Mill End Hotel Chagford Devon

Friday & Saturday

Left Bridport early in the dark and arrived in Chagford Devon at The Mill End Hotel http://millendhotel.com/ at 8.30am (and it was still dark!!!). My friend Alison who I grew up with works here at her sister’s hotel - what a place!!!! Fantastic - stylish/classy/oldie worldy it’s got it all. There are 15 rooms (some suites) and a restaurant. It is a mill so there is a huge water wheel with water running all under the property. People come here to relax and walk their dogs (yes they can stay too) it is a beautiful part of the world. We have been helping out in the kitchen and with housekeeping (we now appreciate how hard a job it is) as it’s the changeover between Christmas and New Year so very busy. Very hard work and the jobs are never ending (Alison works so hard). We are staying in the house next to the hotel which is also gorgeous. Spent about 5 hours helping the first morning cleaning and changing 15 rooms with Alison and Cheryl, then before it got dark Alison took us over to her friend’s house called Puddiconbe House at Drew Steignton (and they reckon Australia has some strange names!!) to feed four horses while her friend was away. Then to Oakhampton for some supplies. Got back to the hotel and grabbed a staff meal each, before Alison and Jo went to help in the kitchen with the washing up for a couple of hours. Ended up having a late night chatting until 1.30am.

Saturday was the same, but less rooms to clean so Jo and myself got back around 1pm, had some lunch and then had a great walk along the local river to Fingle Bridge Inn absolutely brilliant, funny how they always build a pub at the end of these walks. Alison picked us up from this one as it would have been pitch black by the time we walked the 4kms back. Another staff meal waiting for us when we returned. Then Jo and Alison went off to wash more dishes (women’s work never stops!!!!!) while I made sure the cushion on the sofa didn’t lift up expectantly! And caught up with emails and the blog.