The Dower House at The Ickworth: Family Stays, Gatherings & Events in Suffolk

There’s something about having a whole house to settle into that changes a stay. Favourite chairs are claimed. Someone starts a game. Someone else disappears with a book. Before long, it feels less like a hotel and more like having your own country house for a few days. That’s the idea behind the newly refurbished Dower House at The Ickworth. 

Set within the Ickworth Estate in Suffolk, the 300-year-old house has nine individually designed bedrooms, generous shared spaces and its own private garden. Stay in one of the bedrooms, bring the family together or take over the whole house for a celebration, wedding or corporate retreat. 

The original character is still very much here, with high ceilings, generous proportions and plenty of history, but the refurbishment has brought a warmer, brighter and more playful feel. 

There are deep sofas to sink into, books to pick up, games to start and a table tennis table that may become more competitive than anyone intended. 

Each of the nine bedrooms has its own personality too, with colourful wallpaper, statement headboards, freestanding baths and playful details throughout. 

Outside, there’s a private acre of mature garden, made for lawn games, morning coffee and long afternoons outdoors. 

The Dower House began life as Ickworth Lodge, an existing farmhouse enlarged for the Hervey family in 1705. It became their home while plans for the much grander Ickworth House began to take shape. 

Ickworth passed into the care of the National Trust in 1956, and in 2002 the Dower House began a new chapter as part of The Ickworth Hotel. More than 300 years after it was first lived in, the house is doing something rather familiar again: welcoming people through the front door. 

The Dower House is made for gatherings, from multi-generational family stays and milestone celebrations to intimate weddings and weekends with friends. 

It works just as well for leadership retreats, strategy days and corporate away days, offering a more relaxed alternative to the usual meeting room. Conversations can move from a morning around the table to a walk through the estate, then continue over dinner or drinks in the garden.