Guests of Piglets B&B often remark that they feel as though they could be in the south of France, I’m told.
It’s easy to see why, with its enchanting swimming pond, Mediterranean-inspired patio and ‘pétanque’ court – a traditional Provencal game.
But this French feel is just an illusion, as the boutique retreat sits in a pastoral pocket of Essex, a few miles northeast of London’s Stansted Airport.
It’s not just any British B&B, however – the adults-only, five-bedroom hideaway is the best B&B in England for 2023, according to VisitEngland.
To investigate what makes it deserving of such an illustrious award, my partner and I check in on an unseasonably warm October weekend. We soon find it’s more a tiny hotel than a B&B, complete with an honesty bar, a creative dinner menu, and amenities so tempting that guests often go days without leaving the property.
Ailbhe MacMahon checks into the adults-only, five-bedroom Piglets B&B, which has been named the best B&B in England for 2023 by VisitEngland
‘Guests of Piglets B&B often remark that they feel as though they could be in the south of France, I’m told,’ writes Ailbhe. Above is the retreat’s ‘Mediterranean patio’
The boutique retreat sits in a pastoral pocket of Essex, a few miles northeast of London’s Stansted Airport
Owners Max and Chrissie Parker spent several years transforming the building, originally an old tithe barn, with a contemporary glass-and-timber extension, eventually opening the retreat in July 2019.
The site has come a long way. Back in the 1960s, it was occupied by Wessex saddlebacks and large white pigs, the stock of the Parker family’s piggery. Hence the name, Piglets. It later housed the workshop of luxury board game manufacturing firm Geoffrey Parker, a business established by Max’s father.
This history is colourfully laid out by Max. He’s the bon viveur, I’m the backbone, Chrissie warmly tells us as she catches him mid-storytelling session.
Owners Max and Chrissie Parker spent several years transforming the building, originally an old tithe barn, with a contemporary glass-and-timber extension, eventually opening the retreat in July 2019
Above is Ailbhe’s ensuite bedroom, the ‘Ashdown’ room, which is complete with an ‘airy balcony, plump bedding and homemade marmalade biscuits’. The B&B was designed to be both ‘luxurious and homely’, the owners reveal
Sixty years ago, the site housed a piggery, Ailbhe learns – ‘hence the name, Piglets’
The couple designed the B&B to be both ‘luxurious and homely’, something that’s apparent when we see the airy balcony, plump bedding and homemade marmalade biscuits wrapped with a bow in our room.
Every little detail is considered. Serial travellers themselves, Max and Chrissie wanted to create a B&B that ‘incorporated as many things as possible that they felt were missing whenever they stayed somewhere’, they explain.
There are Wellington boots, woven ponchos and a library of paperbacks to borrow, as well as a games room and an infrared sauna to retreat to.
The star billing, however, is the chemical-free swimming pond, where emerald wisps of algae drift to the surface and dragonflies cruise overhead. The gin-clear lagoon is a hit with wild swimmers, undeterred (as I am) by the chilled water temperature.
Serial travellers themselves, owners Max and Chrissie wanted to create a B&B that ‘incorporated as many things as possible that they felt were missing whenever they stayed somewhere’
There are Wellington boots, woven ponchos and a library of paperbacks to borrow, as well as a games room and an infrared sauna (left) to retreat to. To the right is the seating area by the court for ‘pétanque’ – a traditional Provencal game
For visitors hoping to explore the wilds beyond the front gate, a box holds homemade maps of all the nearby walking routes. Above is the inviting lounge area
Above is the chemical-free swimming pond, where ’emerald wisps of algae drift to the surface and dragonflies cruise overhead’
For visitors hoping to explore the wilds beyond the front gate, a box holds homemade maps of all the nearby walking routes. One leads us along ‘The Chase’, a trail that locals allegedly used to avoid Dick Turpin, the notorious highwayman who operated in Essex in the 1730s. The landscape is like a John Constable painting, with thick forest, fields, roe deer and a pen of horses.
Max tells us: ‘This is a very beautiful part of Essex, but not many people know about it.’
Another map guides us around the nearby market town of Saffron Walden, pointing out handsome listed buildings and a disorientating 19th-century maze. It’s market day and the stalls are laden with oven-fresh bakes and wheels of cheese. Max and Chrissie use lots of this local produce at the B&B – or craft treats from scratch themselves.
‘At breakfast, there’s Chrissie’s marmalade, which earned the bronze medal at this year’s World Marmalade Championships, and apple juice from their Cox and Worcester apple trees,’ writes Ailbhe. Above is the dining area at the B&B
Ailbhe samples Chrissie’s own ‘Nosy Parker’ gin from the honesty bar, which holds a carefully curated cornucopia of spirits and wines
Max and Chrissie use lots of local produce at the B&B – or craft treats from scratch themselves. To the left are Chrissie’s marmalade biscuits. ‘One night we’re served homemade pizzas, the next a cheese board (left),’ writes Ailbhe
A map from the B&B guides Ailbhe around the nearby market town of Saffron Walden (above), pointing out handsome listed buildings and a disorientating 19th-century maze
Eggs come from their own hens and vegetables are grown in their gardens.
One night we’re served homemade pizzas, the next a cheese board, followed by ginger ice cream from the local Saffron Ice Cream Company.
We sample Chrissie’s own ‘Nosy Parker’ gin from the honesty bar, which holds a carefully curated cornucopia of spirits and wines.
Later, Max offers up his homemade limoncello – or ‘ginello’, a gin-based variety. It’s lovely, zingy, and pulpy with fresh lemon.
At breakfast, there’s Chrissie’s marmalade, which earned the bronze medal at this year’s World Marmalade Championships, and apple juice from their Cox and Worcester apple trees.
Piglets is a heavenly base from which to discover this quiet corner of Essex – or to simply unwind for a few days.
Just as Max and Chrissie intended, the bed and breakfast is luxurious, homely, and then some.
The place crackles with charm – and it wears its ‘England’s best B&B’ crown well.
TRAVEL FACTS
Trains stop at Audley End, the nearest train station, multiple times a day. Taxis are available from the station – it’s around a 15-minute drive. Tickets are available from Trainline.
Ailbhe was a guest of Piglets. Guest rooms are priced from £200 per night. For more information visit www.piglets.co.uk.
PROS: A warm welcome, thoughtful details, a unique swimming pool, delicious homemade fare, locally sourced ingredients, and beautiful countryside to explore.
CONS: At £200 a night, it’s steep for a B&B, but when you take into account all of the facilities on offer, it’s worth it.
Rating out of five: 5.
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