Your break includes 3 nights luxury self-catering accommodation in Walkmill House - a spacious cottage with open log fire and original cast iron roll top bath.  In addition to the usual complimentary extras provided you will also receive a bottle of fizz, chocolate dipped Strawberries, scented candles and a luxurious bath soak.

Up to 2 dogs are also welcome in Walkmill House!

There is plenty to do in beautiful rural Shropshire (that’s if you want to leave the cottage!) check out our suggested Winter itineraries.

The total cost for your break would be £324.  If you would like to extend your break each additional night would be £75.

For further information please call Gilly Bachelor on 01588 650 737 or email enquiries@thewalkmill.co.uk

you’re just wearing the wrong clothes!’

The Walkmill luxury holiday cottage are the perfect place to do nothing – simply chill out and relax. However, if you are feeling a little more energetic we have put together some suggested itineraries to give you an idea of how you could spend a weekend (or longer!) at The Walkmill during January, February and March 2012.  These itineraries have been put together by Gilly and Brian Bachelor and are based on their personal recommendations!

The long weekend

Arrive late Friday afternoon, get settled into your luxury, award winning cottage, and either enjoy a cosy evening in, in front of the log fire or take the short walk to either The Inn on the Green or The Crown. You are guaranteed to receive a warm welcome at both pubs, which serve traditional pub food and fantastic local ales at reasonable prices. Gilly and Brian Bachelor are on-hand if you have any questions about your stay, or would simply like some local recommendations.

You have lots of choice as to how to spend a wonderful Saturday in Shropshire. After a lie-in and a leisurely breakfast take a drive to:

Ludlow – have a wander around the lovely town centre, visit the Castle (open weekends in January, from February open 7 days/week), and enjoy lunch at the Castle Tea Rooms, or any one of the many cafes and restaurants. On the way home call in at the Ludlow Food Centre where you can buy fantastic local produce. You will find plenty of wonderful treats to enjoy back at the cottage, and great presents to take home to loved ones. You can also enjoy afternoon tea at their super Café. After all that exertion, enjoy an evening in, in front of the log fire, perhaps watching a DVD from our extensive collection.

Or visit Shrewsbury. Larger than Ludlow, it has many independent shops, restaurants and cafés, plus all those you’d expect to find on the High Street. We can provide details of a walking tour which will give you an overview of this historical town and its riverside parks and gardens. You may also like to visit the Old Market Hall, a charming cinema, where you can enjoy an afternoon film or simply pop in for coffee, cakes or a light lunch.

On Sunday why not take a short trip across the border to Wales. You will pass Harry Tuffins (legendary super market!) on the way to Montgomery. This is a lovely little border town (England/Wales), wrap up warm for a walk around the ruins of Montgomery Castle (you may also see some early lambing!) and have lunch in the Castle Kitchen or The Checkers Restaurant and Bar (also perfect for dinner).

Or stay local and take a walk on the Stiperstones where you will have fantastic views of Shropshire and Wales. There are walks for all levels. Enjoy tea and home-baked cakes at the Bog Visitor Centre – an absolute must! The unusually named Bog Visitor Centre is the old school house and one of last remaining buildings from The Bog Village, demolished in 1972. The Centre is the only visitor facility for the Stiperstones upland region in the heart of the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and provides a wealth of information about its mining history, its people, and the current work to restore the surrounding landscape.

Or visit the Long Mynd one of Shropshire’s most famous landmarks (this heathy wilderness enjoys wonderful views, nationally significant geology and fascinating archaeology) and Cardingmill Valleythe dramatic steep sided valley and gateway to The Long Mynd. This is excellent walking country with much of interest to the naturalist; the Chalet Pavilion in Carding Mill Valley offers information about the area, as well as a tea-room and shop.

Monday – depart after another wonderful night’s sleep.

If you are staying longer you might enjoy an afternoon at Ludlow Races on 1st, 8th and 22nd February or a visit to our local towns of Bishops Castle, Church Stretton and Clun.

