The back of the property forms a three sided courtyard, creating a completely private oasis in the middle of a village setting, with views up onto the bracken covered hills behind.

The garden falls into various areas.The lower garden has an al-fresco table & seating for 15, immediately outside the kitchen. There is an enclosed rockery and fresh herb garden from which you may pick herbs. There is an enclosed area with a large built in stone BBQ, and an upper garden for kids to play.

The two storey malt house forms the divide between the garden and the off-street parking and provides a games room away from the main house. Guests have access to the lower level where there is a table tennis table and pool table. There are also ball games for kids to use in the upper garden.

The end wall of the malt house is south facing and gets the sun all day. It has rare 'bee skip indentations', historically used for keeping bee-hives warm at night, and a small, circular 'owl window' for controlling the mouse population in sheep fleeces stored in the upper level.

The entrance to The General Stores is via double wooden gates, into the off-street parking area, which has parking for 6-8 cars (depending on guests' parking ability!), and can be locked for security. Access to the garden and main house is via a further set of wooden gates.

Motorbikes can be brought through beyond the second pair of gates, and mountain bikes can also be locked here overnight.

Mitcheldean seems to be party to all weather conditions - having had plenty of light falls of snow over winter 2004/2005, providing dramatic views up onto the white hills, but equally receives much sunshine in the protected and private courtyard garden.

The courtyard walls absorb the sun and provide shelter from mild winds, allowing outdoor cups of tea in even quite chilly weather conditions. There is seating situated in all aspects of the garden, so sun-worshippers can follow it's progress throughout the course of the day!

There is an enclosed rockery garden providing the outlook from the dining room. There is a small herb garden (newly planted) to the left of this, from which guests can pick fresh herbs for cooking.

The yew tree provides shaded seating for those who do not like sun, with great views up to the hills behind, and the tiers of the rockery provide a divide between the upper garden where children can play, and the lower seating and eating garden.

The upper garden leads down into the lower garden, and the enclosed aspect of the back of The General Stores.

The upper garden has a rough lawn and is surrounded by shrubs, and has an extensive activity play area with ladder and platform, commando net, rope ladders, climbing knotty ropes, recycled tyre horse swing, monkey handles, swing, hammock seat swing and under 3 year old safety seat. It also has a trampoline, and the children's toys which were previously in the barn are now stored in the large green box since conversion work began on the barn in April 2009.

The built-in BBQ is in the area against the south facing wall of the malt house, which gets the sun from first thing in the morning until it disappears behind the hill in the early evening. There will be built in stone seating in this area, and the bee skip indentations provide perfect alcoves for night-time candle-light.

The six-seater hot tub, care of www.granville-spas.co.uk. is situated to the right of the al-fresco dining area, in a private and sheltered position, against an old stone wall covered with white wysteria.

It is a great location for chatting to friends and family seated and dining outside, or for lounging in the evening and looking up to the hills beyond.

Should you wish to use the hot tub, there is a £50.00 charge, payable in advance.

The Gazebo Style Porch - (just seen - left) with plenty of coat hanging and boot storage space for walkers - also provides hanging space for towels and swimming costumes for the hot-tub, and is situated between the al-fresco seating area and the inner porch and the kitchen.

The kitchen is the lightest room in The General Stores, with a large window looking into the courtyard garden and up onto the hills beyond - a great place to sit in the morning with a cup of tea - which continues to get the sun most of the day.

It has two electric fan assisted ovens, a grill, a gas hob, a microwave, two fridges, various electrical mixers and juicers, a muffin toaster, a doughnut maker, a biscuit press, a dishwasher for 18 and a washing machine. There is a tumble drier in the Japanese Room. The freezer in the barn will no longer be available after April 2009 as conversion work will be commencing.

The dining room is between the kitchen and hall. It is a large, quiet room, with views out onto the sheltered rockery and herb garden at the back of the house.

The dining room features original art-work by Helen Job, Nick Walker and Julian Monaghan.

The seats and tables can be kept in their current position for smaller groups or to seat children on a separate table, or turned round to form an l-shape for the full 15 capacity to dine together. Catering, dining and cocktail services can be provided by Il Bordello Bristol catering - please e-mail us for sample menus on postmaster@millendmitcheldean.co.uk

The hall is a snug area between the dining room and sitting room, and has extra seating with lots of velvet cushions, and makes for a good, quiet reading area. The glazed doors afford views into the sitting room, and into the dining room and on to the rockery garden beyond.

The under stairs cupboard stores the hoover, mops and broom, clothes airers, laundry basket and stair gate, and facial steamer and foot spa for girlie get-togethers.

The sitting room has 3 large, leather 3/4 seater sofas, a leather covered rocking chair and an old leather captain's chair. There are additional small seats and velvet floor cushions, and various occasional tables and foot stools.

There is a music hi-fi system in the built-in cupboard next to the window and a TV and DVD. The wooden front door, although rarely used, leads out from behind a heavy, velvet curtain, onto Mill End Street. The wooden trunk in the middle of the room is ideal for doing jigsaws, and there are plenty of card and board games in the side cupboard.

