Vacation in Northamptonshire accommodation page

Stay in this delightfully restored and converted traditional stone barn bungalow, tastefully furnished and fully equipped with the latest domestic appliances for the discriminating visitor.

Earls Barton is tucked away in a quiet corner of the rolling Northamptonshire countryside, nestling in a tranquil rural valley seemingly a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

The 800-year-old county town of Northampton is a few miles away, boasting good shopping and one of England's largest open air markets. The county's pretty stone villages lie largely unspoilt and undiscovered, offering a wealth of historic homes, comfortable country pubs and secluded restaurants. And yet this rural paradise is barely an hour from some of the most popular tourist haunts in Britain.

The major motorways are only ten minutes away; mainline rail stations offer regular services to London and other must-see destinations.

If you join us at The Mill Barn you will be:

within ten miles of the famous Althorp House, where Diana, Princess of Wales lies buried on a lake island within the estate that has belonged to her family since 1508;

a 40-minute train journey away from the theatres, restaurants and historical pageantry of London.
an hour's drive from tourist landmarks like Stratford-upon-Avon (Shakespeare's home);
Coventry Cathedral (blitzed by Hitler);
the University cities of Oxford and Cambridge;
and magnificently preserved castles such as Windsor and Warwick are also within easy reach.

The Mill Barn provides a fascinating combination of the old and the new as the original mill was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, belonging to the niece of William the Conqueror.

The Mill Barn was used for storage and workshops when it was part of the old water-powered mill buildings alongside the Mill Race. It still has the original stone walls, three-foot thick, and unusual stone grinding wheels are remarkably preserved; and exposed stonework on the interior is just one of the many eye-catching features.

The impressive old oak beams and other original roof timbers are all exposed to maximum effect, illuminated by specially imported light fittings and adding to the air of cool spaciousness throughout the building.

Everything is arranged bungalow-style on one level, to make the accommodation equally accessible to any disabled visitors.

Leaded, double-glazed windows overlook open fields, the mill courtyard and your own herb garden patio area, complete with table, seats and parasol.

As you enter the cottage through a stable-style front door, you will find a fully-fitted oak kitchen to your left - combining traditional farmhouse surroundings with the latest in technological convenience. There is a dishwasher, electric oven and hob, microwave, fridge, electric kettle, toaster, ample storage space and work surfaces. A welcome pack will take care of all your immediate needs on arrival.

To maximise the open, airy feeling of the barn, the kitchen and living room have been designed open-plan, with a dining area for six connecting the two.

Colour television, video and hi-fi is provided in the living area, supplemented by a wide choice of books and games.

There are two settees (with one of them converting into a double bed), a rocking chair and various other chairs and tables among the eclectic collection of furniture.

The kitchen floor features old terra-cotta quarry tiles while the rest of the accommodation is wall-to-wall seagrass floor-covering to enhance the natural character of the building.

The dining area and kitchen in the Mill Barn

A very efficient oil-fired central heating system is controlled from the utility room, where you will also find a washer and tumble dryer, double-sink and storage space for all of the other household items. All of the units are craftsmen built of solid wood.

The rural craftsmen theme continues into the bathroom which includes a wall-to-wall vanity unit, bath and toilet.

Exposed timber and stonework also feature in the bedroom which adequately doubles as a playroom for any children in the party. A sofa-bed seating arrangement opens up to make a double bed and single bunk. With the bed-settee in the living room, the cottage adequately sleeps up to five people.

You have greengage and apple trees in the private courtyard outside your front door, and plums, pears and damsons are waiting to be picked in the garden at harvest time. A brookside barbecue area is at your disposal and the grounds allow for ball games, nature-watching, or simply enjoying the river, brook and mill pond that surround the buildings.

Tame swans come to be fed every day, and the fish jump for the crumbs that they and the ducks leave behind.

If you can drag yourself away from such idyllic surroundings, you will have a choice of numerous top quality golf courses within an hour's drive; plus theme parks, stately homes, castles, restaurants, theatres, markets, shopping malls, horse racing and Silverstone - home of motor racing.

The owner will be happy to draw on his extensive experience as a travel writer to recommend other places to visit, or even plan a complete itinerary to embrace all of your specific interests.

The owners occupy The Mill House itself, across the courtyard and completely detached from the barn cottage. They will be very inconspicuous neighbours, but always available to help with any queries or problems. The next nearest neighbour is half a mile away at the other end of Mill Lane.