The Corn Loft, Middle Mill

Fortified by the sea views across St Brides Bay, you drive into sweet Solva – full of galleries, restaurants and shops – and follow the river to Middle Mill. The main building has the waterwheel attached at the back, while next door is Mill Lodge. On the first floor of the original, exceedingly old mill (c. 1619), is this – an immaculate retreat for two. Walk in to a lovely long room with a tangle of rafters and buttery cream walls, a warm, carpeted, open-plan space. There are burgundy sofas and armchairs at one end, and a well-equipped kitchen, a pine dining table and chairs, at the other. Through an arch is a good-sized bedroom set into the roof, its louvre windows letting in the light. The spotless en suite bathroom, its stone walls painted a lemon yellow, makes clever use of the space. Corn Loft is one of those immediately appealing spaces, super-comfortable and modern but with reminders of the past. (The hopper into which the corn was lowered, dated 1875, still stands in one corner.) Outside is a small patio garden with valley views: sit out with a glass of wine, tend your barbecue and soak up the peace.