The ground floor blue bedroom (2) is ideal for the more elderly within the group, with no stairs to climb and wc and shower facilities across the corridor.

It has hanging space in the small alcove and on wall hooks, a covered ottoman, two chests of drawers and an upholstered chair.

The ground floor wet room and bathroom facilities offers a power shower, a wc and a hand wash basin.

This room is accessible from the garden, via the kitchen, for sun-bathers and hot-tub users, or directly from the downstairs twin blue bedroom.

The first floor butterfly room (sleeps 3) has a firm, double, Edwardian bed with a single day-bed built in between the two cupboards. This day bed makes the room double as a twin room if desired, or is ideal as a family room. It has a full width 3 foot single mattress on top.

It is the quietest of the rooms, with views onto the garden and up the hill. It is painted a tranquil white throughout and has embroidered 'beetle' cushions and a collection of rare butterflies in frames.

The first floor bunk room (sleeps 2) leads into the butterfly room, and is suitable for two children, or for two adults if a group of friends are sharing for a weekend.

The beds are 3 ft wide (adult size) and there is a curtain providing some privacy. Despite the small size of the room, there is clothes hanging space, a chair and corner shelves providing bed-side table space for each bunk.

The first floor japanese room (sleeps 3) is the largest and most impressive of the bedrooms, with a double-glazed window onto Mill End Street. It has antique, oak floorboards and one double and one single sleigh bed. The japanese room can function as a double, family or twin bedroom.

It has a built in cupboard, with shelves and plenty of hanging space and a low 'alter table' in the sealed fire place. It has individual storage space next to each bed, in the lavishly lacquered bedside chests. It has a fantastic red leather sofa, and is decorated with black and red oriental style silk furnishings, gowns and screens.

The first floor white room (sleeps 2) is a twin room, with matching single beds and a double-glazed window onto Mill End Street. It has a generous chest of drawers and hanging space behind the door. The beds themselves lift up, providing storage for suitcases once un-packed. Although the smallest of the main bedrooms, the white room affords ample space for two people sharing.

It is a peaceful bedroom, with images of white flowers and an antique painting of azaeleas on the wall. It is situated immediately opposite the small bathroom.

The first floor chinese room (sleeps 3) is in the upper corridor of the property, with a double-glazed window onto Mill End Street and a view through the bedroom door and the landing window out to the garden. It has a soft, double bed with a single bed under the window. It also has a cot. Again, it can function as a double, family or twin bedroom.

This bedroom is suitable for the more senior of a family gathering, or for a family with a baby, as it is more private and quiet, being situated on it's own in the upper corridor, and has it's own bathroom.

The first floor, family bathroom has a bath with shower mixer, and a separate shower cubicle with it's independent electric shower. It has a large wash hand basin and a WC. The wallpaper is vintage 1950's Eames.

Although much of the plumbing is relatively new, it must be remembered that the property is some 600 years old, and uses narrow pipe work. Therefore, water pressure is sometimes low if all bathrooms are being used at the same time. For this reason, each bathroom has it's own electric shower, which is not reliant on the main hot water supply and water pressure.

The first floor, small bathroom is a compact bathroom on the main landing, using Waverly Edwardian style fittings, and appealing especially to children with it's compact Bette Sitz bath. It has an old fashioned, 'watering-can' style overhead shower, again running off an independent electric shower.

Miniature, marble mosaic tiles surround the bath, and the room is decorated with shell and ceramic glassware.

The jovial colliers family apartment , has a large open plan galley kitchen and lounge/dining space - with tables and chairs to seat 20 at one sitting.

Three sets of hand-made, air-dried oak french doors open out onto the courtyard garden and hot tub.

The galley kitchen has a commercial five burner cooker, and crockery, cutlery and glasses are for 20 plus.

The Rose Room Double has a 6ft wide french door leading onto the patio which gets the morning sun, and the Bunk Room, leading from the lounge, also has double doors leading onto the courtyard garden.

The kitchen is well equipped for guests who enjoy cooking and entertaining. There are plenty of cookery books from Carluccio to Marco Pierre White, from Culinaria Spain and Italy to The Two Fat Ladies (entire range).

There is plenty of equipment, including a fish kettle and an asparagus steamer and a biscuit press (good for entertaining children on a rainy day).

There are fresh herbs in the garden and an adequate range of herbs and spices for cooking enthusiasts.

Cocktail Hour. For those who know how, there is an old-fashioned cocktail globe, complete with cocktail shakers, hawthorn strainers, bar spoons, and jiggers. There are also martini glasses, and ice bucket and champagne buckets.

For those who don't know how, Ben Reed's 'The Cocktail Hour', with photography by William Lingwood, gives a brief history and recipes for all the classic muddled, shaken and stirred cocktails.

Guests will need to bring their own cocktail syrups including gomme, grenadine and orgeat.

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