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About Mill House
Mill House is on the village edge, arrived at across a gravel causeway, with the former mill pond on your left. Although it is over 150 years since there was a working mill in Nutbourne, the flow of water still plays an important part in today’s garden. The water source of the small ponds which flow down the garden into the old mill stream are in fact from leakage of the mill pond, and first bubbled up about 50 years ago. More curiously, and critical to the flow of the steam in summer, there is an outlet deep in the mill pond which channels water underground via the house cellar, from where it is ducted under the lawn, eventually emerging, gushing into the stream.
All this aside, the immediate impact of the Mill House garden is best felt when viewed from the house front, where there are two quintessential cottage style, walled areas. One of these is planted mainly with a display of roses, including climbers up the house wall. The sheltered position of the garden has been found to suit roses particularly well and the current owners have greatly increased the numbers of varieties planted, not just to the front of the house, but also on a pergola over a paved area adjacent to the stream at the back. There are currently over 40 different varieties of roses on display.
The other walled area to the front is given over mainly to herbs and dry-tolerant plants, all set out in geometric pattern of paving and gravel.
The patchwork of lawned areas and borders in the rear garden is relatively informal and includes various paths and steps leading down to a short streamside walk. The background sound of gently running water is very evident in this part of the garden and provides a lovely ambience for visitors (and wildlife).
The Mill House plot includes a substantial semi-wild area to the front of the house. This includes a track, which is a public right of way – and from which walkers frequently pause to view the house and garden. The bank sides provide a striking display of daffodils and snowdrops at the start of the year, as do the bluebells which follow under a large silver birch. There are numerous fruit trees in this area and in other parts of the garden: apples, plums, damsons, pears and even an apricot fan.
There is a small but productive vegetable plot on the perimeter of the garden.
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