From Paul & Jane Howkins:    <thehowks@talktalk.net>      Sent: Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:37

Dear Nick, Fran and family.

Quick note to say many thanks for allowing us to take over the Moulin and Grange for a couple of weeks – all had an absolutely fantastic time, consumed copious amounts of your delightful wine (except Scott of course) and laughed till lit hurt!!

Looking back we fitted in canoeing on 2 rivers the Salat and the Ariege, white water rafted another, the Aude twice, had a sports day, went underground into the local caves, enjoyed Christmas dinner together, consumed a delightful authentic Paella, had a fabulous French evening (many thanks for the great meal), visited the coast, played boule, badminton, table tennis and spent the rest of the time in the pool and all in terrific surroundings.

I cannot see how we can better the experience – your Moulin is just spot on for our crew and our antics!!

Looking forward I will canvas opinion as to what people want to do next year –

Well – till next time – many thanks for helping us have a brilliant holiday.

 

From: joy whitby       <whitby165@btinternet.com>          Sent: Mon, Aug 30, 2010 5:05 pm                                                

Dear Fran and Nick,
Thank you again for that marvellous break in your beautiful Moulin.  We were enchanted to be there and will carry the memory of it in our hearts for a long time.

We all look back nostalgically to that special holiday in your Garden of Eden.  I will go on recommending it to people – specially artistic friends and do hope to get back myself one day.

Joy

From Chris and Sarah Westwood.                              Chris.n.westwood@hotmail.co.uk

We have had several wonderful stays at the Moulin and over the years have seen it change from being lovely to outstanding!

Nick, Fran and extended family have worked so hard to improve the facilities it is difficult to think what else could be added!

The accommodation is very comfortable; the pool, new jacuzzi and plunge pool will be most welcome on the hot days.

The Ariege is a little known region of France but has some lovely towns and mountain villages, with an excellent  abundance of fauna and flora. The food and wine are very good and reasonable, especially if the hospitable Davidsons provide it!

 

from Jack & Colette Thwaites -   jackthwaites@hotmail.co.uk   May 2015

"This spring holiday will be our third visit to stay at The Moulin . As always , a wonderfully warm welcome with lots of ideas as to what to see, where the best and moderately priced restaurants are,which markets to go to ,where to walk or cycle ,- this is all on top of a stunning estate with drinks on the terrace ,boule in the garden,sunbathing by your large heated pool and food to die for plus wine at 3 euros a bottle -how do you do it? Nick and Fran - you must be the best hosts on the planet .The estate borders the river for 600 meters - what a location ! See you again next year !" This place is very special" Best wishes to you both ,
Jack and Colette Thwaites .

 

from Andrew Lumsden –  andrew.lumsden@kcl.ac.uk  – July 2015

Nick and Fran are ideal hosts; nothing was too much trouble in preparing and equipping the moulin for our visit. The kitchen has every conceivable piece of kit for preparing many-course meals for our 15 guests. Small children (we brought along four during our three week stay) were well accommodated. Seven bedrooms in the main house all en-suite, four more bedrooms in the adjacent grange. In all of our many years of renting large properties in the South of France, this was the best. The swimming pool was an especial delight.

 

from: Mike and Wendy Coghlan       mjcoghlan@bigpond.com                 June / July 2015

Dear Nick and Fran.

Just a late communication to say thanks for a truly lovely time at Moulin.The area and the property are very beautiful and all the facilities were A1. We enjoyed the pool and all the other sporting activities and the meals provided by Fran and yourself were outstanding.We explored lots of local scenic spots which are beautiful and the caves were very interesting. The local Tapas restaurant was e treat and we all enjoyed ourselves thanks to our friendly host.We would recommend Moulin to anyone who wants a group holiday as the facilities are well suited to cater for all activities and the accommodation is very comfortable as are cooking facilities. Regards Mike

 

La Materette Review – Jillie and Mark Berresford, Jersey

When we first approached the Mill, after travelling through some breathtaking countryside, we were little prepared for the charming and spacious house that was to be our home for the next seven days.We received a very warm welcome from Fran and Nick who own the Mill and were given a detailed tour of the house and grounds. After that, we knew we were going to want for nothing! There were even some complimentary bottles of wine for us.

The property nestles happily next to the River Arize, which tumbles alongside the large, pretty garden. The garden boasts a wood, wildflowers and island as well as a secluded swimming pool, millstream, new Jacuzzi and petanque pitch. There are also plenty of quiet areas where you can sit and listen to the wonderful birdsong around you – The Golden Oriel being the highlight of anyone’s visit!

Nick and Fran have brought the property up-to-date but in doing so, have not lost the original character of the building.  All rooms were spacious, the down stairs rooms leading out to verandahs and sunny terraces, each bedroom has a beautiful view of the garden and had its own ensuite. The kitchen has everything you could wish for including two dishwashers and fridges!

If we weren’t lying by the pool, playing petanque or indulging in a glass of wine with our barbecue on the terrace, we could drive, walk or cycle the short distances to enjoy the countryside, historic medieval towns and villages that are in easy reach of the Mill. A drive into the Pyreenees is a must –Nick and Fran have discovered lots of beautiful routes to take.

We found the location to be peaceful and very restful and look forward to going again soon!

The Mill is a perfect place to share with family and friends of all ages.