In the Charentonne valley, near Bernay in the Eure,
an old mill and its outbuildings in the middle of 14 ha of meadows
an old mill and its outbuildings in the middle of 14 ha of meadows
Bernay, EURE
upper-normandy
27300
FR
Location
7 km from Bernay, a lively town with many shops and services, attractive restaurants, a rich local life, and a station on the Paris-Cherbourg line. The train journey to Paris only takes 1h30, with many daily connections. By road and the A13, Paris is 140 km away and can be reached in two hours.
Description
The road leads to the gated entrance to the property. The drive continues, bordered on one side by the wooded hillside, on the other by the river and the millstream. It runs alongside an outbuilding used as a garage, the mill, and then, further on, the main house. It ends in front of a meadow.
The mill
Built in brick on a rectangular plan, it has three levels and an attic, separated by stone string courses. The slate roof is four-sided. The corner quoins and the arched window frames, some of which feature a basket handle arch, are of dressed stone. On the meadow side, the roof boasts an imposing wall dormer with double French windows. On the other side, the facade has been extended, overlooking the millstream.
Ground floor
A stone bridge with wooden slats provides access to the front door. It opens onto a small hallway, paved with large black tiles, providing access to the boiler room, toilets and the white painted wooden staircase. The brick walls have been left exposed on two sides, as well as part of the machinery of the old mill. A large double glass door separates the hall from the large living room. Sturdy wooden posts rest on a stone base, beams and joists have been preserved, as well as the brickwork on some walls. Numerous windows illuminate the room, one is very large and looks out onto the meadow, others are situated in the cathedral ceiling over half the room. The floor is made of straight oak strips, the dressed stone fireplace has a brick mantle. A low brick wall separates the living room from the dining area and the kitchen. From here, a door opens to the outside.
First floor
The staircase leads to a landing serving a bathroom with shower, a shower room and a toilet. A door opens onto the gallery which overlooks the living room and leads to two bedrooms. The decor is contemporary: light coloured walls, straight strip parquet flooring.
Second floor
The landing serves a small room, a bathroom, a toilet and, two steps further, a bedroom and a very large room. The decor is still the same: light-coloured walls and straight parquet flooring. A door hides the staircase to the attic.
Attic
The attic can be converted and is already insulated. The brick stem wall and the roof beams have been left exposed. They are lit by the roof windows and a double glass door in the wall dormer. The view embraces the meandering river and meadows in the distance. The entire level offers strip parquet flooring.
The main house
It is built of coursed rubble masonry and half-timbering over two levels on a rectangular plan. The corner quoins, window frames and string courses are made of brick. The roof is clad with flat tiles. A central avant-corps juts out from the main facade. A triple glass door framed by two windows is housed in a large arched opening. The house needs to be restored. The building retains many period features: old square terraccota tiles, marble or wooden fireplaces.
Ground floor
The large window in the central avant-corps opens into a living room, two other doors at each end of the house lead to a hallway and a room. The hallway houses the wooden staircase. A corridor leads to a large kitchen, the living room, a bedroom and a shower room.
First floor
The landing leads to a toilet and the corridor which serves three bedrooms and a shower room.
The outbuildings
The garage is made of rendered rubble masonry, and part of the walls are timber-framed. The slate roof is half-hipped. The first level is used for vehicles and accessed via two carriage doors. On one gable, a straight wooden staircase leads to the second level, which could be converted into a dwelling. On the path leading to the main house, a few steps built into the embankment lead to a small half-timber outbuilding built on a rubble and brick foundation with a high gable roof. A second small identical outbuilding sits close to the meadow.
The river, the millstream and the meadows
The river is wide and bustling. A bridge spans the river at the entrance to the property and a second bridge near the mill. The stream meanders through the meadows, in contrast to the straight millstream. Both waterways are bordered by tall trees which lighten the uniformity of these large lawned areas.
Our opinion
Because of its verticality, the mill seems to sit on a flat mosaic of green and blue. The meadows are crossed by the wide, lively, winding river (a first category watercourse with a very high fish population) and the millstream where the water flows freely. The property resembles a ship that sails in calm and reassuring weather. The open spaces and the successful restoration of the mill, in a contemporary spirit, reinforce this feeling. Sharing the same backdrop, the main house, in need of renovation, offers all the qualities to become a place that is both similar and different.
Reference 901615
| Land registry surface area | 14 ha 42 a 71 ca |
| Main building surface area | 380 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 250 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.