From March onwards we highly recommend a visit to Powis Castle and/or Attingham House, on the outskirts of Shrewsbury. Further afield Ironbridge with its numerous museums or Cosford Air Museum make excellent day’s out.

We are also a great destination for special-interest breaks including ‘food & drink’ and ‘antiques’.

Food & Drink

For local produce check out www.shropshirehills-buylocal.co.uk a website committed to supporting and promoting local food and drink producers.

Eating Out at Up-Scales Restaurants – perfect for celebrations!

La Becasse, Ludlow. The stunning oak-panelled restaurant and state-of-the art kitchens behind the scenes under the guidance of Head Chef Will Holland, attracted attention from the moment it opened as the sister restaurant to Berkshire restaurant L’ortolan, where chef patron Alan Murchison has held his Michelin star since 2003.

Mr Underhill’s, Ludlow. Michelin starred restaurant which looks onto a courtyard garden, romantically candle-light at night, and the River Teme beyond. Mr Underhill’s has been serving award-winning food for over 29 years.

The Checkers Restaurant & Bar, Montgomery. This former coaching inn is enjoying a new lease of life following its renovation in 2010. Today it’s a harmonious combination of old and new, with a relaxing bar and lounge area, beautiful dining room. This is our favourite, and has recently been awarded a Michelin Star.

Antiques

Visit Church Stretton’sthriving Antiques Centre with its 60 stalls and Ludlow antiques (open-air) market held every 1st and3rd Sunday in the month. Also between 25-26th February, visit a 3 day antiques fair held at the Ludlow Race Course.

If you would like any further information about www.thewalkmill.co.ukplease visit our website or call Gilly Bachelor on 01588 650 737 or email enquiries@thewalkmill.co.uk

The Walkmill Ex-Battery Hen

In anticipation of their arrival Brian has repaired our old hen house which fell into disuse as our ten rare breed hens moved into a lovely new shed some months ago.  The new and old hens share a large run, however, they will remain segregated until the new arrivals are up to full strength.  When they are fighting fit they will become true free-range hens with access to The Walkmill’s orchard and gardens - some 4 acres!

We can report that all six hens have ventured out into their new run and have started eating and drinking.  Also they have laid 5 eggs today!  These will be eggs which were already in their systems so we expect egg production to stop for few weeks as they settle in, and to resume in early to mid-February.

The six hens are in varying conditions.  ‘Govida’ is almost naked whilst Nicole has only a few feathers missing.  However we are confident that within 6 weeks they will all be fully feathered once again.

You may know that the law has changed with regards to caged birds however even with these ‘improved’ conditions room is still very limited.  We would therefore encourage you to only buy free-range eggs or why not keep your own hens?  We’d happily share our experiences with you.  They make lovely pets!

Our hens came from the http://www.bhwt.org.uk/, to date they have re-homed almost 30,000 battery hens.

Guests are booking early to secure their chosen weeks to avoid disappointment.

We love dogs at The Walkmill, or should I write pets as we’ve got a house rabbit staying with us later this year!

So what can you expect?

Walkmill House takes two dogs and with its robust traditional floors and spacious utility room it’s perfect for dogs.

Walkmill Lodge has a large kitchen/diner which opens into the living room and takes one dog.The patio doors open from the lounge into a secure patio area.

We have plenty of grounds for your dog to roam in, though we do have free range hens so if these will be a temptation then we ask that you keep your dog on a lead.

We are surrounded by farmland; with the fields often filled with sheep, and lambs in the Spring. If your dog is tempted to chase the sheep then you must keep him on the lead, however it’s very rare that we don’t have at least one sheep-free field close by!

We also provide dog friendly itineraries which include details of attractions and eateries which allow dogs.

Most of our guests bring everything they need with them for their pet but we are always happy to help out if you need extra bedding, bowls, food etc.

We also offer a dog sitting service and we have a wonderful vet, a short drive away, if the need arises.

If you would like to talk to us about bringing your dog to The Walkmill
please email Gilly Bachelor at enquiries@thewalkmill.co.uk or call on 01588 650 737.

