Before Your Stay

Parking arrangements vary across the Estate. All properties include allocated parking, although the number of spaces available differs by property. Please refer to your property's webpage for further details. If this information is not shown, please contact the Habitat Escapes team.

If your property doesn't have sufficient parking for everyone in your group, additional visitor and overflow parking is available in designated locations around the Estate, including Mill Village, Millstone Park and Minety Lake.

To help keep roads, pathways and emergency access routes clear, we ask all guests to park in allocated spaces or designated visitor car parks only. If you're travelling in multiple vehicles, it's worth checking your property's parking allocation before you arrive so you can plan ahead and make the most of the additional parking available across the Estate.

Lower Mill Estate enjoys a peaceful countryside setting and has a small on-site shop for everyday essentials. If you're planning a larger food shop for your stay, we recommend bringing supplies with you or arranging a supermarket delivery after you arrive. Supermarket deliveries can often be booked in advance and are a convenient way to stock up once you've settled in.

When organising deliveries, please ensure you provide the house number or name as well as the village you are staying in. You must be at the property to receive any deliveries, and we ask that you schedule deliveries to arrive after 1800 on the day of arrival.

The Leisure & Wellness Club is one of the most popular facilities on the Estate, particularly during school holidays and bank holiday weekends. Unless stated otherwise, we ask guests to book swim sessions in advance. Details of how to reserve your sessions will be provided before your arrival, and we recommend booking ahead to avoid disappointment.

If you're looking for a more spontaneous swim, the heated outdoor pool in Mill Village is open from 0800 until dusk throughout the year and does not require advance booking. Tucked away among the greenery, it's a peaceful spot for an early morning dip, a family swim or simply unwinding close to nature.

One of the things guests love most about Lower Mill Estate is its peaceful, natural setting. To protect local wildlife and preserve the character of the nature reserve, outdoor lighting is intentionally kept to a minimum across much of the Estate. As a result, pathways and lakeside areas can be much darker than you might be used to. We recommend bringing a torch for evening walks and taking extra care near the water after dark.

The Estate's low-light approach also helps support local wildlife, including bats, otters, owls and other nocturnal species, allowing them to move more naturally through the landscape and along important wildlife corridors. If you’re lucky enough to be joining us on a clear night, the lack of light pollution provides a fantastic opportunity for stargazing.

Lower Mill Estate is designed to be explored on foot, by bike and from the water. As you wander through the Estate you'll encounter lakes, nature trails and open green spaces, all shared by guests, homeowners and wildlife. While the Estate spans 550 acres, many of its facilities and amenities are within comfortable walking distance.

The lakes are one of Lower Mill Estate's most loved features, providing the perfect setting for kayaking, paddleboarding and exploring the Estate from a different perspective. Whether you're hiring equipment from our on-site Activity Hub or bringing your own craft, we ask all guests to enjoy the lakes responsibly and put safety first.

Buoyancy aids must be worn at all times on the lakes, regardless of experience level. Guests hiring equipment from the Activity Hub will be provided with buoyancy aids, while those bringing their own equipment must ensure suitable buoyancy aids are available for all participants. For the safety of all guests, anyone not following the relevant rules will be asked to leave the lakes.

If you plan to use your own paddleboard, kayak or other watercraft during your stay, you'll need proof of appropriate third-party liability insurance with a minimum cover limit of £1 million. We also recommend taking a moment to familiarise yourself with our safety information and guidance before heading onto the water.

Nature sits at the heart of everything we do. Throughout your stay, you may encounter a variety of wildlife, from ducks, swans and dragonflies to deer, bats and a wide range of native bird species. As a protected nature reserve, Lower Mill Estate is home to wildlife year-round, and we take a nature-first approach to managing the environment around us.

As a result, you may occasionally notice signs of our wild residents during your stay. Some properties are popular nesting spots for birds, particularly House Martins during the spring and summer months. Once established, nests are protected by law and cannot be moved or disturbed. These remarkable birds migrate from Africa each year and often return to the same nest, reusing it season after season. Spider webs can also appear quickly in sheltered outdoor areas, especially during warmer weather. While our teams work hard to keep properties and communal spaces looking their best, spiders play an important role in supporting local wildlife and we avoid the use of unnecessary chemicals wherever possible to help protect the habitats and species that call Lower Mill Estate home.

We hope these small reminders of the natural world only add to the charm of your stay, and help tell the story of the thriving ecosystem that makes Lower Mill Estate so special. Thank you for your understanding if you encounter the occasional bird's nest, spider web or other evidence that you're sharing the Estate with some of its other residents.

We hope your stay is relaxing and trouble-free, but help is always available if you need it.

Emergency contact information, together with useful numbers for Habitat Escapes' friendly Guest Relations team, Lower Mill Estate Guest Relations, Ballihoo, the Leisure & Wellness Club, the Activity Hub and Security, can be found in the guest directory provided in Habitat Escapes-managed properties.

Guests who have booked directly with Habitat Escapes, the official holiday booking partner for Lower Mill Estate, will also find these details in their pre-arrival information. If you cannot locate the information you need, please contact our team. If there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 999

Things to note before your stay at Lower Mill Estate

Parking at Lower Mill Estate

Planning ahead

Swimming at Lower Mill Estate

A naturally dark estate

Exploring the Estate and lakes

Living alongside nature

Staying connected

Opening hours

If you need help

Important safety information

Now, relax and enjoy your stay

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