Abbey House
Stunning 17th century Jacobean home with swimming pool and wealth of period features on the Audley End House estate in the Essex countryside.
- Sleeps 24
- 9
- 5
Highlights
- Stunning 17th Century Jacobean home providing luxury living for larger groups.
- Elegantly and traditionally decorated with a wealth of period features including open fireplaces.
- Large selection of communal spaces offering perfect socialising and relaxing areas.
- Extensive, beautifully landscaped private gardens with swimming pool and seating areas in which to unwind with a cocktail from the pool bar.
- On the Audley End House estate with its stunning gardens and manor house.
- Perfectly placed in the heart of the Essex countryside.
You should know
- The swimming pool is heated from April to October.
The details
Get a taste of living as Lord or Lady of the Manor at this breathtaking, red brick Jacobean property which sleeps up to 26 people. Whether you are planning a family get together, a celebration, or need a location for corporate entertaining or team building, Abbey House will provide the perfect space to cater for all your needs. With multiple communal areas and nine bedrooms, all immaculately and elegantly furnished with period features, this stunning accommodation with its own swimming pool will deliver the ultimate in luxury living.
There are plenty of areas where you can relax and socialise depending on your mood. The drawing room with its open fireplace is a sumptuously comfortable place to relax in front of a roaring fire with a brandy, and the library with cosy log burner provides a peaceful retreat to escape for a quiet read in traditional leather armchairs. The games room with its poker tables offers the chance to have a friendly flutter or just a bit of competitive fun, while the TV room is the perfect spot to enjoy a film night. Alternatively, you will find a secluded den on the top floor complete with PlayStation for the younger guests or the young at heart.
The grand dining room, which comfortably seats 22 (an extra table and chairs is available) features an open fireplace and gives views across the private garden. All that is missing is a butler to make you feel like you’re dining like royalty. The modern, fully equipped kitchen with adjoining utility kitchen is the ideal place to prepare a group feast, or why not hire in a private chef for the ultimate in luxury dining experiences?
You will find nine bedrooms, four of which are ensuite, plus an extra bathroom and an additional downstairs loo. There are also additional guest beds in some bedrooms, accommodating a maximum of 24 guests. Each room is beautifully and individually designed with the elegance you would expect from a property of this calibre and feature sumptuous bedding, fluffy towels and views across the lovely grounds.
Outside, there are extensive, beautifully landscaped gardens to explore and a swimming pool which is heated from April to October. Along with the many external seating areas there is a pool house with bar area and BBQ for alfresco dining by the pool. For those days of inclement weather, there is a covered winter garden with a table tennis table, so that everyone can enjoy the stunning outlook whatever the time of year.
Audley End House and gardens are on your doorstep and well worth exploring. The estate also features a miniature railway and Shetland ponies to keep everyone entertained whatever their age! Walkers and cyclists can enjoy the wide variety of footpaths and trails in the area and the quaint medieval town of Saffron Walden is nearby. There are countless fantastic pubs and restaurants within a short walk or drive and London and Cambridge are both within easy reach. Abbey House truly offers an ideal combination of authentic charm with modern features for an unforgettable stay.
Get a taste of living as Lord or Lady of the Manor at this breathtaking, red brick Jacobean property which sleeps up to 26 people. Whether you are planning a family get together, a celebration, or need a location for corporate entertaining or team building, Abbey House will provide the perfect space to cater for all your needs. With multiple communal areas and nine bedrooms, all immaculately and elegantly furnished with period features, this stunning accommodation with its own swimming pool will deliver the ultimate in luxury living.
There are plenty of areas where you can relax and socialise depending on your mood. The drawing room with its open fireplace is a sumptuously comfortable place to relax in front of a roaring fire with a brandy, and the library with cosy log burner provides a peaceful retreat to escape for a quiet read in traditional leather armchairs. The games room with its poker tables offers the chance to have a friendly flutter or just a bit of competitive fun, while the TV room is the perfect spot to enjoy a film night. Alternatively, you will find a secluded den on the top floor complete with PlayStation for the younger guests or the young at heart.
