Aldegarden is a wonderful site in Suffolk, with accommodation, a community-minded pub, and a ‘glamping’ site with yurts, timber structures, a cob roundhouse, gypsy caravan and a converted barn, communal areas, solar hot water and electricity and compost loos. They’ve been in our directory for years. But now owner Marie Smith and partner are moving on, and looking for new owners for the property and successful businesses.
Over to Marie:
14 years ago we had a dream. We bought a derelict pub and overgrown beer garden and set about turning that dream into a reality.
Alde Garden campsite opened in 2010 – a tiny wildlife garden with a handful of tent pitches and a small collection of handmade rustic glamping options. In 2011 we re-opened The Sweffling White Horse – a small 2-room traditional alehouse with a strong focus on community and locally sourced ales.
Our journey has been a wonderful one – the businesses have given us so much more than just food on the table and a roof over our heads. Both have won a multitude of environmental awards, and the pub is a favourite of CAMRA – having been awarded the local branch Pub of the Year 5 times, the overall Suffolk POTY twice, and East Anglian POTY once.
A few months ago we began getting the feeling that it was time for us to move on – other things now need our attention – and so we are now searching for the right people to take it on.
The businesses’ environmental and community ethics are at the core of all aspects, and both businesses have been run from the heart as a delightful lifestyle. Both come with a huge amount of goodwill & good reviews – 2 in every 5 guests in the campsite are returners, and the pub has a lovely bunch of devoted regulars filling the air with gentle humour and good vibes.
Both businesses have a great deal of scope for change which could improve profits without negatively impacting the customer experience – should new owners desire – but we have always had our needs met and therefore have not felt the urge to explore these avenues ourselves.
The site also includes owners’ accommodation, 2 self-contained flats, a 4* holiday cottage and a 6m cob, cordwood & straw bale roundhouse. The roundhouse is ready for new owners to apply the finishing touches- and could be put to a variety of uses. Our plan was to create a small low impact holiday cottage.
Potential new owners would need to demonstrate a commitment to the environment and also to the local community.
To find out more, please contact EM&F East Anglia, or click here.
Thanks again, and kind regards,
Marie
4 Comments
Looks lovely in all aspects – sadly a bit to late for me now being 75 [ish] and poor health whilst the mind is willing and all that stuff – good luck to the “old Owners” and may they find a suitable owner soon [there’s bound to be a fair few out there] and good luck with whatever they decide to do next. Good luck to the new owners, may it be all that it is yet still be what you hope it to be!
Signed one Jealous Walrus
This is an amazing place, it provides the authentic, traditional country pub experience like you’ve probably not seen in many years. The emphasis is on community, supporting ethical practices throughout their business, and protecting the planet. It puts its home village of Sweffling on the map, and is somewhere you’ll go home talking about. The welcome is warm and genuine by customers as well as from Marie and Mark, then you just get absorbed into the conversation and pace of Suffolk village life….
Hi I’m looking for exactly this. Can you please send me more details and price please.
Best wishes
Jemima
Hi Jemima, there is a link to the estate agents in the article – https://www.emfgroup.com/businesses/view/V35432E/sustainable-low-impact-eco-glamping-site-award-winning-public-house-sweffling-suffolk
Hope that helps – and do stay in touch if you find something won’t you!