Bauhinia House

It’s amazing what an old quarry can be transformed into! Lower Mill Estate, in the Cotswolds, is now a beautiful nature reserve comprising eight lakes, two rivers, miles of walking trails and wonderful wildlife to spot, including otters and beavers! Families can completely immerse themselves in this natural haven, staying right on the lake shore, in architecturally award-winning holiday homes which have uber cool, minimalist interiors.

There’s no better way to relax and recharge batteries than simply gazing out across the lake from the balcony or patio deck, but there’s also plenty to do on the nature reserve to keep boredom at bay. The on-site Spa has two heated pools, a lily-filtered eco-pool, sauna, steam room and gym plus mums can be properly pampered with hot stone massages, facials, manicures and more. At the ‘Activity Hub’, kids and big kids can have a go at kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding or pick up bikes to follow the trails around the reserve. Little ones will especially love the Miss Mouse Adventure Trail, finding a host of cute characters all around the nature reserve from a specially created story – Miss Mouse Builds A House. The General Store has all the essentials for self-catering and a selection of local artisan products but when no one can be bothered to cook, there’s the Ballihoo Clubhouse and Restaurant, open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, drinks and take-aways. Throughout the Summer, all kinds of special events and activities take place at the Activity Hub and Ballihoo Clubhouse, from raft building and dusk wildlife walks, to pizza making and a Jamaican Jerk BBQ.

Accommodation Overview : Bauhinia House – Sleeps 11

Bauhinia House is a unique and spacious family-friendly holiday home for 11 guests. A rarity within the estate, the house also comes with its own private garden which is great for picnics, sundowners, and helping the kids burn off any residual steam.

The house offers lovely views over Swillbrook Lake Nature Reserve and has been given an upside down design to enable families to make the most of the views when relaxing together. It has five spacious bedrooms, three bathrooms and a fantastic open-plan living space, so is perfectly set up for larger or multi-generation family groups.

Guests enter into a spacious hallway which leads to the three good-sized double bedrooms. One facing the front of the house and the other two looking over the decking and lawn area. This area has an external spiral staircase leading to the first-floor decking. Each of the bedrooms on this level have access to a family shower room with a walk-in rain shower.

On the first floor there are two bedrooms. The children's bunk-bed room and a spacious king suite. The bunk room sleeps three and has an en-suite bathroom with a bath and shower over. It has its own balcony which looks out to the front of the house and has a bistro table and swing seat. This balcony also benefits from a spiral staircase up to the second floor-terrace so parents with unsteady toddlers are advised to keep that door locked. Otherwise is may be better suited to older, more sure footed children. The king suite is an impressive space with a romantic in-room roll-top bath, large double bed and an en-suite shower room with double walk-in shower. This room also has a large, private balcony which is a lovely spot for a morning coffee and again, an external spiral staircase which leads to the second floor.

The second and top floor is given over to the living areas and is a bright, open plan space great for coming together as a family. There is a fully-equipped contemporary kitchen which comes with a washer/dryer, double electric oven, warming plate, five-ring induction hob, wine fridge and integrated fridge/freezer. There is a bespoke wooden dining table which seats ten and sliding glass doors lead out onto a decked balcony with an alfresco dining area and BBQ. The lounge area is comfortable and the wood burning stove makes it very cosy during the cooler months.

A cot and highchair are provided, but guests may be able to obtain additional cots a cost of £10. Owners ask guests to bring their own cot bedding.