Space...
to play and run in the fenced hill meadows, woods, wetlands and cottage gardens
About Us
We invite you to share the soothing natural energy of our unique and beautiful valley, to relax and revitalise in the heart of mother nature, away from traffic at our stress-free rural retreat and to experience holidays like they really used to be – away from it all. In a typical steep-sided Devon coastal valley that’s virtually untouched by the modern world (a watermill has been here since medieval times though this one was built in 1754).
We, Gill and Iain, live on site in the former mill house, and own the three surrounding Watermill Cottages, tastefully converted from the workers’ cottages, granaries, former mill building and barns.
Freedom to play…
There’s a whole valley to explore, great for free-range kids – woods, orchard, meadows, & the Gara Brook for paddling, damming, or for pooh sticks or home-made rafts & pirate ships. Freedom to play. There’s no light pollution so the star-gazing is heavenly.
It’s doggy heaven – plenty of walks from your cottage door & almost no traffic, only the postman passing through. Green lane walks from your cottage door and plenty of dog-friendly cafes, pubs, shops and restaurants locally.
Living more sustainably…
The orchard has old Devon varieties of cider, eating and cooking apples. In autumn we press them for apple juice and cider. We generate our own electricity from a water turbine the old mill leat. It supplies our house, office & Barleycorn Cottage. 
We encourage recycling & composting to reduce waste & landfill, there’s a recycling area to make it easier. When ‘cooked’, we use the compost in the polytunnel & kitchen garden. Each cottage has basic Ecover cleaning products, microfibre cloths.
Thank you…
for the best holiday of my life!
Higher North Mill, Hansel, Nr. Slapton
Dartmouth TQ6 0LN
