NESTLED halfway down a little lane called Mill Hill, where fishermen's cottages jostle one another for space is the Old Mill House. You have to walk right through the village of Polperro and over Saxon Bridge to get to it, and it would probably remain somewhat of a secret if it were not for the fact that it can be seen from the main thoroughfare on the other side of the river.

It has a good reputation for its friendly hospitality, and the warmth of its welcome in chilly weather - it boasts two roaring log fires - is well worth you seeking it out.

One of the three water wheels to turn in the village in days gone by was positioned here, although it is not quite certain if the pub was the original mill house, as there is also a Mill Cottage close by. Because of the pub's close proximity to the river it was one of the many casualties of the devastating flood of 1993, with the whole of the ground floor being wrecked, the river rushing in and reaching a level at the top of the front door. It was closed for a very long time while it underwent a complete refurbishment.

The pub began life many years ago as a small guesthouse/hotel, but then a bar was opened up to non residents, and eventually it grew into a fully fledged public house. However, it still welcomes guests and there are eight bed and breakfast rooms.

Good mixture

Mine hostess for the past two years has been Suzanne Doughty who has lived in Polperro for 20 years all told, and was once the manager of The Crumplehorn Inn. Now the owner of her own business she says she is loving every minute of it and gets on well with all her customers. 'I have a good mixture of both locals and visitors' she said, 'and they all like to have a good chat'.

As soon as you step inside the Old Mill House you are enveloped by the warm and relaxed atmosphere, and the pub's character is part created by natural wooden floors, old pictures of Polperro's fishing industry dotted around the stone walls, lobster pots in various nooks and crannies, and nets slung from the low beamed ceilings, through which small white lights twinkle attractively.

Most hostelries these days have a television to provide sports entertainment for its regulars and to attract customers when there is a good football or rugby match, but at the Old Mill House it's racing on the cards most days. In fact it is known in the village as a 'racing' pub.

A keen bar stool punter is Monica Field-Johnson who arrives with her paper folded at the racing pages most days and has a wonderful time ringing her bookie and placing her bets while she enjoys her Bass beer and a cigarette from a holder. 'I have always loved racing and used to cycle to point to points when I was younger and lived in Somerset' she said.

Sitting on the bar stool next to Monica is usually Michael Sutton who lives at Kellow. He moved to Polperro 12 years ago and said he liked the Old Mill House because of the nice fire and the racing. 'I use Monica's mobile to place my bets' he laughed.

The pub is also into the traditional sports and the euchre team is presently sitting comfortably at the top of the Looe and District League. There is a mixed team in the Friday Polperro Builders League, and for the first time the pub has a team in the Looe and District Pool League. The pool table was put into the pub about a year ago and is proving popular with locals and visitors.

Another form of sport enjoyed is the weekly Tuesday quiz night, held to raise funds for Polperro's Christmas lights. The questions are compiled by John Yaxley of Yaxley's Stores, and quiz master is Bill Smith of the Claremont Hotel. A coffee morning and a disco are to be held later in the month for the same fund. 'Everyone in the village is making a special effort themselves to light up Polperro' says Suzanne, 'and the pub will be doing its bit'.

Friendly staff

The Old Mill House has a small and friendly staff which is family orientated. Behind the bar are brother and sister Nick and Maria Ball. Nick, who became full time in March, also looks after the cellar and says he really enjoys his job. 'You meet a lot of different people all the time, it's fun, and there is a good body of regulars, most of whom come in each day at around 5pm' he said. Maria has been the barmaid for almost two years, and helping out on a part time basis during busy periods is Dennis Shaw. Suzanne's right hand man is her son Paul Hoskin, who helps with the day to day running of the pub, including most of the maintenance. Keeping the pub and the B and B side spic and span is Belinda Taper.

A renowned aspect of the Old Mill House is the food. There are two chefs, Suzanne herself and Nicola Toms, a former Polruan girl who is now married to a Polperro fisherman. Between them they serve up a comprehensive bar selection which are all wholesome, home baked favourites such as steak and kidney pie and steak and stilton. Then there is a very tempting specials board with an imaginative selection of fish and shell fish dishes, serving up such delicacies as locally caught scallops. Everything is very reasonably priced.

People ordering food from either menu can eat it wherever they choose, be it in the main bar, boathouse bar, family room or the Riverside Garden, and now the Old Mill House offers the bistro styled Boathouse Restaurant. The most famous customer since it was first opened at the beginning of last year, is Padstow's TV fish chef, Rick Stein, who was in the village as the special guest at the annual Festival of Arts.

Wolverhampton couple Oliver Rowe and Hayley Alsop were enjoying the fire and the food during their third short break visit to Polperro from their busy occupations as an engineering works manager and a midwife, respectively. They say their visits are their special birthday treats and they enjoy coming into the pub. 'This is my birthday break' said Hayley, and we hope to be back in February for Oliver's.

As the Cornish Times left after a very pleasant visit, John Ede from West Wayland Farm and his workman Peter Sammels, arrived with a tractor laden down with wood to keep those log fires burning bright.