Thorpeness is as unique today as it was 100 years ago and as the village approaches its official centenary, an exhibition of its unique history is opening to the public throwing the spotlight on this quirky village and questioning how it has retained the character and charm that made it one of the UK’s best kept secrets throughout the wartime era, as well as a must-visit destination in Suffolk today.
Renowned in its heyday as a ‘best kept secret’ holiday getaway, Thorpeness harboured a part-time elite community of seasonal residents who took out leases on the properties and flocked there in the summertime like a pilgrimage from the metropolis.
This was not a place for day visitors. Instead the deliciously un-uniform buildings and mysterious man-made lake ‘the Meare’ enticed long-stay holidaymakers and created a totally unique environment for people who wanted a slice of the early 1900’s ‘staycation’ at its very, British best.
Architecturally it was unique. Many of the buildings, although erected in the early 1900s, were built in Jacobean and Tudor styles. The tall water tower deemed out of kilter with the aesthetic beauty of the rest of the village, was clad in timber and named ‘house in the clouds’ on account of its resemblance of a house on stilts, some five storeys high.
The mystical man-made lake ‘The Meare’ located in the heart of the village was no boating lake as we know it. Instead it was dotted with enchanting little islands begging to be explored. It has been reported that the islands were named and inspired by Ogilvie’s friend, the novelist JM Barrie and his characters.
After a period of decline in the 1970s, today Thorpeness is enjoying a revival. It’s high on the list of things to do in Suffolk and in summer the population swells threefold.
It’s now firmly a popular place for day and long-stay visitors, not only on account of how sought-after the holiday lets are, but because it’s a place where a traditional seaside holiday can still be had in all its unmanufactured glory!
Its enviable location on the coast nestled closely to popular villages of Aldeburgh, Dunwich and Orford make it a natural springboard to explore the wider areas of Suffolk too.
The Meare is still as impressive today as it’s always been and is a favourite with families wanting to go boating (it’s three feet deep). Many of the boats are the originals from when the village was made. There is also the Thorpeness Regatta every August (23rd - 24th August 2012) with day boat races, a parade and a spectacular fireworks display on the final night.
The Thorpeness Hotel and Golf Course remains popular with visitors and the House in the Clouds water tower is now a holiday-let with serious ‘wow factor’...just be prepared to book well in advance.
Today, a holiday to Thorpeness is a holiday about going back to basics and enjoying this area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Few holiday destinations retain and preserve the qualities that made them popular 100 years ago. But then again few destinations are quite like Thorpeness.
