The Old Mill

56 Reviews

Star Travel Rating

2/5

Review type

Things to do

Location

Date of travel

January, 2016

Product name

The Old Mill

Product country

Coxhoe, County Durham

Product city

Coxhoe, County Durham

Travelled with

Reasons for trip

It wasn’t my idea, but last week, management announced that we were going out to lunch with a couple of old friends.

Where should we go? Nothing too expensive but somewhere nice?

These days there are plenty of places to choose from. We could go west into Barnard Castle and the Dales, or north to Durham City, south to the North Yorkshire border, or we could stay local.

We left the choice to our old friends, so the blame rests solely with them!

The village of Metal Bridge lays about 5 miles south of Durham and an equal distance east of Bishop Auckland. The Metal Bridge that the village is named after, supports the East Coast main railway line between York and Newcastle.

There are two pubs/restaurants in the village and the choice our friends made was The Old Mill, a former Paper Mill and latterly, a failed Workingmens Club.

Following major alterations and refurbishment several years ago, the Old Mill had forged a decent reputation as a good eating place.

There was some more building work going on as we arrived and were advised by staff that some tables might be better than others in the circumstances.

There was an extensive choice of starters and main meals detailed on a blackboard and three reasonably priced specials to choose from.

We destroyed two large dry white house wines, a pint of Tetley’s and a pint of Carlsberg before ordering lunch. We didn’t go for starters but three of us went for Fish & Chips and the other went for the Lamb Chops with mashed potato.

I’ve lost count of the times I have eaten traditional Fish & Chips, but I have to be perfectly honest. If the Fish & Chips get no better than this in the future I will have to choose something else. Apparently the Lamb Chops were serious knasher testers aswell.

We finished the lunch with another three drinks and settled the bill of £77.

The decor was good, the atmosphere was pleasant and the staff were obliging and helpful.

But I think we’ll try the other restaurant next time.

Colin Wills

Join the club

Become a member to receive exclusive benefits

Our community is the heart of Silver Travel Advisor, we love nothing more than sharing ideas, inspiration, hints and tips between us.

Come feel the love on a Princess cruise. You’ll enjoy the MedallionClass experience others simply can’t, and it’s exclusively for everyone. Visit incredible destinations and be involved in the best experiences around each one of them.

Experience more with Princess and connect effortlessly with the world around you, spend time away with loved ones, take a moment for yourself, and fall in love with your holiday of a lifetime, every time.

With over 20 years of experience, Wendy Wu Tours has mastered the art of creating exceptional, fully inclusive tours which showcase the very best of each destination.

Each tour is led by a world-class guide, who will highlight the very best of their homeland, and includes authentic cultural experiences so you are not just seeing the sights, but truly immersing yourself in local life.

Say hello to ease at sea. Ambassador’s purpose is simple: they want to inspire every guest to experience authentic cruising, effortlessly and sustainably. Passionate about protecting our oceans and destinations, their ships comply with the highest industry emission standards and there is no single-use plastic on board.

On your voyage, you will receive the warmest of welcomes from the Ambassador community as you sail upon the friendliest ships afloat.

This is a global co-operative co-owned by local partners using real local experts and guides, which supports local communities, environments and wildlife. It offers travellers quirky places to stay, activity holidays and learning experiences. Not In The Guidebooks gets travellers off the beaten track into local culture with day experiences and longer, immersive adventures.

From wild wellness breaks in Wales to painting in Portugal, sustainable adventures in Mauritius to food safaris in Brazil, this is immersive, exciting travel.

Seabourn’s five intimate ships carry guests to the heart of great cities, exclusive yacht harbours and secluded coves around the world, while two new purpose-built expedition ships will combine exhilarating adventures in remote destinations with the sophisticated amenities of the world’s finest resorts at sea.

From the luxury of all suite accommodations to complimentary fine wines and spirits, and a no tipping policy, Seabourn exemplifies the definition of travelling well.