Just a few hundred yards along the lane from us is this 1720 watermill.
No longer a working mill, it is now a visitor attraction with wildfowl, animals and lovely tearooms. Pay admittance just once and you are given a pass which entitles you to visit the place for 12 months. The price is under £5 for seniors and just 50 pence more full price, less for children. A bargain for anyone, but as we live just around the corner we can pop along any time.
Last weekend I went along with our daughter two of our grandchildren.
The two cheeky characters are new kids on the block.
They had us in stitches with their antics.
There are otters, cheeky, charming and lively, until I got out my camera. Which is when they disappeared into their tunnels and tubes.
I managed to snatch just a few quick photos.
The mill and wildfowl gardens were sold a few years ago. The new owners embarked on a careful scheme of improving the conditions for birds, animals, and visitors and they have done a great job so far.
Pots of tea and freshly brewed coffee, home baked cakes, light meals and assorted snacks can be purchased and consumed in the tearooms, or out on the terrace.
Just across the lane they have a very handy area with slides and swings, where children can go and burn off some excess energy, nicely away from the quieter attractions.
So there you have it.
Our next door neighbours in the other direction.
I'll show you it again, later in the year, when the trees have leaves and the place is properly awake.
flissandmax
You live in a simply beautiful area.
ReplyDeleteAll that, and people there, are so careful, of it. Your neighbor, the old gentleman's home sold quickly. And to people who have horses and I'm sure, will cherish the place.
This old mill was not only preserved, but added to.... For the good of the animals, and the old building, and people who can come and enjoy.
I hope you are very, very proud of where you live. And maybe, tell people, how wonderful it is, that they work to maintain, this lovely area. Yourself included, of course!!!
Gentle Spring hugs,
Luna Crone
Hello Luna,
DeleteThank you! I'll be sure to pass along your kind words.
This part of Lincolnshire is one of the best-kept secrets in the country. ;)
The old mill buildings are beautiful, one of our local farmers worked there when he was a very young boy, about 65 years ago. I must see if I can get him to reminisce about those days.
Ooo Play time. That is place I could go. I love goats the are funny
ReplyDeleteHello Bill, I think you would enjoy it, but I can think of one or two churches which you'd enjoy visiting even more!
DeleteHow wonderful to have this just around the corner! I love visiting this kind of place and how cute to see otters!
ReplyDeleteHello Christine, It is a beautiful place, very handy when we have visitors and the cake tin is empty! Those otter faces are adorable.
DeleteWhat a wonderful place for you and the children . Nice that you can visit anytime.....as it should be!
ReplyDeleteThanks for showing us around
Hello Linda, Our granddaughter is friends with their daughter, so sometimes she and her brother are lucky enough to be invited over to feed the animals. Lucky kids!
DeleteSo not just fens and flat fields - Lincolnshire is full of surprises! :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Sue, The Lincolnshire Wolds are a fairly well kept secret! We live just on the outer edges, so more gentle undulations than hills, but we make up for it with beautiful buildings and history.
DeleteWhat an enchanting little place. I think I'd be there often and trying out the cake and tea. :) Funny about the otters. Cameras will scare some animals or just tick them off like our Audrey.
ReplyDeleteHello Deb, I can perfectly well imagine you calling in for a pot of tea and a slice of cake. Let me know when and I'll come along and join you.
DeleteThis looks like such a wonderful place to visit!! Is that a black swan? I've never seen one before. How absolutely beautiful with that red bill!! Love all of your photos!! xo
ReplyDelete~ Wendy
http://Crickleberrycottage.blogspot.com/
Hello Wendy, Isn't the black swan handsome! I love that colouring so much. The photographs were all very rushed, I was busy trying to make sure that the grandchildren didn't fall into the water in their excitement.
DeleteWhat a wonderful place, and what gorgeous pic. There are black swans at Dawlish, too.
ReplyDeleteMargaret P
Hello Margaret, Swans are such handsome birds. There is just the one black swan here, many of the birds and animals are 'rescues' - often they have been found injured and are not suitable to return to the wild, for whatever reason.
DeleteYou do have some fine neighbors. It would be tempting to go calling often!
ReplyDeleteHello Chip, I may have to think about re-routing my daily walks so that I finish at the watermill...or perhaps not! Their cakes are always so beautifully presented, temptation would be too great.
DeleteOld water mills are beautiful. I would love seeing the animals, especially the little goats. We live about two miles from an old mill too, but is is closed. Sure wish someone would fix it up. It is such a beautiful place. That would make a good blog post.
ReplyDeleteHello Henny Penny, Those goats were just the cutest little creatures. They are full of mischief and were having the greatest fun showing off and charging around with one another. I'd love to learn more about your old mill, I hope you post about it sometime!
DeleteHow wonderful to be so close by to visit.
ReplyDeleteWe have a similar one round here and when my nephew was just a small child a goat took a disliking to him and kept trying to head butt him. I'm sure he must have annoyed it in some way!
Have a great weekend :)
Hello Prunella, Reminds me of a friend's pet turkey, it should have been Christmas Dinner, but became a pet. It roamed free in their grounds, the only trouble was that 'Percy', the turkey, hated all women! I fled from him many a time!
DeleteI hope the sun shines for you, this weekend.
The only working mill I have visited is in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Do they ever crank up the mill for a once a year demonstration ?
ReplyDeleteHello Meggie, The mill no longer works, but the mechanical parts are on display in one of the tearooms - all painted up and very colourful! There is a 'working' windmill down in our little market town, I sometimes buy my flour from there. That one has a rather nice tearoom, too!
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