Amidst natural, but not secluded surroundings,
a venerable mill, with a house, awaiting its future vocation
a venerable mill, with a house, awaiting its future vocation
Saint-Maixent-l'École, DEUX-SEVRES
poitou-charentes
79400
FR
Location
This mill is on a clear-water tributary of the river Sèvre-Niortaise, the main feeder for the Poitevin marshland before it flows into the ocean in the magnificent Bay of Aiguillon. 2 km from the centre of a market town which has more to offer than just local shops and amenities satisfying daily needs. Saint-Maixent-l'Ecole TGV train station, with its 2-hour links to Paris, is but 12 minutes away. It takes barely more than an hour to reach La-Rochelle by car or by train.
Description
This south-facing mill stands parallel to the river, featuring large windows and a brand-new slate roof. It still has its wheel and the machinery that initially operated in a cloth-making factory and later in a sawmill. The stream and the millrace delimit a delightful, private islet. The detached, east-facing house, standing at right angles, is already a comfortable home. It comprises a dining room-kitchen, a lounge, a laundry room, a shower room, a toilet and a storeroom on the ground floor, with three bedrooms, a study, a bathroom and a toilet upstairs. The plumbing is new and solar panels provide domestic hot water. The sanitation system is in line with current day standards. The two other sides of the courtyard-garden are delimited by a little canal, which precedes a meadow, and by the fence bordering the country lane.
The mill
This mill still has its enormous wheel which, once repaired, could be operated once again by its system of sluicegates. The building, spanning 200 m² over three levels, awaits restoration, perhaps by preserving what remains of its machinery, notably its different sized pullies which for years provided the power required for the weaving activity and then for the sawmill. In any event, the many large, south-facing openings make the inside extremely bright. The recent, insulated, Angers slate roof was entrusted to the expertise and professional conscience of prestigious craftsmen from the “Compagnons de France”.
The house
Two old, adjoining dwellings have been made into a single house, whilst a third, narrow section, following on from the other two, is currently in use as storage space. Spanning two levels, this house faces east. It has a tiled roof.
Ground floor
The dining room and the open-plan kitchen form a vast area, spanning 60 m². Its underfloor heating, powered by a water-to-water heat pump, is enhanced with a modern, closed-hearth fire. It still has its original ceiling beams. Two of the walls feature exposed stone. The windows are double glazed. A laundry room, with a shower room and a separate toilet, has been installed in a small projection at the back. A vestibule, providing access to the dining room, leads to a cosy lounge with its own entrance, set in the facade, and to a large storeroom, with a packed mud floor.
First floor
This level comprises three large bedrooms and a study with parquet flooring, a bathroom and a toilet. A second shower room, with a window, could be installed at the end of a corridor. The first floor is topped with two attics.
The outbuildings
The outbuildings are on the other side of the little country lane, together with a vegetable garden and an orchard. The barn roof was redone a short while go. A farm shed standing at right angles is used for parking cars.
Our opinion
The only sound to be heard comes from the trout river. This elegant mill is steeped in potential for a new way of life that the current owner of the property, a stone-cutter retired from the French Historic Monument Society, has meticulously prepared. The nostalgia exuded by the machinery can but provide future inspiration. The house, a main residence or a holiday home if, for instance, it is used for holiday rental purposes, can be lived in straightaway. Nature has taken care of all the rest, creating a lush, tranquil harmony.
Reference 369295
| Land registry surface area | 8490 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 243 m2 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 445 m2 |
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
