loopyloulaura

My very own website!!! Yikes!

Love where you live: Odiham Castle and the Mill House

On my #Project365 post this week you may have seen 2 pics from the same venue: so good I went twice!
On Tuesday I had a long overdue catch up with a friend. She suggested trying the Mill House at North Warnborough and I was seriously impressed at their menus. They have clear allergen information available, making it super easy for awkward eaters like myself πŸ™‚

The Mill House is a 15 minute drive from my house, nestled in the Hampshire countryside. It is a grade 2 listed building dating from the 17th century but a mill on the site was even mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086. It was last used as a corn mill in 1895 and the water wheel is still encased in the dining room (see pic below, excuse my reflection!)

We had booked in advance and sat indoors. I had informed them of my dietary needs on the booking form so they were prepared!
I chose to have the mushroom bourguingnon pie with olive oil mash, green veg and a red wine jus. I also had some chunky chips as I simply couldn’t resist! The food was of such a high standard that it was almost difficult to believe it really was vegan and gluten free!
On Saturday, Anya announced she wanted to go to a castle. Chris did some quick research and discovered Odiham Castle along the Basingstoke Canal so off we set!
We parked in the village and walked along a single track road (past a duck and her ducklings) until we reached the banks of the canal and strolled along, enjoying the sunny walk.
Odiham Castle used to be a royal residence and has survived being besieged by the French. Now all that remains is a little of the octagonal keep.
Afterwards, we headed to the Mill House which was less than 5 minutes drive away. The children loved playing on the tractor and swing and there was a large open space to run around.
I opted for 2 starters this time: tempura tofu and fried peppers, served with skinny fries.
Chris went for the pie on my recommendation and was not disappointed! There is a vegan curry on the menu so another return trip is planned…

18 comments

  1. Such a lovely post, with great photos. As a vegetarian eating out is difficult as I am a strange beast that hates mushroom. Your food looked lovely and the fired peppers sound yummy. We are lucky enough to live on the Brecon Beacons National Park so have an endless supply of castles, beaches and mountains to love where we live. #globalblogging

  2. You always put up these lovely pictures of vegan and vegetarian food and I am always hungry by the end of the post! The food looks yummy – I am actually starving now so going to get myself a boring bowl of cereal!! #globablogging

  3. I always think we under-estimate how beautiful the UK is and Hampshire is glorious I know. Looks like a great day and one of those dishes reminded me of a top hat for some reason #GlobalBlogging

  4. Laura, this looks amazing and as a vegetarian gluten free mom with a egg/nut allergy kid, this adds to the heavenly feel. I would go here many times if it were close! Wow. #globalblogging

  5. Sounds like a wonderful place to visit! It’s great that so many restaurants are now detailing their menus to make it easy for people to order according to their dietary preferences and needs. #GlobalBlogging

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.