Tranquil location, yet near to facilities of Lower Mill Estate, a private 500 acre nature reserve. Cottage fully equipped w. log burner, a/c, Nespresso, spa bath, sundeck. Onsite activities: SUP, kayak, cycling, tennis, yoga, playgrounds, bike trail & more Award-winning spa, 3 heated pools, eco pool, gym, sauna & steam room Book Private Chef, spa treatments & equipment hire Short drive to Cotswolds countryside, villages & historical sites Our guests receive a comprehensive guide & app. The space THE SETTING The approach to Cornerstone Cottage, with views of the lakes and water gardens, sets the scene for an active, relaxing holiday surrounded by nature. The cottage is at the end of a stone pathway, in a quiet and secluded location away from the Estate’s internal roads, yet within a few minutes’ walk of the Activity Hub and Pilates centre, the lakes, nature trails and the LME Spa. THE COTTAGE The perfect venue for all sorts of holidays and short breaks. The cottage was built for us in 2003, and is regularly updated for our own use and for our guests. SUNDECK A large secluded & enclosed sundeck which is a real sun trap with dining and relaxing areas and a covered verandah area. A Weber charcoal BBQ is available for your use. The sundeck directly overlooks mature willow & silver birch trees and the lilies of the beautiful Mill Village Water Garden. Inside the cottage there is an open plan living/dining area, cosy yet contemporary with wood burner, and French windows giving onto the decking area. Upstairs are four bedrooms, all of which have high ceilings. - Two master rooms each with en-suite bathroom & balcony. One of the ensuite bathrooms features a corner spa bath, the other a rain shower. In both rooms, beds can be 1 x 6ft super-kingsize or 2 x 3ft single beds. Mattresses are hotel specification deep mattresses, and we have Out of Eden luxury hotel linen. - The two other bedrooms have bunkbeds, suitable for adults as well. - These bedrooms share the family bathroom with large 'walk-in' shower. GUEST WELCOME & PROVISIONS - As a welcome to our guests, we are starting to feature a celebration of British produce and drink with a focus on Cotswolds producers. - We also provide kitchen starter consumables: including teabags, instant coffee, hot chocolate fresh organic milk, salt, pepper, olive oil & Nespresso pods.(Please note we do not re-stock these items for you when/if you run out during your stay and there is an onsite store or a local shop near by, their details are in our welcome information). - Cleaning starter pack: dishwasher tablets, scourer, cloth, washing up liquid, bin bags, kitchen paper, baking foil, cling film & tea towels. - Complimentary toiletries: hand soap, toilet paper, shampoo, shower gel, conditioner - Luxury bed linens and towels are provided for 8 people. You may want to bring your own pool/beach towels and linen for the travel cot if you require it. - In colder months, starter logs & logs are provided for the log burner (should they be needed, additional logs can be purchased nearby). - In warmer months, a starter BBQ charcoal pack is provided for the the BBQ (should it be needed, additional charcoal and lighters can be purchased nearby). BABIES & INFANTS - Travel cot & highchair available. - You are welcome to bring an additional travel cot should there be another baby in your group. AIR CONDITIONING & HEATING Air conditioning is available in the whole house, the same energy-efficient heat pump system provides room heating in winter. The cottage also benefits from substantial upgrades to the original insulation specification. TECHNOLOGY - Our guests benefit from ultrafast internet WiFi connection (Gigaclear nominal average speed 300Mb/sec download & upload, soon being upgraded to 600Mb/sec) – ideal for streaming video. - The house is equipped with a smart TV, DVD player and a CD sound system. LOWER MILL ESTATE'S EXTENSIVE FACILITIES The Spa is a short walk away. Award-winning, it is a delight to the senses. Exclusive to guests at some of the houses on Lower Mill Estate, it is included in your holiday. Facilities include an indoor and an outdoor heated pool, sauna, steam room and gym. A wide range of treatments with natural products is available at an additional cost. Other onsite facilities include 3 tennis courts, a multi-sports pitch, table tennis, bike trail, treehouse, climbing wall and playgrounds as well as an additional outside pool open all year heated to 30˚C and a sauna. The onsite Activity Hub arranges yoga, water sports and other courses, as well as the hire of bikes, canoes, SUPs (stand-up paddle board) and other watercraft. PRIVATE NATURE RESERVE Lower Mill Estate is a private nature reserve with hundreds of acres of lakes, fields and forests and miles of walking/cycle paths including the Thames Path which runs near to our cottage. For young children this comes alive with The Miss Mouse children’s nature trail and treasure hunt which begins near to the house. Children’s nature activities are also available during the school holidays. There is also fishing and there are picnic spots around the estate, and you can get up close to birds and animals, including, in a number of wildlife-watching hides. Lower Mill Estate is significant for nature conservation, and Flagham Fen is the lake where the LME beavers live. As seen in many newspaper articles and TV feature, LME was the first place in the UK wherebeavers were reintroduced a few years ago. As they breed, beavers from LME are being introduced in other parts of the country where they place an incredible part in conservation and flood prevention. PRIVATE CHEF & DINING OPTIONS Dining options abound for our guests. You may like to try our very popular private chef dining service with restaurant-quality food cooked for you by a chef right at the cottage – and with no need to think about washing up or the drive home afterwards. A chef-to-you chef will come and cook for you, catering for a wide range of prices from £24.95 per person for a 2 course Italian meal to £119.95 for the stunning 11 course tasting menu. This has been recommended by many of our guests, including one who is herself a chef. In addition, there is a wide range of restaurant options from fine dining to takeaway delivery. The onsite Ballihoo Restaurant and Clubhouse is a short walk away catering for drinks, meals, take away and general supplies. Our local pub The Baker’s Arms is a fifteen-minute walk. CIRENCESTER & THE COTSWOLDS Nearby is Cirencester, often called the ‘Capital of the Cotswolds’. There is much to explore in the Cotswolds and in the surrounding area and we would be pleased to help you discover the Cotswolds and the surrounding area – history, shopping, craft, food and more. OTHER THINGS TO NOTE Our comprehensive digital guide is make available to all our guests. Designed to help you plan in advance and to make the most of your stay at Cornerstone Cottage and with input from our guests, it gives information about the house and about Lower Mill Estate and the surrounding area with suggestions and details for making any bookings you would like to make. ANY QUESTIONS? To help us help you have the stay you are looking for, please do contact us with any questions. Guest access You will have private access to the whole cottage during your stay. 'Home away from home' is how many of our guests describe this. Car parking is a short walk from the cottage - this adds to the tranquillity of the cottage. Other things to note Our guests receive detailed guide & app with information about Lower Mill Estate, the area, activities and more