and apple juice. There were logs for the fire and everywhere was spotlessly clean.
The village of Higham is well located for days out to National Trust properties, picturesque villages and the lovely town of Bury St. Edmunds. There are also some great walks from Tea Caddy cottage.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
Vivienne H.
From a partner site
10/10 Excellent
15 Sept 2024
Beautiful place to stay
We had an absolutely fantastic time at the Tea Caddy. The owners have made a great job of utilising the space - it was like the Tardis - it seemed bigger on the inside!
We all took the stairs to the kitchen area very carefully as they are steep but it was fine and you can’t change that!
The decoration and quality of the finish in the property was excellent and it made it a lovely place to spend a week.
I honestly don’t think we’d change a thing and we all said we would happily go back.
Thank you also for the wonderful welcome pack and for the extremely well stocked kitchen - we had everything we needed.
From a partner site
8/10 Good
jennifer b.
23 Mar 2025
Lovely quirky little cottage
Tea Caddy Cottage is a lovely place to stay, however the bedroom on the lower floor has a damp smell and the shower was not useable due to a very strong damp and sour smell. I think there may be a problem with the plumbing. Also some of the kitchen equipment wasn’t clean eg oven tins. However the building is delightful and the location lovely.
jennifer b.
Response from VrboOwner on 25 Mar 2025
We are so sorry that an unexpected smell appeared which wasn’t there before this booking. It’s a great shame this wasn’t brought to our attention at the time as we have an plumber on standby to deal with this kind of thing. Houses can be unpredictable, especially older ones and we just wish we’d know about this when it happened. Will also triple check the oven tins which also wasn’t raised at the time – we could have got some new one round in a flash.
We stayed with 4 adults and two well behaved dogs. The setting is beautiful and the grounds are maintained to a high standard. The decor throughout the home compliments the overall feel.
As a warning to others need to be able to physically manage stairs with ease. The local area is packed with activities although most needed to be accessed by car. Did feel nervous about accessing walks as the cars that use the road can be quite speedy.
Highly recommend this home and service from Charlie. Contacted us to report any issues and check in our stay. Would love to go again.
Lisa M.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2024
From a partner site
8/10 Good
13 Nov 2024
A beautiful tea caddy.
We very much enjoyed staying at the Tea Caddy cottage. We arrived quite late and were able to make a cup of tea. Also bread and scones with butter and jam had been provided. All the rooms were well furnished and comfortable especially the bed. The key was accessed via a locked box with a code which was easy to use. A spare key was provided so that you didn't lock yourself out which is a very good idea. Lots of thought went into providing torches, maps and outside lighting for various reasons. We weren't sure about the security of the fences so kept our dog on a lead. It would be nice to be able to let your dog off a lead knowing the fences are secure. For this time of year the cottage was very warm and plenty of hot water was available. We had a lovely stay.
About the host
Hosted by Charlie Allsopp
Languages:
English
Premier Host
They consistently provide great experiences for their guests