Lower Mill Estate - Cirencester

Poli D.

The estate is absolutely stunning, offering breathtaking scenery and a wealth of walking trails and attractions, including fantastic water sports. It’s wonderful to see such a range of outdoor activities available, making it a great destination for nature lovers and adventure seekers alike.

That said, a few improvements could enhance the experience even further. Better signage would be helpful for navigation, though I do understand that night lighting is limited to protect the wildlife. The spa and swimming pool area, however, seems unable to accommodate the demand. It was so busy that it was impossible to truly relax and enjoy the facilities. The long queues meant that some guests were even turned away and asked to return later. Perhaps a timed entry system or designated areas for different groups would help manage the flow better. A separate adults-only section would also be a welcome addition, ensuring that families and couples alike can make the most of their experience. Additionally, it would be great if seating around the pool was better managed, as some guests occupied spaces with their belongings, leaving others without a place to sit and relax between swims.

The onsite restaurant is beautifully designed and has a lovely atmosphere, but unfortunately, the food did not live up to expectations. It lacked freshness, and for the price, locally sourced, simpler dishes would have been a much better option. The Pizza Shack is a brilliant concept, but it’s disappointing that pizzas are only available for takeaway rather than being served onsite.

To elevate the experience even further, adding more activities for children—such as cookery classes, arts and crafts, or a dedicated kids' club—would be fantastic. Given the price point, the estate has so much potential to expand its offerings and create an even more exceptional experience for guests.

Overall, this is a truly special location with so much to offer, and with a few thoughtful improvements, it could be even more outstanding.

Matt S.

Lower Mill Estate is simply fantastic if you’re looking for a relaxing getaway in a stunning setting.
We stayed as a group of 8 and the accomodation was fabulous, brilliantly spacious and cleaned to an enhanced specification.
Visiting Ballihoo is a must, and if you’re booking as a large group I would strongly recommend the private dining experience offered by Ballihoo; we were blown away by the quality of the food and the service we received (SO reasonably priced, too).

Thank you to all at Lower Mill for making our stay enjoyable.

Graham H.

Having seen the reviews, we decide to book a long weekend in an apartment. We assumed that given the pricing this was going to be something special. I am afraid we were disappointed - though given the park was full (we never saw any empty parking spaces), other do not.
Entry to the park was a nightmare - the entrance road has been narrowed, meaning for about 50 m, only one vehicle could pass, causing chaos and frayed temperatures amongst some visitors before they even arrived. Once on site, we found the park to be attractive with lots of planting and a range of mixed design properties.

Our accommodation we felt to be below par - we compared this to many other places that we have stayed. The kitchen had new appliances and was well equipped. The seating though was quite uncomfortable and the dining table wobbled, despite our attempts to try and adjust the base. The good collection of chairs on the Balcony were better and we ended up bringing a couple of deckchairs into the lounge as they were far more comfortable.

The beds were small and the smaller room really did not have enough space around the bed, with no real space to put clothing (a very small wardrobe and re-purposed single bed side table!). This second room should not be a double - no more space than in a static caravan.

The accommodation was very clean.

The 'App' which we were advised to download is pretty poor and does not complement the 'high end' break which the park promotes. Many of the links do not work or take you off the app and the village map, we found when walking around, could not be zoomed in on to the level at which you could read the details!

Overall, we were disappointed and will not be returning - we had to give it a try, but believe other places we have stayed are nicer - and much better value.

Gemma F.

Thanks to the team at Ballihoo for looking after us after our son fell off the monkey bars the day before his birthday! They went above and beyond helping us with a sling and info about hospital. Plus a cake and happy birthday for breakfast the next morning. Amazing! Thank you so much.
Gemma and Noah (6)

Roy M.

The roads are narrow single track yet two way.

It's a family and kids place yet there are no pavements for them to walk on. Street lights are non-existence, meaning walking on the single track roads in the dark. Not great for adults let along kids.

Houses are massive - can sleep two or three families, yet one narrow parking place per house. Overflow parking is available, but the journey to and from after sunset is dangerous.

Got an electric car? Forget it. No chargers working.

Fancy a swim? You must queue to get in at set times with everybody else. Everybody using the changing rooms at the same time in and out. Madness.

And being in the middle of nowhere, phone signal is patchy and wifi even worse.

If none of the above bothers you, it's otherwise a nice place. Albeit a bit cramped.

Quick tips for the management. Pop some lights on, make the roads one way, fix your car chargers, and stagger your swimming sessions.

Sorana A.

The area seems lovely, and I think it’s a wonderful place. However, as a delivery driver, it can be quite challenging to locate individual houses. It would be extremely helpful to have a central office where all parcels could be dropped off for residents to pick up. The process is often time-consuming due to speed limits and unclear road names.

Francesca M.

We were staying for a weekend for our friend’s 40th. The accommodation was very nice and spacious and decorated well (WG10).

There were a couple of things that unfortunately took the sparkle out of the weekend. Firstly, arriving in the dark with no internet coverage and no signage/lights made what would usually be easy, a very difficult and stressful experience.

Secondly, and more importantly, our experience of the ‘spa’ has left a bad taste in our mouths. We arrived to a very patronising/rude welcome who made us feel completely stupid ‘have you not read the manual’ (actually this information was not in the manual). When we entered we realised a more appropriate name for this facility was ‘leisure centre’. There were minimal spa facilities and the quality was poor. We had booked this trip for a leisurely spa weekend away and instead stayed 45 mins squished in a tiny sauna and avoiding splashes from kids. Not the experience we were expecting.

What a shame the quality of the ‘spa’ facilities do not match the way they are advertised.

mdw U.

Great place
Super relaxing
It’s not Disneyland so expect time to chill
Great on site facilities if you’re active.