We live in Higher North Mill, an historic watermill built in 1754, and manage the five surrounding Watermill Cottages, tastefully converted from the former mill building, workers' cottages, granaries and barns. We run a small-holding with kitchen garden, free-range Muscovy ducks and chickens, a couple of pigs, and lambs and ewes for grazing. In the water meadows, the old coppice is being renovated on an eight-year cycle to provide hazel, chestnut and alders for logs and stakes, and willows for weaving. The newer orchard has old Devon varieties of cider, eating and cooking apples, and in autumn we press them for apple juice and cider.

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 and the white noise of TVs and mobiles for a stress-free rural retreat.

To experience holidays like they really used to be - away from it all - in a typical steep-sided Devon valley that's virtually untouched by the modern world.

“ A fantastic location, a lovely cottage and stunning scenery.?”

   The Gara Valley's a creative and inspirational haven. Jack Yeats (artist brother of poet WB Yeats) lived in the valley, visited by Tennyson. And John Masefield who based a children's book here, 'Jim Davis' - we have copies in each cottage. Rose Cottage was once owned by Beryl de Zoete, a member of the Bloomsbury Group connected with Dartington Hall. Michael Morpurgo based his children's book 'Adolphus Tips' around Slapton during Operation Tiger in the Second World War.
 

Here you can fish for small brown trout, glimpse otters, dippers, kingfishers or simply enjoy our varied wood and wetland birdlife from your cottage window. Perhaps at dusk see badgers or glowworms in the green lane to Strete. Hear the owls hoot by. Star- and moon-gazing are wonderful thanks to our lack of light pollution.

 

“Our 14th visit to Watermill Cottages ...we enjoy this wonderful valley for its peace and tranquility. ”

 

It's doggy heaven - plenty of walks from your cottage door and almost no traffic, only the postman passing through. Space to play and run in the fenced hill meadows or cottage gardens, or splash in the stream.

Great too for free-range kids - a whole valley to explore; woods, wetlands, meadows, and the Gara brook for paddling, damming or for pooh sticks and racing home-made rafts. Woods for den-making; hazel for bows and arrows.

Freedom to play with imagination away from TV and mobiles.

“Thank you for the best holiday of my life.” Jennifer aged 'nearly ten', April 2010

 

We grow our own veg and offer any surplus to our visitors.

Our aim is to live more sustainably: eventually generating our own power from the old mill leat and running on our spring water. When we get the tadpole filter fitted!

 
 

We encourage recycling and composting to reduce waste and landfill, and have built a recycling area and compost heaps to make it easier.

We supply basic Ecover cleaning products and microfibre cloths in each cottage.

“Enjoyed every minute of our stay. This valley is a world away from the 100mph of the way we live at home“