The Old Mill

Snape, Suffolk Countryside

  • 4 Star
  • This historic building, formerly a home to composer Benjamin Britten, comprises 2 delightful cottages, fully refurbished and with separate facilities. Close to everything cultural in Snape and in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty there is always something to do.

You can book this property from:

  • £922 per week
  • £132 per night
  • 4 Star

Features

Beds & bedrooms

  • Bed linen provided
  • 1 double bed
  • 2 single Zip&Link beds (combine for king/super king)

Appliances

  • Washing machine
  • Tumble dryer
  • Dishwasher

Bathrooms

  • Towels provided
  • En-suite bathroom

Accessibility

  • On one level, no stairs
  • Ground floor bath/shower room
  • Ground floor bedroom

Families

  • Family friendly

Special Features

  • WiFi

Nearby activities

  • Walking

Outdoors

  • Garden or courtyard
  • Barbecue
  • Private parking

How far to ...?

  • Pub 0.1 miles
  • Shop 0.1 miles

Important - please note

House Rules

  • Check in: 16:00
  • Check out: 10:00

Description

Fully refurbished in 2016, The Old Mill, Snape is made up of two separate cottages just yards away from one another in the grounds of The Old Mill Snape in the heart of the popular coastal village of Snape. Just a short walk from the River Alde and Snape Maltings, this is the ideal retreat for two couples or friends wishing to get away from it all or simply enjoy the Aldeburgh Festival.

ALDEBURGH 6 miles, ORFORD 7.5 miles, RSPB MINSMERE 9 miles, WOODBRIDGE 11 miles, DUNWICH 17 miles, SOUTHWOLD 18 miles

About The Old Mill Snape: Garden Cottage and Miller?s Cottage are both tucked away in the tranquil setting of Snape and make up part of The Old Mill which dates back to 1797. Converted in 1937, The Old Mill Snape was the home of Suffolk composer Benjamin Britten and his partner Peter Pears, and it was here that Britten composed some of his greatest works, including Peter Grimes.

The Mill acted as the meeting place for numerous great artists, musicians and writers of the mid 20th century. Among those included E M Forster, John Piper and W H Auden. Creators of the Aldeburgh Festival in the 1940s, Britten and Pears soon found that the Jubilee Hall in Aldeburgh was too small for the audiences they were attracting and began looking for a larger concert venue.  Living at The Old Mill they looked down over the derelict Snape Maltings in its beautiful riverside setting and set to work to convert the Maltings into the world famous concert hall it is today. You can read more about The Old Mill's history here.

About the Properties: Both Miller?s Cottage and Garden Cottage have been thoroughly restored to create charming self catering accommodation for four people. With both cottages providing ground floor facilities throughout, they make the ideal getaway for those who may find stairs difficult.

Miller?s Cottage has a cosy countryside theme running throughout, whilst still retaining some of its wonderful history including the pamment floorings and flint walls. The light and bright kitchen area is a delight year round, with its charming stable door and window looking out over the garden; a perfect place to read a book and enjoy the sunshine. The bedroom and sitting room too are decorated in a light and contemporary style - a real home from home.

Garden Cottage is a charming detached cottage, overlooking the surrounding fields and garden from the south facing French doors. The open plan property is full of character, from the homely touches to the fascinating artwork which dresses the walls. Complete with newly fitted power shower you really can blow away the cobwebs!

Packed with all the mod cons you could need including TV?s, DVD players and WiFi, you can truly relax at The Old Mill.  

Outside: Both cottages have the benefit of separate garden areas. Garden Cottage enjoys its own private verandah with table and chairs, as well an attractive lawned area with wonderful planting providing colour year round. At the top of the garden you can enjoy uninterrupted falling away views across the fields. Miller?s Cottage too, also has a garden area, complete with a bench - perfect for summer dining.

There is off-street parking in the drive for two or more cars. The large shared garage provides plenty of storage space for bikes, as well as a tumble dryer.

This property is ideal for: The Old Mill provides the ideal base for two couples or friends who wish to explore the Suffolk coast and enjoy Snape and the Maltings. Perfect for those with a love of walking, cycling, music, art, fine dining and relaxing, there are plenty of fantastic walks in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. One such draw is RSPB Minsmere, which is only 9 miles away.

The Old Mill Snape is just a short walk from Snape Maltings, well known for being a centre for fine dining, art, culture and shopping. The Concert Hall provides a year round programme of music and dance from many genres. This is also a great place to start a walk either following your own leisurely itinerary or by joining one of the guided tours from the Snape Maltings to explore the wildlife and historic landscape of the Alde valley. There are also boat trips down the river Alde to Iken church, an area naturally rich in wildlife and a haven for wildfowl.

