Welcome to Lynford Gardens & Lynford Forest Holiday Cottages

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Lynford Forest Holiday Cottages are located in the heart of Thetford Forest, with miles of woodland walks quite literally on the doorstep. It’s the perfect place to switch off, relax, and unwind.

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Since buying Lynford Gardens in 2011, husband-and-wife team Mel and Chris Tilley have worked tirelessly to breathe life back into the once-derelict gardens and former gardeners’ cottages of Lynford Hall. Today, the estate is home to five beautifully restored holiday cottages, available to book individually or as a group. Each has its own unique character, furnished to a high standard to create a true home-from-home. Throughout the restoration, Mel and Chris carefully preserved original features, ensuring the history of the site remains part of its charm.

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Mel and Chris live on site with their youngest son, Toby, and their three dogs — Morgan, Teddy, and Cash — who you’ll often see happily exploring the grounds. Passionate about the environment and local wildlife, they’ve created a haven for birds, with feeding stations dotted throughout the gardens. Rare species are regularly spotted by guests.

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Their award-winning business, Clayland Land and Country Homes, is run from The Glass House — once part of the Victorian greenhouses and now thoughtfully repurposed, located directly opposite the holiday cottages.

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Chris has also created a stunning wildflower meadow, which you can enjoy on a tranquil walk past the Arboretum.

A Spirit of Creativity

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Never ones to sit still, Mel and Chris used the 2021 lockdown as an opportunity to build the Shepherd’s Baa — a cosy on-site café, originally intended as a small project. It quickly became a guest favourite, and despite having never run a café before, they embraced the challenge with enthusiasm (and continue to learn every day!).

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You’ll always see Mel and Chris around during your stay — they’re hands-on, approachable, and truly care about every guest experience.

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The History of Lynford

The earliest known hall at Lynford was built around 1500. It later became a large farmhouse known as Lynford Farm after it was replaced by a new hall in 1717, commissioned by James Nelthorpe. The Nelthorpe family retained the estate until 1805, after which it passed through several owners.

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In 1827, Sir Richard Sutton acquired the hall, which at the time was surrounded by just 26 hectares of land. He undertook significant alterations and expanded the estate to 85 hectares.

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Lynford Gardens was originally created as the hall’s kitchen garden, featuring impressive glasshouses and a large walled garden. It was intentionally positioned at a distance from Lynford Hall to break any visual connection between the two.

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In 1856, the estate was sold to Stephen Lyne-Stephens and his wife, Yolanda Maria Louise Duvernay, a celebrated French ballerina. They built a Catholic chapel for Yolanda, which still stands today, though later Protestant owners obscured it from view with dense planting.

The couple demolished the existing hall and commissioned architect William Burns to design a new Lynford Hall, located 400 metres to the north.

The kitchen garden and gardener’s cottage, formerly part of the original estate, were eventually sold off as a private dwelling—now known as Lynford Gardens.

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Over time, the estate was gradually broken up, with much of the land acquired by the Forestry Commission. The Lynford Gardens site, meanwhile, fell into disrepair.

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A New Chapter

When Mel and Chris purchased Lynford Gardens, they began a careful restoration of the original Gardener’s Cottage, the bothies (now holiday cottages), and part of the old glasshouses (now offices).

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Their aim was to preserve and reveal the site's authentic character—including exposed Victorian pipework in Crossbills Cottage, and the original iron winding mechanisms used for the greenhouses and orangery. Thoughtfully designed new elements now provide welcoming holiday accommodation, blending seamlessly with the craftsmanship and charm of the original buildings.

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