The Old Mill gardens, picnic tables by the Avon under a willow with the bridge and waterwheel behind
By the River Avon  ·  Bath, England

Where the
Avon turns slow.

A working waterwheel — the largest of its kind in England — and thirty-six rooms above it. A quiet riverside corner of Bath, a forty-five-minute walk along the river from the Roman Baths and a world away from the bustle.

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Scroll · A quieter Bath
A welcome

A river, a mill, and the long way round.

Tucked under the trees at Tollbridge Road, the Old Mill is the kind of place you find by accident and remember on purpose. The river runs past the dining room. The waterwheel still turns. The walk into Bath is about forty-five quiet minutes along the towpath, past rowers and herons and the occasional curious swan.

1684est.
A mill on the Avon
36rooms
Riverside & lodge
45min
Walk into Bath
1wheel
The largest in England
The waterwheel beside the bridge over the River Avon
The waterwheel · Largest in England
Our story

A wheel that still turns.

There has been a mill on this bend of the Avon for centuries. The building's bones are the same as they ever were — thick limestone, low beams, river light pouring through deep-set windows. We've added beds and bathrooms and a riverside kitchen, kept most everything else.

The waterwheel is the largest of its kind anywhere in England, and it still runs on river water — slow and steady, a soft rumble you stop noticing by the second morning. Locals say it's the best lullaby in Bath. We won't disagree.

Today the Old Mill is a family-run hotel of thirty-six rooms, two riverside dining rooms, and a garden that catches the late sun. Nothing showy. Just unmistakably here.

Where to stay

No two rooms quite alike.

Each room is shaped by the building it sits in — sloping floors, deep window seats, the river outside one wall and the gardens outside the other. From snug singles in the lodge to superior doubles facing the weir.

Superior Double interior with panelled walls, a writing desk, and warm linen lighting

Superior Double
River view

Our largest doubles — panelled walls, warm linen lighting, and a Juliet balcony onto the Avon. The kind of room you keep the curtains open for.

21 m²River viewBath or showerSleeps 2
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Superior Twin room with chandelier, twin beds and a framed landscape

Superior Twin
River view

Two single beds under a chandelier, framed by the same deep-set windows that look across to the bridge. Good for sisters, old friends, and amicable colleagues.

21 m²River viewSleeps 2
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Classic Double bedroom with framed print and warm lighting

Classic Double
In the main house

In the original mill house. The same panelled detailing and a private bath, a little snugger than the Superior. Quiet, charming, and effortlessly comfortable.

16 m²Bath or showerSleeps 2
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The Old Mill Lodge sign with hanging basket above the entrance

The Lodge
Across the courtyard

The Lodge is a separate building across the courtyard — simple, snug, private. Singles, doubles, and twins available, all with walk-in showers and private bathrooms.

6–12 m²Singles, doubles, twinsWalk-in shower
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Practicalities

A few useful things.

Everything else, just ring the front desk. We tend to pick up.

Ask us anything
Check-in is from 3 pm. Check-out is by 11 am. If you arrive earlier, we'll happily mind your bags and point you at coffee.
Yes — on-site parking is available for guests at £10.00 per stay. Pull in, tell reception, and we'll sort the rest.
A continental buffet, served 7 am to 10 am every day. Coffee, juice, pastries, and the river outside the window.
Sorry — the building doesn't suit dogs. Old stairs, narrow corridors, and no garden access from the bedrooms. We'd rather say no than make either of you uncomfortable.
No lift — the building is 17th-century and the staircases are part of the charm. Wheelchair access is available in The Avon & Ember restaurant. Tell us your needs and we'll find the right room.
Free, fast, throughout the hotel and the lodge. Even in the garden.
Restaurant dining room with the waterwheel visible through the arched windows
The Avon & Ember · Our restaurant

Dinner, by the wheel.

Open every evening from five o'clock. Long oak tables, wood floors, rugs underfoot — and through the arched windows, the waterwheel turning. A short menu that changes with what's good. The best table is the one nearest the wheel; book ahead in summer.

Tonight's menu, in part

Tagliatelle al ragù bianco

Pork & veal, no tomato. The way we learned in Bologna.

Trout from the Avon, brown butter & capers

Caught a stone's throw from this table.

Affogato al caffè

Vanilla gelato, a small espresso, a smaller glass of Frangelico.

Restaurant5 pm – 9 pm · Daily
Bar12 pm – 11 pm · Daily
Check-inFrom 3 pm · Out by 11 am
Reserve a table Explore The Avon & Ember
A quieter Bath

A riverside walk takes you most of the way there.

The towpath into the city centre is about forty-five minutes on foot, level and easy along the water. Everything below is within a gentle walk, save for the cab back from a long dinner.

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The Great Bath at the Roman Baths, Bath
1.4 mi · 45 min walk

The Roman Baths

The thermal spring that gave the city its name, still steaming after two millennia.

Thermae Bath Spa rooftop pool
1.5 mi · 45 min walk

Thermae Bath Spa

Rooftop pool at sundown, then back along the towpath. Hard to beat.

Picnic tables and orange umbrellas in the hotel garden by the Avon
at your doorstep

The Avon & the gardens

Rowers, herons, picnic tables under the willows, and a bench that catches the late sun.

The Royal Crescent, Bath
1.8 mi · 50 min walk

The Royal Crescent

Thirty Georgian houses in a perfect curve. Best seen at golden hour.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

The waterwheel sound put us straight to sleep. Best night I've had in a year, and the breakfast was just as good.

Eleanor R. · Stayed February
Stay with us

The best experience starts when you book direct.

No middlemen, no surprises — just our reception team hand-picking your room from what's available the day you arrive.

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