Sunny Suffolk’s Luxury Lodge Open Day

A fifth-generation Suffolk farming family is diversifying into luxury countryside accommodation under the brand, Sunny Suffolk. The Knock family has created four high-spec lodge homes set in the idyllic Suffolk countryside, near Battisford. Interested parties are invited to view the luxury lodges at an open day on Saturday 12th May.

Each of the two-bedroom, two bathroom 40-ft bungalow-style properties are from a range created by East Anglian firm, Omar. Those interested in purchasing their own ‘slice of Suffolk countryside’ will be able to live in the bungalow-style residences for all but one month of the year – in a similar arrangement to that seen with park homes.

Chris Knock, who has held positions as NFU county chair, as well as having worked for a variety of agricultural colleges and organisations, decided to seek an alternative business concept once the move toward Brexit was confirmed in 2016.

He said: “Diversification has been something we’ve talked about many times over the years, but Brexit has undoubtedly been the final trigger for us. There’s just no way of knowing how the tariff situation is going to go, and how significantly prices will be affected, so it became more important than ever to start considering what we would now view as our income for the future.”

Having applied for planning permission early in 2017, the farm business, now known as Sunny Suffolk, was readied for the arrival of the first luxury properties. A significant part of the planning emphasis went into ensuring maximum energy efficiency and sustainability.

“We found our solution for energy in Tesla,” explains Chris. “They’ve been developing some great concepts around battery-powered energy, not only for cars, but for homes too.

“This sat really well with our emphasis on greener and more efficient sources of power, so we became one of the first projects of our type in the UK to receive a Tesla Powerwall II battery.”

The Knock family has arranged for a number of the community’s clubs, food producers and businesses to be on display at the Open Day on 12th May, to allow visitors to get a real feel for the area.

Mr Knock added: “My family and I are delighted with how the luxury lodges look, and how sympathetically they align with the setting we have here at the farm.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that this has been the perfect time to progress a diversification of our land, and that we are doing something very special by enabling more people to benefit from living in such an historically interesting part of Suffolk.”

The Sunny Suffolk Open Day takes place between 10am and 4pm on Saturday 12 May. Anyone interested in pre-booking a tour of the two properties can contact Chris on 07720 387 367.