Jordans Mill

Jordans Mill is a peaceful and picturesque place to visit. There’s a small well-tended garden that you can wander around, a meadow, woodland and you can also look around the old mill. Jordans Mill is owned by the Jordans family, of cereal, granola and cereal bar fame, although you wouldn’t necessarily know that when you visit as the emphasis is on heritage and sustainability rather than the brand.

When we visited there was a Beasts In The Woods Trail open for the school holidays and at only £1.50 per child we had to give it a go.

See what happened on our visit to Jordans Mill

We picked up our trail sheets, clipboards and pencils from the Mill Barn Shop. The garden is full of different crops from oats and wheat to pears, apples, beetroot and aubergines. All the crops are labelled clearly so the children can see what’s growing. The paths wind through herbs and soft fruit bushes and then we found our first minibeast… a dragonfly.

Each of the ‘beasts’ was imaginatively made from recycled materials and every one had an information board full of facts to help you complete the trail sheet. The snail was one of my favourites, especially the wire brushes sticking out of its antennae.

We crossed the bridge over the river and found a ladybird in the meadow and then we wandered around the woodland. There were plenty of minibeasts to discover but there were also logs to climb over, a den to shelter in, a pine cone game and different animal habitats to look at. The wood isn’t very big but there’s enough to do in a small space to keep children occupied.

On our travels we encountered living minibeasts as well as the sculptures in the trees and bushes. Jordans Mill is full of wildlife and we saw lots of bees, dragonflies, a ladybird, as well as evidence that rabbits call this place ‘home’ too.

Once we had completed the trail we handed our sheets back to the shop and each child received a lolly for their efforts. Having worked up a thirst we went to the Riverside Cafe for some elevenses. The cafe has a terrace over the river, a beautiful setting for a bite to eat. If you are organised you can even book in advance and come for afternoon tea. We opted for some children’s sandwiches, scones and drinks from the coffee bar. Picnics aren’t permitted at Jordans Mill but the cafe is reasonably priced and we found something that everyone wanted to eat!

After re-fuelling we walked over to the mill to have a look around but it was closed for a tour, so if you want to look around book a tour when you arrive. We had a very relaxed and enjoyable morning at Jordans Mill so we will certainly be back and we can take in a tour another time.

Top Tips for a visit to Jordans Mill

• If you want to have afternoon tea make sure you book in advance.
• Book a Guided Mill Tour when you arrive. Tours are £5.50* (children under 16 are free).
• Parking is free.
• There are a variety of events and activities organised at Jordans Mill throughout the year. Have a look at what’s on when you visit.
• For more information visit the Jordans Mill website.

 

*We visited in August 2017, all information is correct at the time of publishing.

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