Hornsbury Mill

What I specially like about Hornsbury Mill is how easy it is to find compared to the other Inns we frequented on our recent holiday.  On the A358 from Chard to Donyatt take the turn to the left and voila there it is.  We didn’t even overshoot it.  It was a beautiful day and we happily drifted round the grounds admiring the wild-life (birds in the nest do not always agree especially if one of them is a peacock), the landscaped gardens, lake and fountain.

It was Monday lunch-time - not the best time to find lunch in a country restaurant but we got a a delighted response when we enquired and after a quiet drink were ushered into a pleasant restaurant where we could gaze at the magnificent wheel - 18’ in diameter- 6’ wide and weighs 4 tons.  It has a 15’ main axle and 48 buckets each holding 20 gallons.  1500 gallons of water can flow over the wheel every minute.

In the garden the long man-made leat brings water to power the wheel.  It is diverted from the river, three quarters of a mile upstream.  From the hotel it continues its journey by rejoining the River Isle.  Obviously it is an excellent venue for Weddings and Occasions but all we wanted was a good lunch so that a healthy snack would suffice back at the barn in the evening.

Jackie gave me a pretty notebook with matching pen which I used on holiday to record things such as what we had for lunch.  Just now it is hiding somewhere but MTL vaguely remembers I had an expensive fish - as one does - and he had steak and kidney pudding.  I do remember that both that and the dessert were scrumptious and I suggested we could possibly come again on an anniversary and stay the night.  A definite maybeJ

After lunch we returned to Cricket St Thomas and I went on the little puffer train through the gardens.  Did I tell you the guard said it was planned to stop the train after this year but a troop of young girls were so angry that it should be stopped they were going to make a lot of noise on You tube.  Power to their arm!

Photos below.