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Steele’s Mill, Penrith Cumbria, England There’s been a working grain mill here since 1327; the existing one was built for the Earl of Thanet in the 1800s. Now transformed, fragments of the past remain: staircases and floors of oak grown and felled on the estate, three grinding stones set into the floor, and the original apple-wood cogs and gearing encased in glass. It’s a stunning, three-storey conversion, a hugely comfortable retreat for four, with the master bedroom positioned grandly at the top. Cook just-caught brown trout from the river Lyvennet on a shiny black Rangemaster, dine at a hand-made oak table furnished with welcoming flowers and a bottle of wine, lounge on a leather sofa by the gas wood-burner, idle with a book on the balcony. By day, venture out on the snaking road past fields of cattle to King’s Meaburn village, to Appleby for delis, pubs and a country fair in summer, to Lowther Castle for those seeking gothic revival grandeur. Nature is embraced indoors, too: the mill has a hidden bat loft with an aperture only accessible to the pipistrelle! Bedrooms are cream and duck egg blue melting into pale oak, mattresses are superb, showerheads drench you and the peace is supreme.
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Steele’s Mill on the bank of the river Lyvennet
Original mill workings in kitchen/dining area
Master bedroom, a room with magical celestial qualities
Lounge with access to viewing balcony
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