The Garden House at Holway Mill
Sherborne,
Dorset
Self-catering
+44 (0)1963 220442
Visit owner's website
£160 - £200
per night
£1120 - £1400
per week
A beautiful little house in a corner of the garden: walk for miles or just to the local pub, barbecue on the deck with its rural views
3 beds
2 bedrooms
Sleeps 4
Children welcome
Babies welcome
Your enquiry details
2 Guests 23 Nov 24 - 23 Nov 24
Direct with the owner
Visit the owner’s chosen website for availability, online booking or contact details.
Enquire through Sawday's
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What part does Sawday’s play?
£160 - £200 per night
£1120 - £1400 per week
The Experience
Tucked away in Andrew and Susan’s garden, a wooden clad retreat with uninterrupted views. You’re in the middle of a tiny hamlet on the side of a hill that feels like the middle of nowhere, but is just three miles from Sherborne.Inside is spacious and light-filled with a double height living room. Susan leaves you a basket of breakfast goodies and home cooked dishes and local produce can also be ordered in advance. There’s a stack of books and games for rainy days and a piano should you feel inspired; ask Susan about borrowing bikes, and you can use the swimming pool and tennis court.Hop into the car for Sherborne and its lovely abbey, and NT properties: Montacute House and Tintinhull are within half an hour’s drive. Stroll across the fields to The Mitre Pub, return to light the coal barbecue – watch the alpacas in their paddock from the back deck, and the swallows on a summer’s evening.
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We think you'll love
- The feeling of calm
- Your welcoming and enthusiastic host
- The beautiful Dorset countryside and wildlife, especially in May and June
You should know
- The lanes are narrow – you’ll need good reversing skills
- No dishwasher
Essentials
- EV charger
- Self check-in
- Swimming pool
- Hot tub
- Garden
- Open fire / woodburner
- Breakfast included
- Breakfast available
- Meals available
- Vegetarian meals
- Oven
- Parking on premises
- Free parking nearby
- Accessible by public transport
- WiFi
- Television
- Central heating
- Limited mobility
- Wheelchair access
- Mobile reception
- Hob
- Barbecue
- Paid parking nearby
- Air conditioning
- Relaxation areas
- Washing machine
- Tennis court
- Microwave oven
- No smoking
- Credit cards
- Working farm
- Owner has pets
- Electricity included
- Dishwasher
- Pets welcome
Family friendly
- Baby monitor
- Books and toys
- Children welcome
- Babies welcome
- Stair gates
- High chair
- Fire guard
- Cot available
Nearby
- Pub/bar within 3 miles
- Restaurant within 3 miles
- Shop within 3 miles
Activities
- Bikes available
- Food courses
- Kayaking
- Other courses
- Sailing
- Surfing
- Wild swimming
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Pricing
- Nightly price
- from £160
- Weekly price
- from £1120
- 1 House for 4
- From £1603 beds2 bedrooms
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Information
Booking information
- Check in
- from 4pm
- Check out
- by 10am
- Other details
- Minimum stay: 3 nights.
- Closed
- Rarely.
- No smoking
- Smoking not permitted anywhere in the property.
- Owner has pets
- Animals living on the property
- Meals
- Pubs/restaurants 5-minute walk.
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Reviews
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So lovely to be back for another idyllic weekend away at the gorgeous Garden House. It’s a fantastic haven to escape to. Beautiful views, walks, places to visit, and Sue and Andrew are wonderful hosts.
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We had an absolutely magical time at the Garden House. We couldn't have felt more warmly welcomed by Susan, Andrew and their family and had a wonderful week. We loved the animals (the girls were particularly fond of the gorgeous dogs), the trampoline, and the fabulous tennis court. Despite a wet week we loved our wet walks in the beautiful surrounding countryside and cosy pub meals. The welcome pack was brilliant and very much appreciated. A huge thank you from us all for an amazing week and we hope to be back.
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Holway Mill: a little bit of heaven on earth! A place to cherish for its peace, beauty and authenticity. The host family did everything possible to make us feel welcome. Susan brought us both delicacies and gave excellent tips on what to do. The Garden House has a beautiful view of the rural surroundings that you will never get tired of. The interior is very cosy, full of light, with interesting books and decorated with fine art, created by Susan's talented Chinese mother. This made the location very unique and special. A place to return to!
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Utterly glorious experience from start to finish, with the kindest hosts we have ever met. The approach down a secret, tree-arched lane, the magical gardens and meditative views - all these wonderful things surround an inspiring and tranquil garden house that we could visit time and time again. Lots to do in the area and very friendly locals. Thank you Susan and Andrew for sharing such a special place, the whole week felt like a much-needed hug.
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We had a wonderful week at the Garden House and would unhesitatingly recommend it. Susan and Andrew are excellent hosts who have the gift of making their visitors feel immediately at home. The Garden House was built for Susan’s very talented artist mother, so has loving attention to detail and still contains many of her mother’s paintings and sculptures. It is at the bottom of Susan and Andrew’s large, beautiful garden, and is spacious, light, quiet, comfortable and spotlessly clean, with an uninterrupted view from the large window over the neighbouring fields. We would love to go there again!
