On Your Doorstep: Broadway Barn

In the latest instalment of our feature focusing on places you can take a break from it all right here in Surrey, Rebecca Younger experiences a five-star B&B with a personal touch in Ripley

- Rebecca Younger

RIPLEY is known for its rock-star residents, gastronomic offerings and famous farmers market but there’s one little corner of the village that’s not so widely known – unless you’re in the know that is.

Tucked down a cobbled drive, just off the High Street between Nest Café (often frequented by Paul Weller when he is visiting his record studio down the road) and The Clock House restaurant, Broadway Barn may well be hidden away but it is one of the most precious jewels in Ripley’s crown.

The Regency barn is the home of Mindi McLean, who came to Ripley from the big smoke six years ago having - like so many ‘Londoners’ - been seduced by the village’s alluring charm.

Mindi, who is originally from America, bought the barn (a former stable) and began the mammoth job of transforming it into a B&B. The project, which included refurbishing two cottages Mindi also purchased in Rose Lane, on the opposite side of the High Street, took two years but was slightly set back while the local council investigated the barn’s listed status and what work was and wasn’t allowed as part of the conversion.