What should I bring with me?
- Flip Flops and a bath robe are a good idea for walking round to the hot tub.
- We provide indoor towels and bed linen, but you will need to bring beach towels with you.
- Don’t forget charcoal, firelighters and matches for the BBQ.
- Bring your own hair dryer.
- There is plenty of room for clothes etc so bring whatever you need.
- You can bring your bike – you can lock them in our shed.
- A torch can be handy.
- Swimmies and water shoes for paddling in the river are fun.
- We provide some toilet rolls and a kitchen roll for when you arrive but you may need more. There is washing up liquid and hand-wash and some dishwasher tablets.
How many cars can we park?
There is room for about 8 cars at the Mill.
How do we find you?
Follow this link: https://valleyholidays.co.uk/home/how-to-find-us
What time can we arrive/stay till.
Check-in time is 16:00
Check-out time is before 10:00
The times are set because we know how long it takes to get everywhere (including the pools) clean and tidy for people coming in in the afternoon. It doesn’t work well having people in the gardens waiting to be let in – there are no toilets except in the accommodation and we don’t want folks crossing their legs! Until we have finished vacuuming (which is of course, the final thing to be done), the trailing wires mean that it isn’t safe to let people in early. Also, we like to give people a warm welcome and we can’t do that until we’ve finished cleaning.
However, we can suggest places where you can go en route to the Mill, where you can have an amazing time. If you are coming along the M4, you will be passing the Garden of Wales and Cwm Cerrig Farm Shop on your way here and it’s not a big detour to go to Carleon Roman ruins, Dan Yr Ogof caves or the Big Pit. If you are coming from North Wales, there is Snowdonia, Aberystwth, Aberaron, NewQuay etc etc. You could also go to Poppit Sands or Llangrannog beach (both 25 minutes from the Mill) while you wait to check-in or to make a wonderful day of it after you’ve left.
Can we stay for just one night?
The Valley is all about relaxing. I’m afraid that we only consider 1 day breaks on very rare occasions. Our check-in time is 16:00, we need to show you how the pools and BBQ hut work and then you have to leave by 10:00 the next morning, so 1 night would be too rushed.
Are the Mill hot tub, BBQ hut and swim4spa pool shared?
At the Mill, the hot tub, swimming pool and BBQ hut are shared but there is plenty of room for everyone. Some firm friendships have been made in the gardens. If you prefer more privacy, each apartment has its own seating area just outside. There are lots of secluded places to sit by the river and up on the hillside.
How late can we use the pools and BBQ hut?
We light the garden until midnight. After that, we ask you to return the valley to its tranquillity, leave the BBQ hut and garden and go back inside the Mill.
Is there somewhere good to eat nearby?
The local pub is the Nags Head at Abercych, 10 minutes drive from the mill (01239 841 200). It’s family friendly and serves good food. You turn right out of the mill drive, go to the end of our road, turn right again and it’s 3 more miles on the left – it’s a nice drive down the river valley.
There are some lovely restaurants in Newcastle Emlyn (again, 10 mins drive away). We know that the food in Pachamamas (01239 711334) next to the market hall, is very good, though they are not open every night. Harrisons, opposite the market hall, has a wonderful garden next to the river which does very nice pub-grub type meals – ham egg & chips are amazing there on a sunny day. The Gwesty’r Emlyn hotel (01239 710317) has an excellent restaurant. Yasmins (01239 711681) , a very good Indian in Emlyn, has been awarded best Indian Restaurant in Wales and grows its own salads and spices in a polytunnel behind the restaurant. There is also a fish and chip shop (Central Cafe 01239 710272) we can highly recommend (sadly for our waist-line!).
You can also be sure of a very good lunch at the Wildlife Centre at Cilgerran, about 25 minutes drive away.
Can I bring a dog to the Mill?
We are able to take a well behaved dog in our Wheel House apartment but we do charge an additional £25 per dog – please give us a call on 01239 698 799 to discuss.
Or you could think about Clwb Kennels – the best boarding kennel in Pembrokeshire, which is just a few minutes walk up the road, run by one of the nicest couples you could meet. Mrs Askew is on 01239 698 650. They do accept dogs for the day and also will let you take your dog out for the day if you are boarding them overnight.
Can I get a taxi?
There are a few taxi firms around here. Most people use Home James (that’s the name, honestly) tel: 01239 711201. They know where the Mill is because they’ve been here a few times and they seem very reliable.
Is there somewhere at the Mill where we can all eat together?
We don’t have a communal dining room at the Mill but the BBQ hut sits 16 and there are lots of chairs and tables in the garden. We find that people love to get together and it’s also nice to have your own space as well.
Where are the nearest shops?
There are lots of interesting shops 4 miles away in the local town, Newcastle Emlyn. They are mainly independents – from craft shops to delis. It is surprising what you can find – high quality ladies occasions wear, antiques shops to wander about, an art gallery …
For more “normal” high street shopping, we have a wide range of shops at Carmarthen, 30 minutes drive away. We treat ourselves to a trip to Debenhams every now and again to pretend we’re in the West End for a bit! Carmarthen is a very interesting place to visit, being the oldest town in Wales. It was founded by the Romans and has an ampitheatre. It also has the remains of its castle and the earthworks used as defences in the Civil War.
Cardigan is 25 minutes the other way and very close to beautiful sandy beaches. It has its share of high street chains and lots of lovely galleries and independent shops too.
Is there a cinema or theatre nearby?
Our favourite is at Cardigan – the Theatre Mwldan, which hosts live events like comedy shows, plays and concerts but also has 2 very comfortable film studios: www.mwldan.co.uk
Carmarthen has a state of the art Vue cinema, showing all the latest films, which is surrounded by shops and eating places: http://www.myvue.com/home/cinema/Carmarthen
One little gem is the Attic Theatre in Newcastle Emlyn, run by the Attic Players Amateur Dramatic society for over 77 years. They put on a couple of productions every year in the tiny theatre over the market hall . If you get the chance to see one – take it: http://www.myvue.com/home/cinema/Carmarthen
Where did you get the amazingly comfortable beds?
We get asked this a lot by people who have stayed here, e.g. “Where did you purchase the mattresses from, I suffer from a bad back and insomnia and that was the best few nights sleep I have had in years”.
The beds in the twin rooms at the Mill (except Bobbin Box) are Savoy 6ft Zip and Link beds from the divan centre : http://www.divancentre.co.uk/Savoy-6ft-Zip-Link-Bed-with-1000-Pocket-Sprung-Memory-Foam-Mattress_AQLI5.aspx
The double mattresses at the Mill are also Savoy mattresses from the Divan Centre.