An 18th-century mill with full ownership rights and outbuildings, on 5 hectares of land,
in the brightness of the Charente area as described by writer Jacques Chardonne
in the brightness of the Charente area as described by writer Jacques Chardonne
Barbezieux-Saint-Hilaire,
CHARENTE
poitou-charentes
16300
FR
Location
This property is 30 minutes from Cognac, the birthplace of the famous grape brandy of the same name and Pineau des Charentes aperitif, 25 minutes from Angoulême, the French comic capital also renowned for its old district, chocolate shops and the Remparts automobile racing circuit, in an area with plenty of woods, vineyards, Romanesque churches and old estates, such as the one that belonged to Alfred de Vigny. It is on the outskirts of a large village with all the essential everyday shops and services. Bordeaux is 50 minutes away by road, while Paris is 1 hour 45 minutes away by train from the station in Angoulême.
Description
The buildings are set in a U-shape around a courtyard open to the south. The mill race to the west flows past a building next to a covered area and crosses through the courtyard before passing below the western end of the two-storey main building to the north of the courtyard. To the east, the same building is linked via a carriage gate and a dressed stone pedestrian gate to other outbuildings set perpendicularly. The buildings, made of rubble stone with window and door frames built in locally sourced ashlar, are topped with gently sloped terracotta tiled roofs. The western buildings are located on an island formed by the mill race and the river a little further away.
The mill house
The ground floor
The entrance, with a paved stone floor and exposed rubble stone walls, has large-paned double-leaf doors to the right and left. The door to the left leads into a vast living room, also with paved stone floor as well as a fireplace. There is an open-plan kitchen to the rear, which opens onto the courtyard. Next to it, a scullery is used as a utility room. The door to the right leads into a large lounge with wood stripped flooring. It also has a fireplace, in which a wood-burning insert has been installed. To the rear, after a staircase, there is a lavatory and a bathroom tiled with large white tiles. A bedroom, with solid pinewood flooring and wardrobe space, completes this level. To the north, a door opens onto a patio.
The upstairs
At the top of the elmwood staircase, the bright landing, with solid pinewood flooring and exposed roof frame trusses, leads to three bedrooms, a lavatory and a large shower room boasting a tiled floor and mosaic tiled walls with a navy-blue frieze at the top. There are many large cupboards on this level.
The outbuildings
The outbuildings are made up of a separate construction which housed the former oil mill, with a millstone and wooden wheel, requiring complete renovation, which was powered by the water in the mill race that flows past the edifice, and an adjacent approximately 100-m² covered area, towards the mill house. The low wall of the covered area has a rim carved into it from when the building was used as a washhouse. Opposite, the ashlar porch entrance that is typical of the Charente area, with arched carriage and pedestrian gates framed by pilasters, links the main house to a small outhouse construction set perpendicularly, followed by a vast barn with a surface of more than 170 m². Lastly, in the main building, the mill machinery and two flour millstones used for grinding grain to produce flour are situated over two levels. The millstones are driven by the force transmitted via the water wheel powered by the mill race that runs under the building. After the machinery room, there is a room with a bread oven.
Our opinion
This authentic, welcoming and warm mill is full of character, with a sober exterior and a more elaborate interior. The first-rate recent renovation has preserved period elements, while combining them with natural materials such as hemp, as well as incorporating the latest heating and insulation technology, hence its excellent energy efficiency rating. In short, this is an ideal base for a family, either as a main residence or secondary home, or for welcoming friends in an extremely pleasant setting. It could also appeal to enthusiastic entrepreneurs seeking to invest in flour or food oil production once the mill’s mechanisms have been restored.
675 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 894917
| Land registry surface area | 4 ha 54 a 46 ca |
| Main building surface area | 234 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 350 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.
