Framlingham: Couple launch luxury B & B in mid-18th century windmill
Mark Howard and Richard Whitaker, owners of the Round House Bed and Breakfast in Framlingham - Credit: Archant
A couple are celebrating the launch of their own luxury bed and breakfast business based in a Grade 2 Listed windmill in Framlingham.
Richard Whitaker and Mark Howard, owners of the Round House Bed and Breakfast in Framlingham - Credit: Archant
The Round House, owned by Richard Whitaker and Mark Howard, is set in more than half an acre of landscaped gardens and is a two-minute walk from the town centre.
More than 90 people attended last month’s launch of the business. Richard and Mark said they wanted to offer the same standard of service that guests might expect in a high-end boutique hotel. Facilities include three en suite bedrooms, a guest sitting area, a dining room, and a licensed bar.
Richard, 48, a qualified architect specialising in listed buildings and interior design, oversaw the renovation work, while Mark, 43, an IT project manager, created the website.
Richard said they were “absolutely thrilled” at how the building, a mid-18th century smock windmill built of bricks in an octagonal shape, had turned out.
“It’s been a long slog. It’s taken 18 months. I have done all the design work so we have basically taken it right back to basics and started again and built it back up as a Grade 2 Listed building. The feedback we have had is fantastic,” he said. “It had not really been touched for about 30 years. It was early 80s in its design and decor.”
The couple spent 20 years in London before moving to Framlingham in 2012, and discovered their ‘dream’ home on the grounds of the Round House, which is set discreetly apart from the guest accommodation.
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The pair decided to make the move to the town after their experience of running two holiday cottages. One is a 15th century half-timbered cottage in Framlingham and the other a 19th century red-brick cottage in Wickham Market.
Having travelled extensively across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia they were inspired by their experiences to turn their home into luxury bed and breakfast accommodation where guests could escape, unwind and relax.
