Allez Francais: From Hampshire to Deux-Sèvres

Magnificent moulins Peter Elias takes a look at a few mills for sale in Poitou-Charentess			The mill on the Autize has very large rooms, a magnificent wheel room, and three mammoth bedrooms and is ready to move into. Alongside the house is a waterfall and across the river is a large field where the current owners keep their horses. For a moulin connoisseur with no aspiration of creating gîtes, this would make a super property. The asking price is 449,725 euros. On a smaller scale is a renovated mill for under £100,000. Requiring some minor works to finish this off, this attractive property is situated in a tranquil hamlet and owns 18,000m² of land bordered by a stream. The ‘bief’ for the mill has been diverted so that the water no longer races by, but this could be rediverted again if required. We also have a good selection of similar property in the Charente and Charente Maritime departments. Near Surgeres is another mill listed by Cassini, with a superb wheel room, situated within a small park of 7,800m². Another mill nearby has four large bedrooms, two bathrooms and scope to develop the loftspace to create a super B&B property. Finally an enormous mill in the Charente presents possibilities to create a very large B&B or gîte complex. The mill is already habitable and comes with a second house, plus scope to create seven to eight extra bedrooms in the main house and various other outbuildings that would also convert to gîtes, at 407,800 Euros.
The British buyer in France has for a long time had a love affair with moulins – the sheer attraction of a magnificent building and a waterside setting is something to always set the heart racing. In the UK, buyers are somewhat sceptical about living too close to rivers, after the experiences in many areas in recent years with flooding. France has not escaped flooding problems, but many specific areas have, and mill houses by their very origins tend to be exceptionally well built, designed to keep grain or flour in dry surroundings. Mill properties often come with quite a history and can be just as interesting as a château or manoir. In the 18th century, the cartographer Cassini used many moulins as significant landmarks to plot early maps across France. We currently have two mills listed by Cassini, the first built in 1765, in central Deux-Sèvres in the Gatine, an area famed for its granite. As a result the house has rarely seen granite fireplaces. Situated in two acres, of which 1,800m² are water gardens, there are many of the original mill features still in place. The property also has a large dependance that would convert into a gîte or holiday cottage. Priced originally at 400,000 euros, this is now open to negotiation. The Deux-Sèvres department has the Sèvre Niortaise as its principal river and there are several properties for sale through Allez Français sited on this river.
	One superb mill is like a showpiece for Ideal Home, having a stunning location on its own island. Crystal clear water passes on either side of the renovated property which was built in 1661. There are four bedrooms, three luxury bathrooms, a billiard room, and magnificent reception rooms with full length windows to take advantage of the exceptional setting. The mill also benefits from a swimming pool and everything has been restored to a lavish standard but in keeping with the style of the property. There are even thermostatically controlled wine caves!	Top: A luxurious mill on the Sevre Niortaise or a small mill near Refannes, bottom Further down the river is a small two-bedroom house renovated with a mix of old and new styles. Within the grounds is a mill to restore entirely, but again the setting is exceptional within an acre of water gardens and within easy travelling distance of the town of St Maixent l'École and its TGV connections. This property is available for a little over 160,000 euros. Nearby are two other mills, one on the River Autize and the other on the River Vonne near Refannes.