‘Magical’ English village with ‘incredible’ house in the clouds

Stuart Ogilvie envisaged a fantasy village on the Suffolk coast and which is huge attraction for visitors looking for somewhere tranquil to relax and enjoy themselves

A 'magical' English holiday village attracts thousand of people every year with its 'incredible' house in the clouds.

Much of the attraction is built on a Peter Pan lake which was inspired by its creator Glencairn Stuart Ogilvie. When he first came up with the concept he said: "We are now doing something which has never yet been attempted." He first spoke about his "baby" - a fantasy village on the Suffolk coast and which is huge attraction for visitors travelling to the area looking for somewhere tranquil. In 1929 he explained: "We are passing from the character and condition of a seaside holiday resort to that of an old-world village, with houses built for all-the-year-round occupation, and fitted with every modern luxury, including gas, electricity, and hot and cold lavatory basins in all bedrooms."

Stuart Ogilvie took over the huge Suffolk estate built up by his father in 1908 and when flooding hit the hamlet of Thorpe in 1910, he had the idea of transforming it into a- a fantasy land with unusual architecture. He wanted life for visitors to be gentle, healthy and civilised. He did not want a crowded promenade or cinemas at the place which he named Thorpeness.

It wanted it to interest "people who want to experience life as it was when England was Merrie England" In the early summer of 1912 a country club opened, with tennis courts and golf course. It became a lake of more than 60 acres - only two and a half feet deep, at most. Thorpeness Meare opened in June, 1913, with little islands people could explore. The first regatta was held that August.

Now it is how he imagined it with attractive mock Tudor houses and a "fairy-tale House in the Ccouds." The town has a literary link with Peter Pan author J.M Barrie and the ‘Meare’, a man-made lake covers more than 60,000 acres an archipelago of little islands which are all named after the writer or characters in his fairytales.

Areas of water were given exotic names including The Spanish Main, Caribbean Sea and The Blue Lagoon and other areas such as the Meadows of Make-Believe kept naming theme. The Ogilvies were friends with JM Barrie, the author behind Peter Pan. He often visited. Thorpeness was trumpeted as the home of the boy who never grew up. Visitors can now go on a boat trip on one of the vessels to hire and wander between fairytale settings including the pirate’s lair and Wendy’s house.

He had a vision of children from an early age could learn to punt, sail and row in a safe environment. More than 100 boats can be hired from rowing boats, kayaks, canoes, punts, dinghies, and sailing boats giving it the name of the 'Child’s Paradise’ by its creator which still fits well despite the passing years since his ideas first came to fruition. A water tower with a wooden boarded house on top looks like it is floating in the sky. And for those wanting to live in an iconic Suffolk building, the 'House in the Clouds' can be hired during holiday periods. The area also has Royal connections and photographer and great-great granddaughter of King George V, Sophie Lascelle, was born in Thorpeness in 1973.