LUX Xmas 2018

86 Are you searching for a luxurious home away from home to celebrate a special event? If so, we at LUX may well have stumbled upon it; Mill End is a large, yet intimate house located to the east of the Forest of Dean in Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire. It’s surprisingly difficult to find large but high- end rental properties in the UK and whether you are bringing together a group of family or friends to celebrate a special occasion or looking for a casual location to host a corporate event, Mill End is certainly worth considering. In its former life, the now adjoined property comprised a 600-year-old village shop, pub and barn and it is thanks to the passion and creativity of owners, Liz and Zoff that it stands today as the fantastic holiday let that it is. Liz’s earlier career focused on fashion design, impressively selling lingerie & corsetry to Agent Provocateur and this influence is notable in Mill End’s interior. Graffiti art displayed in the property comes from internationally renowned Nick Walker, Jody and FLX who are all from the same Bristol social scene and urban melting pot as Banksy. The medieval property is available to rent and when all the units are hired, can sleep up to a whopping forty people! With three sides to a courtyard garden, the house offers complete privacy but with excellent access to the village amenities. Smaller groups can also be accommodated as the house splits neatly into four units with General Stores sleeping twenty-five, Lower Stores sleeping six, Jovial Colliers sleeping four and George Cottage accommodating the rest. Each bedroom is independently and quirkily themed, our favourite was the deluxe four-poster, which came complete with a freestanding bathtub in the room, perfect for the star guest! Décor-wise there is something for everyone with designs ranging from Woodland Wilderness to Traditional Japanese. The rooms are flexible, containing a mix of doubles, twins and bunks, making it very easy to accommodate parties of all shapes and sizes! Retreat Exclusive In our opinion, the best thing about the house is the range of amazing social spaces for entertaining. There is a huge dining hall with family-style seating, which extends out from the large kitchen in the Upper Malt House, this is a great space which comfortably seats all guests (and probably a few more). Directly below this in the Lower Malt House there is a large sitting room, which borders on to another kitchen and cocktail bar. There’s a range of seating from comfy sofas to bar stools and the large sixty-five-inch television is great for watching sporting events. The back garden is accessed via a beautiful timber-framed garden room. There’s a wood burning stove in the corner, which keeps the glass enclosed room delightfully warm when it starts to cool outside and there is a pool table which provides great entertainment for guests of all ages. Moving out to the garden, there is a large patio area next to the hot tub, a BBQ area with two fire pits and a good-sized lawn containing a children’s play area, submerged trampoline and small sand pit. Throughout the four-star graded property, there are high-end touches, from the soft furnishings to the appliances and kitchenware but the inclusion of a hot tub, sauna and steam room really help to make this party house special! There is even a massage and treatment area available, which really opens the potential to use the property for health and wellbeing retreats and hen do’s! If you are tempted to leave the house and explore the local attractions, there is no Large Luxury Holiday House in the Heart of Gloucestershire Mill End