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Grist Mill Cottage

(Ref. 918681)

Fontmell Magna near Shaftesbury, Dorset Show on map

4.8

Sykes rating

  • 5 Guests

  • 3 Bedrooms

  • 2 Bathrooms

  • Pets Yes

Features

  • Off road parking
  • Ground floor bedroom
  • Open fire
  • Garden / Patio
  • Cot available
  • Highchair available
  • Pub/shop < 1 mile
  • Washing machine
  • Dishwasher
  • Broadband / WiFi

Reviews & Ratings

Accuracy of the listing
Cleanliness
Comfort
Facilities and Maintenance
  • All reviews
  • cottage (19)
  • lovely (17)
  • welcome (12)
  • good (11)
  • location (10)
  • comfortable (10)

32 Customer Reviews

  • "Kitchen & bathroom facilities disappointing."

    Only shower in a bedroom, an over bath shower in main bathroom would be good. Oven only had one shelf, so difficult to cook main meals. No freezer, although handbook for one in drawer. Under counter fridge small for possible five people. Only three of us & we struggled for cool space. Expected more access to large garden implied in description.

    Reviewed by Sue3.1Jun 2023

  • "Grist Mill Cottage is in a perfect location, so quiet and relaxing, and easy to access the beautiful Dorset countryside."

    The cottage was warm, spacious and cosy with everything I needed Jen is the perfect host, so friendly and accommodating and provided some welcoming treats, very much appreciated

    Reviewed by Denise5.0Apr 2023

  • "Had a wonderful weekend staying at Grist Mill Cottage."

    Greeted by the lovely Jen on arrival making us feel very welcome. Great welcome pack with lots of goodies,fresh eggs and most importantly a bottle of wine. Very clean, lovely shower, bath and bedrooms. Well equipped kitchen. Great surroundings even a horse poking his head to say hello through the fence when we went out. Definitely will be returning next year and we are all very much looking forward to it Thank you Jen and Andy ❤️

    Reviewed by Melissa5.0Mar 2023

  • "Lovey people who own the cottage, lovely cottage and amazing welcome treats, ..."

    Lovey people who own the cottage, lovely cottage and amazing welcome treats, definitely going back, would recommend to anyone,"

    Reviewed by Clare5.0Sep 2022

  • "We enjoyed our stay at Grist Mill very much."

    Extremely comfortable cottage for a week away. Very nice to receive a lovely welcome from the owner herself plus a pack including a fresh loaf, eggs, milk and of course a bottle of wine! Comfortable beds and sofa's. A lovely enclosed garden to enjoy plus the lawned area with summer house. There are no paths from here for walking with the narrow roads but Shaftesbury is only 4 miles away with its shops and of course Gold (Hovis) Hill. Lovely place to chill out though at the end of the day and felt very relaxed staying here.

    Reviewed by Gary4.7Aug 2022

  • "We found the cottage homeley, with comfortable sofas and beds."

    A welcome pack was waiting for us when we arrived and Andrew called in the following morning to welcome us. The owners have horses which pleased my sister, as she was invited to see them. Both Jen and Andrew wished us a safe journey.

    Reviewed by Ronald5.0May 2022

  • "We were made very welcome and the cottage had everything we needed."

    A very enjoyable weeks stay

    Reviewed by Terry5.0Apr 2022

  • "We had a lovely relaxing break, the grounds are beautiful and the sofas are very comfortable as were the beds."

    The local pub and Indian restaurant were both superb, would highly recommend.

    Reviewed by Sally5.0Apr 2022

  • "We had a very comfortable stay, such a peaceful setting and helpful owner."

    Would definitely recommend.

    Reviewed by Barbara5.0Apr 2022

  • "Fantastic experience."

    Reviewed by Robert5.0Mar 2022

  • "Lovely short stay in this cosy cottage, which is within walking distance (15-20 minutes) of a Good Pub & well stocked Village Shop/Tea Room."

    Appreciated the welcome extras : Milk, Biscuits, Wine etc / Thank You! We couldn't fault anything in this cottage & Grist Mill would be our go-to choice next time we're visiting this beautiful part of the country. Directions to the cottage on the site need tweaking as the last few details are confusing.

    Reviewed by Carolyn5.0Feb 2022

  • "Lovely cottage in a good location for us."

    Really friendly owners, we had a problem which was resolved straight away. Lovely welcoming pack and flowers on the table.

    Reviewed by Jane5.0Oct 2021

  • "Lovely cottage with all the facilities you could possibly need."

    Reviewed by Sandra5.0Sep 2021

  • "A nice cottage with lovely surroundings."

