The Mill House

The Mill House stands at Santon, a stone house of three storeys with a round tower at one end and gardens that fall away towards a stream. Old Castletown Road is simply the road that leads there; the house itself is out in Manx countryside.

The drive opens onto a gravelled forecourt with room for several cars. A circular stone terrace with planted urns sits in the middle of the lawn, the beds around it thick with colour.

The long table and the old mill rooms

A table runs most of the length of the formal dining room under a chandelier, laid on rugs and polished boards. The lounge is panelled in wood with teal armchairs and an open fire in a carved mantel, and a glazed conservatory looks straight out at the garden. There are two kitchens to work with: one in black cabinetry with a granite island and a range, one white with a wooden table for ordinary meals.

Five bedrooms, room for thirteen

Sleeping is spread across five bedrooms. One has a four-poster in a yellow room, another pale blue walls and period furniture, two more take doubles, and the remaining rooms are laid out with twins and a sofa bed for children. Bathrooms come with a roll-top tub, green tiling, walk-in showers, robes and slippers.

Terrace, fire pit and lawn

A sandstone terrace along one side is set with teak chairs and a barbecue, and a fire bowl stands out on the paving for the evening. Past it the lawn runs down through mature trees and shrubs to the water.

Santon, and Castletown nearest

Santon is a scattered rural parish with wooded glens and a river rather than a high street. The nearest town is Castletown, the old Manx capital, with its castle and harbour.

Made for a gathering

Big family holidays, a milestone birthday, a group who want one house and one long table. The kitchens, the dining room and the grounds all work at that scale.