Reviews of Property: Self-Catering farm cottage in idyllic rural setting on Dorset/Somerset border

Our whole family thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Pen Mill Cottage - even our teenage son "who doesn't do countryside".
The cottage is comfortable with excellent facilities and fabulous views of the garden and surrounding countryside. It's very peaceful and private without being remote.
The location is ideal for exploring gems such as Stonehenge, Avebury, Bath, Salisbury, Stourhead and down to the Jurassic coast.
Sarah and Peter were very helpful and welcoming...and we would have loved to bring Pumpkin the dog home with us - but she is better off where she is in this beautiful country retreat.

We have just returned from our second visit to Pen Mill Cottage. From the moment we arrived we felt relaxed and for most of the week, we just enjoyed being in and around the cottage. The views are wonderful with the horses in the fields, the hens wandering around and the sheep in the garden! The house is cosy but very spacious and cooking on the Aga is great even if you arent used to it! We tried a couple of walks recommended by Sarah and Peter, one to a nearby pub (The White Lion) which did a wonderful roast pork Sunday lunch and a circular route during which we saw deer. Longleat is always a great place to visit (if a little expensive) and there are some wonderful old homes in the area under National Trust guardianship which are also worth a visit - the garden walk at Stourhead is a must! Clarks Village is a great place for a little bit of retail therapy - there is a shop for everyone there! All in all, we had a great week. Sarah, Peter, Pumpkin, Chilli, the hens and the horses all made us very welcome!!! We will be back!!

We have just returned from our second visit to Pen Mill and cannot recommend it highly enough. The cottage, hosts and location are all perfect. Sarah & Peter make you feel so welcome from the moment you arrive and nothing is too much trouble for them. There was 7 of us staying, us our 3 young children and grandparents and there was plenty of space. We spent most of the time in the very large kitchen with a wonderful Aga to keep it warm and the fantastic garden. We did not visit many places this time as the children had the most fun playing in the garden, watching the horses and hens and walking across the fields. The Aga is a real bonus and great for drop scones, slow cooking and drying the washing! Not to mention the freshest, tastiest eggs we have ever had. The cottage is delightful and really does feel like a second home. We have stayed in many cottages over the years, but we feel most at ease and relaxed in Pen Mill. The biggest treat for me and my husband is waking up to the most superb views in the dual aspect master bedroom, listening to the babling brooke and watching the horses. 'Grandad' enjoyed nothing more than getting up and walking across fields to buy newspaper (route suggested by Peter) stopping for chats along the way with very friendly local folk. Should the weather be unkind there are plenty of toys, games and jigsaws for the children and freesat TV and numerous books for adults. The children love the giant lego trainset and the swing on the tree in the garden. Should you wish to venture out from the cottage Wookey Hole, Cheddar Gorge & Stourhead are all within easy distance by car. For those who enjoy a little retail therapy Clarks shopping village in Street is a must (also has a wonderful wooden fort for children to play on). ALthough a little expensive Longleat is a must and will give you two full days entertainment. The cottage is clean, well maintained, fully stocked (crockery, utensils etc), has efficient heating if needed, has a bath and a shower, cot, highchair and toddler bed, microwave and dishwasher. It is also easily acessible for those with walking difficulties (just one step at front door). We love it and would definitely recommend this idyllic cottage to our friends.

We have visited Pen Mill five times in a row and are looking forward to our next visit. From the very first minute we felt very much at home there. The chickens and horses in the courtyard provide a very rural atmosfere. The owners are very friendly and helpful in finding interesting things to do for us grown-ups and our children.
The house is clean and very comfortable, with a large kitchen and two bathrooms.
The terrace overlooking the pond on the back of the house, has a wonderful view of a very nice valley. i just love having my first cup of tea there in the morning.
The immediate surroundings of the house provide nice walks and there are many interesting places to visit in the neighbourhood. Some of our favourite outings are seeing a Shakespeare play in Shaftesbury Abbey, walking to Stourhead and the safaripark at Longleat.
We recommend this special place to all our friends!

Pen Mill cottage is set in a beautiful location and is ideal for short trips to many local villages and attractions. Peter and Sara and Pumpkin made us feel very welcome. We enjoyed the peace and quiet and the views. The cottage is spacious and due to the wet weather we found the games/dvd's and reading material were very handy in helping keep the children entertained. We loved to watch the horses and chickens and enjoyed the short walk to the White Lion Hotel where we found a warm welcome and good food and drink.

Unlike many people who seem to stay here, we didn't come to do sightseeing but just take a few days to stop and enjoy the very pleasant surroundings. We loved the pond and the terrace, watching the fish rise to the surface in the evening. And watching the horses on the hill. When it rained we went inside to watch Wimbledon on the TV!
One day we walked all the way to the Spread Eagle Inn on the Stourhead estate - a beautiful walk. We also enjoyed playing table tennis in the barn!

We came from Sweden and rented this very lovely cottage in Penselwood in june. We felt very welcome, our hosts were very helpful with knowledge about things to do and see in the neigbourhood. There were hard to chose among the quantity!
The house and the beatiful surroundings were adorable and situated in a very beatiful part of this green and pleasant land.
The house felt very cosy and we liked the Aga, the chickens and not to forget the sweet little dog Pumpkin!
We would wormly recommend this pleasant living.

We wanted to take our family on a trip to England after I retired in May. We found Pen Mill Cottage on the Homeway.com web site while searching for a place in the English country side. It was the perfect place! The grandsons had room to run around, play on the swing, feed the sheep and chickens. I was only a short drive to Bath, Wells, Stonehenge, Salsbury and other quaint towns. We even took the train into London for a day trip and could not wait to get back to our house in the country and relax. Peter and Sarah were perfect hosts! Great advice on places to see and where to get the best meal. We will definitely stay again when we return to England and want to relax in our house at Penselwood.

If you want to have the perfect English vacation, consider staying at Pen Mill Cottege.