Fingals Lower Mill House, Dittisham.

The Mill House used to be the old flour mill when Fingals was a farm, built in a sheltered, sun-drenched valley close to the Dart river. It is now divided into two quirky, comfortable and quite unique apartments, the Lower and Upper Mill houses, each sleeping 6. Although they have different entrances and their own patios you could book both apartments for a larger party. We used to live in The Mill House and loved its character. The Lower Mill is cosy but with an open feeling - the sitting room is through a lovely old brick archway (where the mill wheel used to be) and three steps down from the kitchen and dining area - the cook is still part of the family while busy in the kitchen! The double bedroom has doors to the patio and the large family bedroom has a double and two single beds. These rooms share a 'Jack and Jill' bathroom (shower over bath) and there is a utility room with washing machine and tumble drier and space for high chairs, luggage etc. There is a woodburning stove for chilly winter evenings and a private patio for eating al fresco in the warmer ones! Guests have free access to shared facilities which include a grass tennis court in the summer months, a heated indoor swimming pool and sauna, a small gym, a games room with snooker table + table football with ping pong outside on the patio. We also have bikes that we are very happy for you to borrow. We live on site and are on hand to meet and greet you and help with anything you might need but promise not to get in your way! There is no need to exert yourself while you are here and you may just want to relax around Fingals in order to go home refreshed. We have a couple of bikes here that you can borrow, you could set up the croquet on the lawn, play a game of lawn tennis or have a swim and then warm up in the garden with a drinking a good book. But there is so much on offer in our wonderful corner of Devon that you could pick a different activity and area to explore every day and still have to come back for more! We are fortunate to live in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty so that there are endless wonderful walks from the Dart Valley Trail to the South West Coast Path to rambles on Dartmoor or just a stroll along a Green Lane from your door. The delightful village of Dittisham by the River Dart is just one mile away and there you will find all manner of boating activities from ferries to paddle boards with plenty of other craft in between! You can hire a dinghy or take sailing lessons or jump into a canoe to explore the riverbanks at a gentler pace. The cheapest and most thrilling activity for any child is to go crabbing on the pontoon here - give them a line with a bit of bacon attached and watch them squeal with delight as they pull endless crabs up from the muddy river bed - don't forget to bring a bucket to keep and count your catch! A short hop across the river takes you to Greenway the summer home of Agatha Christie now run by the National Trust and open all year round to murder mystery enthusiasts. A thirty minute ride down river takes you to the historic and beautiful town of Dartmouth where you can admire any visiting craft moored in the river or just stroll around and visit the unusual art galleries and shops and eateries or maybe wander out to the Castle by the river mouth. There is another wonderful National Trust property and gardens across the river a couple of miles from Kingswear - Coleton Fishacre built by the D'Oyly Carte family in 1926, decorated in the Art Deco style and and full of nostalgia from the 1920's and 30's. The gardens offer glimpses of the sea and paths weave through glades past tranquil ponds and tender plants from the Mediterranean, South Africa and New Zealand. Our other local town is Totnes - a few miles up the river from Dittisham. Sometimes entitled 'Hippy town', Totnes is a magnet for musicians, artists and healers. If you can visit on a Friday or Saturday you will find a place alive with colour as the market takes over the top of town and people spill out onto the pavements and into the market square selling incredible food, vintage/retro clothing, amber beads, Indian bedspreads, old tools, natural soaps and remedies, fresh fruit and vegetables and everything you need or don't need to buy as a memento of a brilliant holiday in the South Hams! Do come and stay with us and tell us your best holiday moments so that we can write about them for other guests! We look forward to welcoming you to The Lower Mill at Fingals. There are ferries on the river and lots of lovely walks so a few different ways of getting around our beautiful area. However, we recommend that you try to arrive by car as we have no buses or other public transport although there is a mainline station at Totnes. We love animals and have our own two dogs who will be very happy to make friends with yours if they come on holiday too. You will also see our flock of doves flying around and can say hello to the Indian Runner ducks and Sage, Parsley and Dill our pygmy goats who live over the gate from the Upper Mill terrace.