    We had a good stay but the cottage is lacking a few basic items such as a large deep pan for cooking, wooden spoons and metal tongs. Both the toaster and microwave didn’t seem to function properly and could possibly do with replacing. The garden table was very old and the wood damaged by the rain - the table broke on our first full day. I would recommend the cottage as long as these things were addressed.

    Reviewed by Thomas3.1Jul 2021

  • "All the facilities we needed including very helpful and friendly owners!"

    Secluded garden with picnic table and a gate sturdy enough to keep our determined dog from escaping, and very comfy beds. Looking forward to our next visit.

    Reviewed by Louise5.0Jun 2021

  • "The cottage had everything you could possibly need."

    It really was home from home, cosy and warm. It was great to have bathroom and shower room, no fighting for washing. The location was quiet and secluded, only saw the horses looking over the high fence. The owners were so helpful. The welcome wine and fresh eggs were a really nice gift. Hope to return again. Mrs J Harper

    Reviewed by Josephine5.0Sep 2020

  • "We wanted for nothing at Grist Mill as as everything one could think of had been catered for from tea towels to mouthwash from welcome pack to flannels."

    Reviewed by William5.0Sep 2019

  • "Grist Mill is a delightful cottage in the heart of the Dorset countryside."

    It is extremely comfortable, spotlessly clean and has everything you could need to make your stay perfect. Jen and Andy are extremely helpful and have loads of local knowledge .There is a small enclosed garden so dogs are safe and contained and there are lots of dog friendly places to visit. There is little or no mobile signal but wifi is good. We had a wonderfully relaxing week and would definitely recommend and visit again.

    Reviewed by Glynis5.0Sep 2019

  • "Jennifer was a lovely host and very helpful,lots of walks close by and a good pub 10mins away"

    Reviewed by Robin4.7Jun 2019

  • "Excellent peaceful location on the edge of a beautiful village."

    comfortable, well equipped and welcomiing. an ideal place to get away from it all. Beautiful garden. ,

    Reviewed by Liz5.0May 2019

  • "Lovely location and the cottage had everything needed and the village of Fontmell is a great place with a shop , cafe and great pub within a 10/15 minute stroll."

    Reviewed by Steve4.4Oct 2018

  • "A hidden gem, lovely cottage, everything we needed and more, shame it was a ..."

    A hidden gem, lovely cottage, everything we needed and more, shame it was a flying visit, would loved to have stayed longer

    Reviewed by Helen5.0Oct 2018

  • "Good convenient base and comfortable but it would have been useful to have a shower over the bath, as one shower room for 5 isn't ideal."

    It would be nicer if there was a light over the dining table rather than one central light and an awful bright strip light over the kitchen.

    Reviewed by Sharon3.4Oct 2018

  • "Lovely well presented cottage."

    Clean tidy and very comfortable. Great area for exploring the Dorset countryside, nice and central for exploring further afield. Jan and Andy were very helpful and the welcome pack was a nice touch.

    Reviewed by Robert5.0Jul 2018

  • "The owners of Grist Mill Cottage are lovely, accommodating people - nothing was too much trouble."

    I would have no problems in recommending this Cottage providing you are willing to travel and get stuck in countless steams of traffic which I suspect will be even busier during holiday season! The cottage has everything you need, the kitchen is well equipped. There is very limited (no) phone signal there but wifi is a blessing! The garden is enclosed which means your pooch can go for a wander and be perfectly safe. For an early morning dog walk turn left out of the driveway, walk up the hill about 1/4 of a mile and on the left is a very nice National Trust wooded area.

    Reviewed by Susan5.0Jun 2018

  • "A wonderful setting with great hosts in Jan and Andy, the welcome pack was very useful and thoughtful."

    We enjoyed every minute of our stay and the location was perfect for visiting great attactions like longleat, sherbourne castle and Weymouth.

    Reviewed by Joanne5.0Jun 2018

  • "Extremely comfortable cottage and convenient location in the middle of Dorset."

    Very nice hosts who left tea and wine for our arrival. Beautiful countryside everywhere we visited.

    Reviewed by Linda5.0Oct 2017

  • "It was a very good location to visit all parts of Dorset."

    In a quiet area but near the main road. Owners welcoming and live onsite so if we had had any queries it could be sorted very quickly.

    Reviewed by Alison5.0Aug 2017

  • "The house was absolutely lovely and just perfect for the weekend I had planned with friends and family."

    I am sure we will book it again. The only observations I would make are that the twin room was quite small with the beds very close to the door and that the house is no good for anyone who does not like cats. We love them so it wasn't a problem but there were two that happily came in to the house unbidden. Additionally the sign for the property is quite hard to see being on a brown board against brown foliage (in autumn time anyway) so we missed it a couple of times. Apart from that everything else was perfect with an amazing welcome pack left for our arrival.