For further information visit www.thewalkmill.co.uk

The Walkmill secured its first Gold Award in December 2010 and following its annual assessment in December 2011 once again secured this prestigious accolade.

Gilly Bachelor, owner of The Walkmill, said:

‘We were delighted to secure the Gold Award 12 months ago however since this time we have worked hard to maintain and improve on this standard and were delighted to see improved gradings in key areas – notably we achieved 100% for cleanliness!

Last year was a difficult time for many businesses however this was The Walkmill’s best year yet with over 42 weeks booked out in each cottage, well above the UK industry average of 25-30 weeks. 2012 is also looking very promising with around 30% of our weeks already booked, this is well ahead of where we were at the start of 2011’.

‘When asked what guests could expect when staying at The Walkmill, Gilly Bachelor said:

“Comfortable, cosy cottages set in a stunning rural location with log fires and roll top baths! Guests enjoy every home-comfort from heated towel rails and floors, quality fixtures, fittings and furniture, luxury linens and towels, and well equipped kitchens. We also include many extras ranging from dishwasher tablets to cling film!

We welcome guests with homemade cakes or scones with cream and jam, they also receive a welcome gift of a jar of home-produced preserve or freshly ground coffee and fresh eggs from The Walkmill hens (when they are laying!).”

7 nights commencing Thursday in Walkmill Lodge or Saturday in Walkmill House.

If there are just two of you in your party then you get to enjoy the cottage all to yourself, and you will have the choice of either a double or twin room.  You will have complete privacy in your cottage, only venturing out for breakfast if you like!  Or why not take both rooms and share the cottage with your friends or family?

Each cottage has a fully equipped kitchen so eating in is an option or you could visit one of our local pubs, or if you prefer you can join Brian and I for a three course evening meal (subject to booking) for £25 per head.

Breakfast and dinner are served in our home (Stone Cottage) in our lovely new dining room at a communal table seating up to 10.

This offer applies to direct bookings only.  Please email me (Gilly Bachelor) at enquiries@thewalkmill.co.uk or call on 01588 650 737.

Sunday 29th May and Bank Holiday Monday 30th May, 2pm to 6pm

We are delighted to announce that for TWO AFTERNOONS ONLY locals and visitors alike can enjoy the best of what Shropshire village-life has to offer at the Wentnor & Norbury Open Gardens. 

This fantastic event only takes place every two years and presents a wonderful opportunity for visitors to enjoy stunning views of the Shropshire Hills, three fascinating gardens and wonderful home baking.

This year three very different gardens will be open:-

Walkmill Cottage, Wentnor, SY9 5DZ - A beautiful, informal woodland garden set alongside the River East Onny, with feature ornamental pools, rare trees and shrubs shared with the Preston’s collection of rare breed hens.

Fairview, Wentnor, SY9 5EE - A fine example of a classic, structured English flower and vegetable garden, with wonderful views.

Holly Cottage, Prolly Moor, SY9 5EH - Organic garden of over 2 acres including an eight year old broadleaf woodland, wild flower meadow with willow circle allotment area, pond and old orchard.  The garden is stocked with herbaceous plants, shrubs and ornamental trees. Plants for sale, parking and toilet facilities available.

Also call in at The Rectory, Wentnor only a short walk from Fairview, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the South Shropshire countryside.  Also make sure you do not miss the Plant Stall opposite The Crown Pub.

Before, during or after your garden visits please join us at The Walkmill, Norbury, SY9 5DZ for refreshments - hot and cold drinks and delicious home baked cakes.  Parking and toilet facilities available. 

This is a fund raising event for Wentnor and Norbury Churches.  A two day ticket costs £4 and includes access to all of the open gardens, children under 16 are free.   Dogs on leads welcome.  Tickets can be purchased on the day from any of the open gardens or from The Walkmill.

ENDS

Walkmill House - weeks commencing 4th June, 13th August, 22nd and 29th October.

Walkmill Lodge - weeks commencing 4th, 11th and 18th August, 29th September, 20th and 27th October.

If you would like any further information please don’t hesitate to call Gilly Bachelor on 01588 650 737.