Location
In the heart of the Limousin region, in a triangle formed by Guéret to the north, Aubusson and Bourganeuf to the south, to the north-west of the Millevaches Regional Nature Park, the house stands in the middle of the countryside, 1.5 km from a village with a grocery shop, a pharmacy, a post office and a GP surgery. The nearest town with all the day-to-day food shops and services is a 10-minute drive away. La Souterraine railway station is 50 minutes from the property and connects to Paris and Toulouse. Limoges and its international airport are roughly a 1-hour drive away.
Description
Access is via a largely lawned esplanade planted with fruit trees. On one side, a timber-framed workshop with a ribbed steel panel roof and an open shed are hidden behind vegetation; on the other, a stone barn with a roof of interlocking tiles is located not far from the house. A large lean-to used as a woodshed abuts the rear. The stone building built over cellars has three storeys, including one in the roofspace. Three facades are rendered, and the roof is clad with small flat tiles which are in excellent condition.
All around, trees and coppices form a thick cover of greenery, opening out to the east over the entire extent of the property.
The house
The main southern facade features an elegant graphic style alternating between impressive granite blocks and rendering. The wooden windows are all double-glazed, their surrounds and the corner quoins are of dressed stone. All the other facades are rendered.
The remains of a former building adjoin the east gable, forming a kind of courtyard bordered by walls with two openings.
The ground floor
The long entrance hall, with its dark hardwood floor, leads on one side to a first room lit by a window. Currently used as a study, it could be converted into a sitting room or bedroom. Next follow a lavatory and a shower room with a window to the rear. Opposite is a vast kitchen with a granite-tiled floor. Overlooking the front arrival esplanade, the two windows face a stone fireplace with a wooden lintel featuring a wood-burning stove providing the central heating. Continuing through, there is a dining room with hardwood flooring, which opens onto the rear of the house and the river. A second stove, of Dutch origin, is set against a wall. Both rooms have retained their original access doors and cupboards with period woodwork. The ceiling beams are exposed throughout the ground floor. On one side of the entrance hall, two wooden staircases lead down to the cellar level and upstairs.
The first floor
This level is arranged around a large landing with hardwood flooring and exposed ceiling beams, illuminated by two windows facing south and one facing north. It leads to two bedrooms, also with hardwood floors: one features wooden storage spaces and two windows overlooking the front of the house; the other has a window facing the river at the back. Opposite, there is a separate lavatory.
The second floor
Concealed behind a door, a second staircase leads up to the roofspace which includes a large attic lit by small roof windows. The timber frame has been left exposed. There is a third bedroom on the west gable end, with three low roof windows. The entire storey has hardwood floors.
The basement
Accessed either from the ground floor or from outdoors at the bottom of the rear facade, they are divided into three areas: a vaulted stone cellar, an area containing the old mechanical parts from a mill that once operated on the property, and a workshop.
The outbuildings
There are two separate outhouses.
Next to the house, an old barn forms a storage area, accessed via two doors. At the rear, an open lean-to serves to store logs for the wood-burning stove.
Set apart, towards the entrance of the property, there is a recent workshop, built on a concrete slab and lit by roof windows and four west-facing openings. It is extended by an open barn used as a storeroom.
The grounds
Stretching across just over 10 hectares, the grounds are made up of meadows, coppice and wooded plots, which supply the estate with sufficient firewood. With the river bordering part of its northern side, they form a narrow, elongated tongue, the house standing at the western end.
Our opinion
A residence and its estate, set away from any neighbouring buildings, in a rather untamed natural environment where numerous wild animals regularly draw near, creating a beautiful spectacle. This authentic family home was once an oil and flour mill. From its origins, it has retained an elegant simplicity, a form of traditional rusticity. After some refurbishment work, some will no doubt want to add their own personal touch, but the distinctive character of the property will certainly remain unaffected, whether used as a main residence or a holiday house.
Reference 889021
Land registry surface area | 10 ha 31 a 45 ca |
Main building surface area | 269.71 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 3 |
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.