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Life in the Garden House has its own special magic. In the most wonderful way it is more Garden than House, I was sleeping literally under the chestnut tree, watching the leaves unfurl into spring through the window just above my head each night; waking to birdsong so close, it felt like I was in the nest; gazing out across through the vast windows over a montage of fields that makes the house feel like a mini cathedral in the countryside. It is the most heavenly place, in a stunning part of Dorset, with amazing walks on the doorstep, and hosts who could not be more generous or kind.
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The Garden House is simply beautiful. We loved its warm and stylish decor, and the carefully curated treasures it holds. The quiet spot was perfect for some post Christmas relaxation and some lovely countryside walks. Our baby enjoyed meeting the cows that live nearby - ‘moo’ has become her first animal sound. Susan’s a wonderful, attentive and accommodating host - everything has been thought about to make your stay as happy and comfortable as possible. We particularly enjoyed the breakfast basket. The House was also spotless. We’d love to stay again in the future.
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We decided to spend our family Christmas away from home this year, and were lucky enough to choose the Garden House. Susan and her family could not have been more hospitable and they all made our visit very welcoming and relaxing. The Garden House is large and comfortable, and beautifully furnished. To our delight, it had also been decorated for Christmas, complete with Christmas Tree! We hardly needed all the provisions that we had brought, since we were left beautiful home made mince pies, preserves and bread. The garden and surrounding countryside are stunning, even in winter - great walks!
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The Garden House is very special. From the moment you arrive and the very warm greeting from Susan and her family, to her care and attention to detail at The Garden House and the relaxing and cosy interior. Very thoughtful breakfast basket, beautiful linens, blankets and toiletries and the fantastic setting of The Garden House itself. The veranda is a lovely spot to sit in the evening watching the sun set and listening to the sounds of the countryside. One evening we heard the Morris Men performing in a nearby hamlet and it drifted up the hillside - it was really lovely. Highly recommended.
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Location
The neighbourhood
You’re surrounded by unspoilt countryside, including woods that are part of the Dorset Wildlife Trust. Set off for walks or wander over to the next door dairy farm to see the cows; a short stroll across the fields gets you to The Mitre Pub in Sandford Orcas. If you want a longer walk, the Kings Arms in Charlton Horethorne is about an hour away; stock up with local produce at the excellent village store while you’re there. The nearest town is Sherborne, where there is a good selection of independent shops, restaurants, pubs and cafes and two supermarkets.
Local points of interest from Susan Spink
- WALKS GALORE - our tiny hamlet lies at the foot of an ancient hollow or sunken path - with footpaths criss-crossing the area, including the Macmillan & Monarch Ways. Named by The Times as the no.1 destination for winter walks (equally good in all seasons).
- COUNTRY HEAVEN - There’s something special to see around Holway throughout the year: masses of wildflowers; bluebells galore; our resident swallows and an abundance of wildlife such as bats, badgers, deer, foxes, hares, buzzards and owls.
- HISTORIC SHERBORNE – A mix of historic buildings, shops, cafes, two castles (an ‘old Castle’ plus the ‘new Castle’ built by Sir Walter Raleigh) and stunning Sherborne Abbey with its fan-vaulted ceiling; regular markets, antique fairs and vintage bazaars.
- GREAT PUBS - It’s an easy walk to The Mitre in Sandford Orcas, where Sunday lunches are a treat. Try out the The Kings’ Arms at Charlton Horethorne, The Queens’ Arms at Corton Denham or The Rose & Crown in Trent – all award-winning foodie destinations.
- CONTEMPORARY ART - Don’t miss the Messum Gallery housed in the oldest tithe barn in the country, worth the 40 minute drive particularly when combined with lunch at nearby Pythouse Café. Visit the nationally acclaimed Hauser & Wirth Gallery in Bruton.
- HOUSES & GARDENS – Dorset & Somerset are rich in NT properties: the world famous neo-classical gardens at Stourhead; Montacute House with its beautiful Elizabethan Renaissance architecture & gardens; the gardens of Tintinhull & Lytes Cary Manor.
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Introducing
Susan Spink
Susan is so full of joie de vivre that it's infectious, and she's passionate about the house, garden and surrounding countryside. She and her husband Andrew have lived in Holway Mill for over 18 years, having moved out of London when their family began to grow. Today, their three children, now at boarding school and university, return on a regular basis. Family pets include a very friendly black Labrador, two cats and two alpacas, combined with a handful of chickens.
The Garden House is a truly special place to stay. A generous & lovely light filled space with, at its heart, an eclectic & beautiful collection of artwork by Susan's mother. Susan & Andrew welcomed us warmly & ensured that there simply could not have been a better place to spend a special birthday. Delicious breakfast & birthday treats too were very kindly provided. All four of us had a great time. Very good local pubs, & we loved The Story Pig for coffee & breakfast. We packed in a lot- Sherborne Abbey, Glenholme Herbs & The Fabric Barn- all highly recommended.