    Reviewed by Jacky5.0Nov 2016

  • "The owner of this cottage goes to great trouble to make guests feel welcome on arrival."

    The location was delightful although we had some problems finding it on our arrival as it was pitch black driving up the lane. Would recommend taking a torch. Very peaceful with wonderful views of the night sky as there is very little light pollution. The furniture is large for the space inside the cottage so we were bumping into things at times but the sofas and beds were so comfortable that no-one minded. . The local information about walks etc might be better organised and we did have some difficulty at first getting the log fire to light until we discovered the local shop sells kindling . Having said this, the cottage itself is lovely, a modern kitchen, well-equipped, a little garden, a summer house and friendly cats. The village too is delightful with a gastro-pub, historic church, mill stream and thatched cottages so lots of good photo opportunities. Had to drive to our walks but worth it for the spectacular views over the county. Thank you for your recommendation!

    Reviewed by Lesley4.8Nov 2016

  • "Lovely cottage, friendly and helpful owners."

    Rural and quiet location but good links to some great towns and locations.

    Reviewed by Alison5.0Aug 2016

  • "The accommodation was excellent and the surroundings beautiful."

    Very peaceful and relaxing but plenty to do within a short distance of the accommodation. The owners were very friendly and helpful not to forget the lovely cats that greet you. Would strongly recommend this property and area

    Reviewed by Keven5.0Jul 2016

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Summary

  • All ground floor
  • Three bedrooms: 1 x double, 1 x twin with en-suite shower, basin and WC, 1 x single
  • Bathroom with bath, basin and WC
  • Open plan living area with kitchen, dining area and sitting area with woodburning stove.
  • Oil central heating with woodburning stove
  • Electric oven, ceramic hob, microwave, fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, TV with Freeview, DVD, CD/radio, WiFi, selection of books, games and DVDs
  • Fuel, power and starter pack for stove inc. in rent
  • Bed linen and towels inc. in rent
  • Travel cot and highchair on request
  • Off road parking for 2 cars
  • Lockable bike storage on request
  • Lawned garden with patio and furniture, plus shared lawned gardens with summerhouse
  • One well-behaved dog welcome
  • Sorry, no smoking
  • Shop and pub 10 mins walk
  • Note: Intermittent mobile signal
  • Note: Dogs must be kept on a lead at all times when outside
  • Note: Although all ground floor, the bedrooms are accessed via one step down. If you are looking to stay as part of a workers booking, please contact our reservations team to enquire before placing you booking

The property

Fontmell Magna 0.6 miles.

A delightful semi-detached, single-storey barn conversion, set in a peaceful rural setting within the lovely 10 acre grounds of the owners’ Grade II listed mill, within walking distance of the attractive North Dorset village of Fontmell Magna.

This charming rural barn has been converted to a very high standard, featuring a cosy woodburning stove in the light and airy open plan living area, as well as en-suite facilities in the twin bedroom.

Completing the accommodation is a double bedroom, a single bedroom and a bathroom.

The attractive shared gardens and summerhouse are a delight, perfect for relaxing in after a day out exploring this superb Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, which abounds in lovely walks.

The ancient hilltop town of Shaftesbury is situated just four miles away and is best known for Gold Hill featured in the Hovis advert.

There are plenty of other places to visit in the area, such as Sherborne abbey and castle, Stourhead House and Gardens and the Georgian market town of Blandford Forum.

Also easily accessible are Stonehenge, Longleat Safari Park and the stunning Dorset Heritage Coast.

In fact there's as much, or as little to do as you please, the choice is yours!

Note: This property has a Good Housekeeping bond of £200.

View on map

About the location

FONTMELL MAGNA

Shaftesbury 4 miles; Blandford Forum 8 miles.

The most attractive North Dorset village of Fontmell Magna lies between the Blackmore Vale to the west and Cranborne Chase to the east, only 4 miles south of the hilltop town of Shaftesbury and 8 miles north of the Georgian market town of Blandford Forum. The village, named after the chalk streamed Fontmell Brook, is dotted with picturesque thatched cottages and is well served by the local pub serving good food and ales. Surrounded by an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, there are lots of lovely walks to be had nearby, whilst the interesting ancient town of Shaftesbury, with its 'Gold Hill' of Hovis advert fame is well worth a visit. Just a little further afield, historic Sherborne's abbey and castle make a good day out, whilst Bath, Stonehenge, Salisbury, as well as the beautiful Dorset coast, are all easily accessible.

Note: Saturday changeovers are not accepted on this property.

If you are looking to stay as part of a workers booking, please contact our reservations team to enquire before placing you booking.

This property offers the following short breaks:

  • Winter
  • Off-season
  • Last minute
  • Christmas