FAQs

You can place all bookings directly through our website, but if you would like some help please email/call us to confirm we have availability for the required dates, and we will guide you through from there. For a confirmed booking we need a completed online booking and deposit please, then 6 weeks before your stay we will require the balance. Should you book at short term notice we would require the deposit + full balance at point of booking. The Security Deposit (for which credit/debit card details be taken) acts as a damage deposit during your stay and will be released following your stay (pending no damages over and above general wear and tear).

We accept several methods for payment:

– We accept bank transfer, and bank card payments using our payment processor Holiday Rent Payment – I’m afraid we don’t accept American Express

Yes, Cotswold Sleeps uses Holiday Rent Payment, which, powered by the YapStone payment platform brings over 15 years of industry-specific payment processing expertise and experience to more than 100,000 holiday rental properties across Europe, Canada and the United States. You may also pay by bank transfer should you prefer of course. Cotswold Sleeps is verified by I-PRAC which is a global trust accreditation and certification operating in 28 countries verifying short term rental operators as legitimate, trustworthy and professional ensuring trust and confidence and 100% payment guarantees to guests.

From the moment you access our website you can view our Area Guide to start planning your trip! A week before your stay we will send you a comprehensive online welcome book, which includes everything from directions, restaurants, excursions, key safe codes and online pool booking links! This welcome book can be downloaded to your mobile device too. We will follow up your stay with a request to leave a review should you wish, this really does help us in our industry, so thank you in advance

Yes of course, but we advise you to book 3 nights – this ensures that you have use of the house for the whole weekend including the whole day Sunday! There isn’t a huge difference in price usually between 2 and 3 nights

Yes – there is one dedicated car parking space per house and several overflow carparks. Some properties offer more private parking, please check the adverts carefully

The earliest you can arrive is 4pm on day of arrival, and check-out is by 10am on day of departure. During the quieter seasons we may be able to facilitate an early check in or later check out, subject to availability (please call us for more information). When changeovers are back-to-back, we are not able to offer late check outs or early check ins, as housekeeping really do need the full day to prep the house for the next guests arrival

Yes – most of our TV’s are compatible. All our houses also have GigaClear (which is Super-Fast Broadband for Rural England) so streaming on your own devices should also be a doddle

Yes – most of our houses have a Nespresso Citiz and Milk (Sorrel House does not have a coffee machine but there is a cafetière). Ballihoo is also a short walk away and make a mean cup of coffee! Lots of yummy baked goods too…

Yes, there are usually 2 plus hairdryers at all our properties

No, apart from cot bedding which is not provided in any of our properties. We do also provide white towels but please do not take them to the spa. Please bring your own beach towels

Yes, there is a wonderful on-site restaurant called Ballihoo, field-to-fork foods with a superb drinks range and excellent coffee! If you have arrived early for your holiday or have some time before you head home, why not make the most of their kids eat free offer? Available on Mondays and Fridays between 1200-1530, your little ones can enjoy one course from the kids main menu, completely free* (*For full terms and conditions, please click here)

There is also a pizza shack next door to Ballihoo where they serve hand crafted freshly made pizzas. To order, simply pop into Ballihoo or call 01285 840181 and choose your preferred collection time. Collection times are available every 15 minutes from 1600 to 2045. For opening hours, see our FAQs. (Please note that pizzas are available for takeaway collection only. They can be enjoyed outside Ballihoo or in the tipi, but cannot be eaten inside the restaurant)

A 15-minute walk from Lower Mill Estate you will find The Bakers Arms – the local Cotswolds pub managed by Lower Mill Estate, offering a welcoming space for all (including your four-legged friends)!

There are SO many options! Local pubs are The Potting Shed, The Wild Duck at Ewen, The Bell at Sapperton. If you like sushi please try Waterside Asian Grill, La Bobina for tapas and The Thai Emerald for delicious Thai food

This varies on the pool you wish to visit… For the main spa complex pools (heated indoor, heated outdoor, steam room, sauna, eco plunge pool) you will need to book swimming slots. The slots are released at 10:30am the day before you wish to book, and we do advise you to be quick! Please follow this link. Should you be staying in one of our Nines properties, you will have an hour a day private access to the small heated outdoor pool. To book this you will find a physical sign up sheet by the pool, just write the number of your property on this for one hour a day and the pool is then all yours. Mill Village heated outdoor pool is fab! And open from 8am to dusk throughout the year – no booking required. There may be an hour over lunchtime where Mill Village pool will be closed to facilitate chemical maintenance

All of our properties come with Spa access which gives you access to the main Spa complex and its associated pools. Guests staying only in our properties in the Nines also have access to the smaller Nines Pool, with a physical sign up sheet near the pool to reserve slots. The main Spa complex is open year round with online booking system, the Nines pool closes from November to Easter with a re-opening for the few weeks around the Christmas High Season. Also don’t forget the Mill Village pool! A gorgeous heated outdoor pool near the ActivityHub

This varies throughout the year but generally speaking you can book swimming at the main Spa complex from 10am until 5pm-7pm depending on the time of year. If you wish to speak to the Spa please click here to visit the Leisure & Wellness page on the Lower Mill Estate website

Yes, please! The white towels provided are house towels only

Yes – the Spa is very family friendly, and children are most welcome

Yes, you can! Please contact the spa direct – click here

The Mill Village heated outdoor pool is open from 8am daily to dusk, with some scheduled lunchtime essentials checks and chemical adjustments. This is a fantastic outdoor pool, please do not discount it! It is only a 5 minute walk from the main spa complex and in the warmer months there are sun loungers. Beside the Mill Village pool you will find a tennis court, a playground and a grassy area perfect for a game of football! Please note this pool is unsupervised.