For cyclists the quiet country lanes and pathways provide a picturesque ride with some great pubs and tearooms to punctuate your journey.

Snape, Woodbridge and particularly Aldeburgh are rich in art galleries for viewing, collecting or inspiring and you will find a great art shop in Woodbridge; an Aladdin's cave of art materials for creating your own landscape masterpiece.

Eating and Drinking: With three local pubs  - The Plough & Sail, The Golden Key and The Crown - all of which offer food from fish and chips to gourmet cuisine, you can dine out without getting into the car. Further afield Aldeburgh has some great restaurants, The Regatta and The Lighthouse are both very popular and there is also a good choice of shops selling excellent local produce. The historic fishing village of Orford is situated on the rivers Alde and Ore and well worth a visit for lunch, supper or just to explore. Pinney's of Orford has grown oysters at Butley Creek since the 1950s and their smokehouse supplies mouth-watering freshly smoked fish every day. The Crown & Castle, Orford, co-owned by Ruth Watson of TV's The Hotel Inspector fame, offers a wonderful menu, fine wine and enjoys great reviews.

Self Catering: There are several good farm shops nearby, Friday Street Farm Shop on the A1094 just before you get to the A12 and The Farm Cafe and Food Market, Marlesford. There is also a great deli and tea room at Snape Maltings and you can buy groceries and newspapers at the village stores. There are a number of supermarkets nearby, including both Waitrose and Tesco in Saxmundham.

For more information on places to eat and things to do in the area, please take a look at Visit Snape.

With the brilliant seaside town of Aldeburgh and the vibrant market town of Woodbridge nearby, there?s plenty to discover.

For more information on the local area, please see our online guide Visit Snape, Visit Aldeburgh and Visit Woodbridge.

Miller's Cottage

  • Entrance to the cottage is via the stable style front door which opens into the bright kitchen.
  • The Kitchen is well equipped with crockery, cooking utensils, pots and pans. There is an electric combi oven and induction hob, fridge with freezer compartment, kettle, cafetiere x2, built in washing machine, built in dishwasher, and wall radiator. In the corner there's a cupboard with hanging space and iron and ironing board. A lovely collection of artwork and cook books.
  • The Dining Area on your right as your enter the Kitchen has a round wooden table, 4 chairs and views looking out towards the garden.
  • From the kitchen the hallway leads to the bathroom on your right (please note there is a small step up into the hall). The shower room has a shower, w.c., hand basin, mirror, storage space, heated towel rail and a coat hook on the back of the door.
  • Continue down the hallway to the sitting room on your right. The comfortable sitting room features two sofas, side tables and lamps, bookshelf with an eclectic selection of books and board games, coffee table with vintage pictures of The Old Mill, wall mounted TV and DVD player, DVD cabinet with selection of DVDs, variety of artwork.
  • At the end of the hallway is the bedroom. Please note there is a small step up into the room. The bedroom features a super king bed/twin, bedside units and bedside lamps mirrors, large chest of drawers with hanging space, radiator. There are two windows with beautiful views of the garden.

Garden Cottage

  • French doors open on to the open plan living/bedroom area. Views of the garden and fields beyond.
  • Kitchen area with wooden table and two chairs, fully fitted kitchen with plenty of storage space as well as a toaster, kettle, cafetiere, electric combi oven and 4 ring induction hob, washing machine and dishwasher.
  • Sitting area with sofa for two, coffee table, chest of drawers, wall mounted flat screen TV and DVD player and WiFi.
  • Sleeping area with full sized double bed, wardrobe, two bedside tables and lamps. A door on the left leads to the shower room.
  • Shower room with hand basin, under sink cupboard, corner shower unit with power shower and rain shower heads, w.c. and heated towel rail.

Outside

  • Miller's Cottage has a grassed area containing a picnic bench and beautiful plants and shrubbery
  • Garden Cottage has a small covered verandah with table and chairs for two. Generous garden area, not fenced.
  • Off-street parking in the drive for 2 or more cars
  • The garage in the drive includes a drier, bbq equipment and ample space for bicycles

Services

  • Washing machine in kitchen
  • Central heating, lighting, linen and towels included. Please bring your own beach towels.
  • Guests are asked to consider other holidaymakers and not smoke in the cottage
  • Wi fi service is provided

Location