In the pretty hamlet of Shottermill near Haslemere on the borders of Surrey, Hampshire and West Sussex is The Mill restaurant and pub. Originally it was next to an old water mill off the river Wey which had been driven by piped water from the ponds.
The Mill was once used as a courthouse in the 16th century, and in 2015 had a major refurbishment, giving the new look Mill a great place to relax, meet with friends or family and enjoy some really great food.
This was my first visit so I was looking forward to trying the food and learning a little more about the history.
We were meeting up with friends for lunch and arrived just after noon, driving into the off road car park which had plenty of space,which was a good start. There was a substantial garden with an adventure playground for children to enjoy.
We were greeted and shown to a table in a wonderfully open seating area , absent of that claustrophobia feeling you sometimes encounter.
No feeling of claustrophobia – it is wonderful and open as you enter the restaurant and is tastefully designed. Interestingly designed with a clean, fresh look about it and fresh herbs growing on a shelf close by.
The staff were friendly and polite – and smiled. The menu had a very wide choice at reasonable prices. Poultry and eggs are free range and their meats are sourced from award winning suppliers Walter Rose & Sons of Devizes.
There are some great lagers and ciders with a range of bottled and cask ales available. Names included Swordfish, Horizon, 6X, IPA, Corvus Stout and Dirty rucker.
The garden and function room is available for private use such as parties or weddings.
Everything was just great and could find no fault. A place I would certainly revisit – maybe to try the reasonably priced and inviting Christmas Lunch commencing in November!
Interesting to learn that novelist George Eliot had a cottage at Broombank, Shottermill Common. It seemed she enjoyed her quiet life here where she wrote most of Middle March.
The cottage (originally a farm cottage), was an old fashioned gabled one close to the church with lattice-paned windows. It was built in 1730 and the front had traditional ironstone walls to ward off evil spirits. It was later upgraded with the coming of the railways in the 1860s. Two, colourful stained glass bay windows were added around the same time. Two, downstairs fireplaces are documented as coming from the Carlton Hotel and added in the late 19th century. The house was divided into two residencies in the 1960s. Brookbank is a grade II listed building because of its historic and artistic interest.
So, as well as having a great place to eat at The Mill, Shottermill had some renowned visitors. The Blue Plaque at Broombank, Shottermill Road, Haslemere tells us that other Victorian literary stars such as Tennyson, Dante Gabriel, William and Christina Rossetti also visited and wrote at this queer little cottage.
