A 12th-century mill with 2 hectares of grounds, a river and veteran trees,
only 40 minutes from Paris, in the Chevreuse valley
only 40 minutes from Paris, in the Chevreuse valley
Gif-sur-Yvette,
ESSONNE
ile-de-france
91190
FR
Location
The property stands on the edge of a town in the Chevreuse valley, which is located in the Essonne department within the Ile-de-France region, approximately 25 kilometres southwest of Paris.
Less than 5 minutes away by car is an RER station, which makes it possible to reach the centre of Paris via the RER B in 30 minutes.
Although the property is located within a calm and verdant environment, all shops, facilities and services are nearby.
Description
A stately wooden gate provides access to the main driveway, sheltered from view, which leads to a bridge straddling the river. There stands the mill, which was refurbished in the 19th century, but the first vestiges of which go back to the 12th century. With three levels, it is topped with a flat-tile roof punctuated with skylights and shed dormer windows, while its exposed stone walls are cadenced by many different-sized windows with wooden shutters. Fitted with double-glazed windows, all the wooden window frames have been restored. In addition, the property has a pedestrian entrance, via a wooden gate, accessible from the street.
To the south and east, the grounds extend over approximately 2 contiguous hectares, including a vast meadow and woodland interspersed with veteran trees. To the northeast is an ancient pavilion in need of restoration.
To the south and east, the grounds extend over approximately 2 contiguous hectares, including a vast meadow and woodland interspersed with veteran trees. To the northeast is an ancient pavilion in need of restoration.
The Mill
The ground floor
The front door opens directly onto the kitchen. Entirely fitted and adjacent to a utility room, the kitchen has a tile floor and wide windows. To the right, an ancient wooden door adorned with wrought-iron hinge strips provides access to a dining room, the walls of which are decorated with a remarkable collection of plates depicting the French Revolution. Legend has it that they were given as a break-up gift by the American Barbara Hutton (1912-1979), a genuine socialite, nicknamed “the poor little rich girl”, because of her tumultuous life, to her ex-husband the prince Igor Nikolayevitch Troubetzkoy (1912-2008), then owner of the mill, whom she divorced in 1951.
The room includes an imposing fireplace with a stone mantle and a wooden chimney hood. The floor is in brick, while the ceiling has exposed beams and joists. A glass door leads to a conservatory facing east towards the grounds. To the right is a living room with its own imposing fireplace. Here, once again, the floor is covered in bricks and the ceiling has exposed beams and joists.
To the left of the fireplace, a former door, now walled in, once connected to the kitchen, while an old bar is decorated with panels painted with medieval themes. Behind it, wooden shelves conceal a secret hiding place. To the left is an office, which looks out over the garden.
Back in the living room, double wooden doors lead to the entranceway in which a wooden staircase provides access to the upstairs floors. Opposite, a glass door leads to the courtyard to the west. The entranceway wall is decorated with a medieval-inspired fresco depicting a unicorn, which was restored by a heritage conservator in 2018. Under the staircase is a lavatory with a washbasin. To the right of the entranceway there is a bedroom with a shower room, while to the left, a storeroom leads to the wine cellar. Lastly, a door opens onto a conservatory converted into a winter garden, which provides outside access.
The first floor
The wooden staircase leads to a landing. To the left, a door provides access to a second bedroom with skylights that overlook the garden and its own shower room with lavatory. Back on the landing, an opening leads to a corridor, the walls of which are adorned with wooden bookcases. To the left, a gallery, illuminated by windows and fitted with wooden benches is used as a reading space. At the end of the corridor is a third bedroom bathed in light by three high windows. A wooden cupboard adorned with wrought-iron hinge strips conceals a door that leads to the shower room with lavatory. From the landing, an alcove provides access to a linen cupboard and numerous other storage spaces. A painted wooden door, in all likelihood Spanish, leads to the fourth bedroom with straight-plank hardwood floors and illuminated by three windows, adjacent to a bathroom with lavatory.
Back on the landing, a fifth bedroom includes a mezzanine, from which a bathroom with lavatory is accessible. All the rooms on this floor have been meticulously renovated.
The second floor
Accessible from the main staircase, it is composed of a vast room built into the attic space, currently used as a projection room with storage spaces, while an opening leads to a bathroom. The space could be converted in order to create more bedrooms.
The Ancient Garden Pavilion
Located in the north-eastern part of the grounds near the old swimming pool, it has one storey and is topped with a flat-tile roof. Although in need of a full renovation, it is connected to the water network and represents an additional, already existing asset, since it does not require any building permit.
The Grounds
Extending over 2 hectares behind the main wooden gate, they include a carport with enough space to store gardening tools and accommodate two cars. Once past the gate, centenary trees populate the grounds, including an impressive California sequoia.
Set within a bucolic and pastoral setting, the grounds are visible from the two bridges straddling the river. Mostly wooded, they include a vast meadow planted with a stately Lebanon cedar and a majestic horse chestnut tree at its centre. The pleasant babbling of water recalls that the river flows to the north of the property, which also includes an old swimming pool and tennis court hidden by tall bamboo and in need of renovation. Nearby, an old greenhouse and pavilion also deserve to be renovated. Two dolmens stand in the north-eastern part of the grounds, near a former patch of grapevines.
Back towards the house, a remarkable tulip tree stands near the river. Not far from there is a heated counter-current spa, of approximately 8 metres. A second gate located to the south provides access to the road.
Our opinion
A multi-century former mill and now an authentic country house, the property is located within a bucolic and verdant environment right outside of Paris. Its size and numerous bedrooms make it an agreeable residence, while its meticulous renovations have conserved its original, characteristic elements. The river running through the property not only makes it stand out, but underlines its overall peaceful feeling. The grounds are large enough to accommodate horses, which it currently does, or other animals. A genuine oasis of relaxation only 40 minutes from the capital...who could ask for more?
1 680 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 779793
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 34 a 48 ca |
| Main building surface area | 424 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 80 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.