The grand dining room, which comfortably seats 22 (an extra table and chairs is available) features an open fireplace and gives views across the private garden. All that is missing is a butler to make you feel like you’re dining like royalty. The modern, fully equipped kitchen with adjoining utility kitchen is the ideal place to prepare a group feast, or why not hire in a private chef for the ultimate in luxury dining experiences?
You will find nine bedrooms, four of which are ensuite, plus an extra bathroom and an additional downstairs loo. There are also additional guest beds in some bedrooms, accommodating a maximum of 24 guests. Each room is beautifully and individually designed with the elegance you would expect from a property of this calibre and feature sumptuous bedding, fluffy towels and views across the lovely grounds.
Outside, there are extensive, beautifully landscaped gardens to explore and a swimming pool which is heated from April to October. Along with the many external seating areas there is a pool house with bar area and BBQ for alfresco dining by the pool. For those days of inclement weather, there is a covered winter garden with a table tennis table, so that everyone can enjoy the stunning outlook whatever the time of year.
Audley End House and gardens are on your doorstep and well worth exploring. The estate also features a miniature railway and Shetland ponies to keep everyone entertained whatever their age! Walkers and cyclists can enjoy the wide variety of footpaths and trails in the area and the quaint medieval town of Saffron Walden is nearby. There are countless fantastic pubs and restaurants within a short walk or drive and London and Cambridge are both within easy reach. Abbey House truly offers an ideal combination of authentic charm with modern features for an unforgettable stay.
On the map
Detailed pricing info
Reviews
From previous guestsBased on 2 reviews
The house is incredible! We stayed here a party of 22 women to celebrate our beautiful bride to be! We had the most fantastic experience! The house - the pictures do not do it justice! It is so big and beautiful and grand! It’s like we stepped into Downton Abbey for the weekend! Our guests for the weekend had the best time! Whilst there we did wine tasting/perfume making/pool party and bbq/silent disco and yoga. Wine tasting - supplied by wine tasting events Perfume making - supplied by funktionevents Yoga - supplied by rosanayoga_ (insta) Silent disco - supplied by silentdisco4u One tiny little niggle was that we had a maintenance man on site every day to check the pool - however on arrival around 11am every day he was insistent on putting chemicals in the pool each day which put the pool out of action for a few hours which did impact slightly on the times we could and wanted to use the pool. As wer were unable to use this until 3pm in the afternoon on both days (sat and sun) Whilst we were respectful and appreciate that the pool needs to be managed. I would suggest that this check and maintenance of the pool should either happen early in the morning or late in the evening so that guests are not impacted. One of the main reasons we chose this venue was for the pool. The only other suggestion would be some outdoor lighting as the weekend we were there was especially warm and there was not enough lighting outside. Overall however I would recommend this venue and stay again! It was the perfect home and location for our group of ladies! All the rooms and accommodation were beautiful and spacious for the number of guests we had! Thank you Abbey house and group retreats for our stay! Jess 17/07/26-20/07/26
Coolstays User
Stayed July 2026
We celebrated a 70th birthday for one of my husband's sister's. We had such a good time. We were a group of 15, all adults and all family. There is plenty of room to spread out and the house is well equipped. The main living room catered for us all to sit together in the evening which having spent time in quite a few big houses is exceptional. Another reception room had a TV that had Netflix. All the bedrooms were very clean with comfy beds. Some could do with more hanging space and mirrors but they were rooms more suited to children. The surrounding gardens were lovely. There is a pool and a hot tub (be it a little way from the house). The pool wasn't open, as we were out of season, but it would be such an asset in the summer. Audley End house was opposite and we managed to visit whilst we were there. We also walked into Saffron Walden which is about a 20 minute walk. Some of us are familiar with the lovely town and it was a good opportunity to show the rest of the family the Fry Gallery, Bridge End Gardens and have fun on the historic Turf Labyrinth. The later checkout at 11am was well appreciated. All in all it is a five star accommodation.
Coolstays User
Stayed October 2025
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