Old Schoolhouse

The Old Schoolhouse in Milton has been on my radar for some time. It’s somewhere I’d been longing to stay. 

Jenny, the owner and her partner Alan had stayed at our Tassie shack, Bushy Summers before the travel restrictions and we were looking forward to a trip to their place in Milton.

Finally, after restrictions had lifted Matthew, my dad and I headed to the Old Schoolhouse for a couple of nights. The weather was not actually on our side but this did not dampen our spirits or our stay.

Matthew and I took the stairs to The Loft, a great size, light-filled, comfy apartment with garden views. Whilst Dad stayed in The Stables, a charming and light place with vaulted ceilings and a little veranda that the chooks seemed to be particularly fond of.

Jenny has styled both The Loft and The Stables beautifully and they are spaces that certainly make you feel nurtured. Thank you Jenny for your hospitality, we will be back.

Places to eat during your stay:

We really enjoyed the local pub, The Milton Hotel with their dangerous ales and their super friendly staff.

We ate a delicious dinner and drank some fine wine at Small Town Food and Wine. 

The Milk Haus was our breakfast spot with locally grown produce.

All of these places were fab.

Give us a little bit of background about yourself.

I grew up in the country and I really am a country girl at heart.  After spending 20 years working in advertising in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I moved out of the corporate world and became a landscape designer.  It was so great to have the chance to work outdoors (I spent many years on the tools alongside my team of landscapers), to design and plant gardens and see how gardens can completely transform a place and bring so much serenity and joy to people.

When did you decide to move to Milton and why did you make this decision?

I moved to Milton seven years ago.  We have a beach house on the south coast so when I decided I wanted to leave Avalon on the Northern Beaches it was a natural move to head south.  Milton is the perfect mix of everything I was looking for - beautiful country scenery but just a quick drive to stunning beaches. Milton has plenty of that small town charm but the area is also blessed with amazing restaurants, shops and cafes so it's country with a touch of cosmopolitan living.

What attracted you to Milton?

The rolling green hills, the dairy farms and the beaches - we swim every day all year round so I couldn't be far away from the ocean. It was Milton Show weekend the first time we visited and we completely fell in love with the town, and all the best of country hospitality was apparent.  A visit to the chook pavillion, watching the woodchop and admiring the home baked cakes and jams and the grand parade of horses and cattle were all so special.  We knew we had found our town.

Tell us how you found the Old Schoolhouse.

I have two border collies so I do a lot of walking and when I came searching for a property I used to walk all the country roads hoping to find the perfect place.  I kept passing this one property and I would say to myself, “why can't I find a property like that" and one day, it came onto the market.  

What drew you to the property and what did you find exciting about it?

There was something about this property.  Landscapers call it a Sense of Place and it just seemed to be the right size on 2 1/2 acres and, when we finally got to walk around it, one quarter of the property is a productive orchard with an amazing variety of fruit and nut trees.  So for a horticulturalist, it was my dream come true.

What state was it in when you bought it? 

Whilst the property was very much loved by it's previous owner, it was in a pretty sad state.  The house itself was the original 1880 schoolmaster’s cottage, a tiny two-bedroom house with leaking pipes and termite damage.  I had many regrets and anxious moments when the builders arrived as so much of it had to be gutted and replaced but despite that, it was still a very special place to own.

Did you have a plan before you found it to set up an Airbnb? 

If you had asked me before I bought this property if I would run some short term accommodation I would have said you were crazy and I couldn't imagine ever doing that.  But this property had two separate potential accommodation options and I renovated those as soon as I moved in because the main house was too small to have family and friends come and stay.  Once they were renovated it seemed silly to leave them empty most of the time so I made the decision to run a BnB and we were booked out from the first week we opened.

You’ve created two beautiful spaces. What are the most important elements for you in these spaces? 

My very first guest said to me she felt like she was staying in my home, not just some accommodation, and I said to her "it is my home" and I think that's what makes the Stables and the Loft a bit special.  I've put just as much love and care and attention into the accommodation as I have into my own home.  

I know we all love things like linen sheets and high quality toiletries and the little details in the furnishings but I think the most important elements are the fresh eggs from my girls, the home made jams from the fruit in our orchard and all the special treats that help to make a guest feel spoilt and special. Plus, they get to escape from their everyday city lives and I think there is something very special about being in the country - the fresh air, the stars at night, the peace and quiet ... and chickens sitting on your doorstep.

Describe your Milton, what you love about it and the rhythm of your days.

I keep saying we should keep Milton a secret because it is such a unique country town. Like all country towns, the mainstay of the district are the dairy farming families who have been living here and working on the land for generations.  So many streets, headlands, ovals and buildings are named after these families and they are the core of the community.

Our days start with letting the chooks out and we often take a walk over to the orchard to see if there is any new fruit or pick some asparagus when in season. We then pack the dogs in the car and head for the beach - either Narrawallee or Racecourse Beach in Ulladulla - for our morning walk and swim.  And then straight to Lagom Bakery in Burrill Lake for the best sourdough and coffee on the south coast.  We are especially addicted to their fruit buns and croissants.

Home for an outdoor shower (is there anything better than showering outside?) then into the vege patch or the garden before the day gets too hot.  

Our days are pretty busy as it takes a bit of work to manage a big property but we look forward to the late afternoon when the sun is setting and the light is so beautiful streaming through the orchard and the trees, we sit on the front verandah with a glass of wine taking in the beauty of the place and we know we are truly blessed to be living in this special place.

CREDITS
Photography & Words - Claire Lloyd

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