Please note there are Low and High Season opening times for the Spa/gym – please visit the Spa website for further detail

Yes! Gym users between the ages of 14 and 16 are able to use the gym when supervised by a parent or legal guardian, age 18 or over.

Due to Lower Mill Estate being a Nature Reserve, disposable BBQ’s, fireworks, Chinese Lanterns are absolutely prohibited. Candles are also not allowed in our holiday homes

Yes, Lower Mill is very safe as there is a strict 5mph speed limit. The smooth roads and paths are perfect for children on scooters and bikes.

Yes, every house has a travel cot and high chair for your use – but we do not provide cot bedding for hygiene reasons

Yes, please let us know if you would like a mid-stay clean and/or linen and towel change (at your charge). The house will be clean with all linen/towels when you arrive and housekeeping will clean again following your departure. Our houses are large and take 5-6 hours to clean and get ready for the next guests so please do follow our check out instructions, take all rubbish to the bin stores upon your departure and please load and start the dishwasher – thank you in advance.

We provide a starter pack with some dishwasher tablets, washing up liquid etc

Yes, most houses have either a Gas or Charcoal BBQ. Please see the specific house write up for more information

Most of our properties do allow dogs, please see the detail or each individual property to confirm, or give us a call. Please do not allow your dogs on furniture and please never leave them unattended at the property

No, I’m afraid Lower Mill Estate management does not allow stag do’s or hen parties at all, and guests will be asked to leave should it become apparent that they are in fact a stag/hen do

A few of our houses have some air-conditioning, however all have fans the bedrooms

No, please do not smoke or vape in any of our houses

Yes, of course.  There is plenty of lakeside access and equipment can be stored outside at the house. Should you wish to hire equipment instead, the ActivityHub is at your disposal and they will deliver equipment to your door – click Lower Mill Estate activities.

The Somerford Lagoon is closed from October 1st until March 31st  due to the nesting/breeding season.
Please do not enter the Lagoon Lake during this period (we have several other Lakes that are still in use all year round). Please enquire at the Lower Mill Hub near Ballihoo should you have any further questions.
 
Please also note, when the temperature of the lakes drops below 10 degrees Celsius for 3 consecutive days the lakes have to be closed until the temperatures come up again. The red flags on each lake will be raised to indicate the closure, and nobody will be permitted to use the lakes for any crafts, swimming or activities.  

Lower Mill Estate is less than a mile from the UK’s largest inland beach, which comes complete with sand, boat hire, Aqua Venture and crazy golf. Please visit Cotswold Country Park & Beach website for further information

You will have our telephone numbers so please do call us immediately. We try to resolve any issues without delay, but of course problem solving will depend on the priority/seriousness of the situation. In the event of any breakages or accidents please do inform us in good time (before your departure) so we can organise any extra cleaning/maintenance as necessary

Our fire procedure for each property can be found in the welcome book at each house. A beeping smoke detector is likely to be due to a battery, for which there should be a replacement in one of the drawers in the kitchen. However, please do call us any time should this not fix the situation.

Yes, we will provide all that information in emails sent prior to the commencement of your stay. Please also see our Area Guide – click here

Yes, all the major supermarkets will deliver onto the estate.  Please note you must be on-site and available to accept the delivery as there is no provision for leaving the groceries with security or at the houses without anyone being home

Yes, we do. We have an excellent caterer that we recommend. Please ask when booking

Yes, we have several wonderful bakers in the area and would be happy to advise you based on your requirement

Each property page will state what is provided within each property but if you wish to have an extra travel cot or highchair for your stay, we should we able to help with that. We also recommend a wonderful company called Baby Ease who rent baby/small child equipment. Please click here should you wish to see more…

Yes, checkout our recommendations on the Area Guide page of our website – click here

Yes, there is a small on-site market which provides lovely local delicacies, as well as logs etc

Within a 10-minute drive we have all the large supermarkets including Waitrose, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl and M&S

Yes, buses go to Cirencester and Trains arrive regularly at Kemble. From there we recommend a taxi to and from Lower Mill Estate

Yes you can, please visit the Lower Mill Estate activities website for the latest Fishing Club Rules

We do not allow stag or hen parties and ask music etc outside to be switched off at 11pm as noise travels well over water

Some wood is provided to start you off, and if you need some more you can top up at the General Store on the estate

Yes! Each property owner chooses their own trees and/or wreaths but there will be a faux Christmas tree at your house for the festive season!

Cotswold Sleeps provides a welcome pack which includes some tea, coffee and other goodies, but please do remember these properties are self-catering so you will need to bring whatever you and your group require. There will be 1 loo roll per bathroom, and salt/pepper for the kitchen

Most of our properties do have microwaves – pls enquire with Cotswold Sleeps if you wish to check on any particular property

Yes, it takes around 20-25 minutes to walk around the whole Estate, but the Activity Hub can suggest wider routes and the Estate is skirted by the Thames Path – so you can walk to your hearts content!

Most of the Estate is, yes. Our houses are not specifically accessible, and quite a few of them are ‘upside-down’ houses (the living space is not on the ground floor), so it would be best to enquire with Cotswold Sleeps to confirm per property. The Spa and restaurant are accessible.

There aren’t any children’s clubs per se, but the Estate does put on a good amount of children’s entertainment – please see Lower Mill Estate’s website for further information on this. We can recommend babysitters, but they may come from neighbouring villages

Wild swimming is not encouraged at Lower Mill Estate, as we don’t have lifeguards on duty on the lakes. Lake 32 is a short walk/drive from Lower Mill Estate and you can book in as a guest to swim. It’s a lovely location and facility

Yes there are some EV charging points at Lower Mill Estate, and some properties we rent out have their own private EV points – pls enquire with Cotswold Sleeps. There are also plenty of places to fast charge at the Gateway on the Spine Rd, and in Cirencester