An old, 16th century mill, awaiting restoration, in a valley,
north of the Loire and near Amboise, in the Touraine region
north of the Loire and near Amboise, in the Touraine region
Tours, INDRE-ET-LOIRE
center-val-de-loire
37000
FR
Location
In the Loire Valley, classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. 30 minutes from Tours, 10 minutes from Amboise and 5 minutes from the nearest shops. The train station, 7 km away, has links taking just over 2 hours to Paris-Austerlitz and 1⅔ hours to Paris-Montparnasse. Tours-Val-de-Loire airport, 30 minutes away, has regular, direct flights to Marseille, London, Dublin, Marrakech and Porto.
Description
This peaceful valley, with its wooded slopes, has a stream meandering through it that flows into the river Cisse which, a little later, flows into the river Loire. Like the stream, the road is narrow and winding, guaranteeing that it is little used. The triangular-shaped plot of land is bordered by the road on the west side, the stream on the east side and a slope, delimiting the field of the neighbouring property, to the north. Once the property of Marmoutier Abbey, bishopric of Tours, this mill is said to have been built in the first half of the 16th century, just like the chateau built upstream on the hillside to the west. No vestiges remain of the mill’s mechanism, no paddle or overshot wheel, no grindstone and even the water no longer passes under or by the mill.
The mill
This property comprises six buildings of varying heights and depths: five follow on one after another, whilst the sixth is set at right angles. The walls are constructed from freestone as well as quarry stone blocks and the west gables from half-timbering, filled with cob. The square tower, housing a wooden spiral stairway, is predominantly made of freestone, with a top section composed of brick-filled half-timbering. The chestnut wood roofing frameworks support roofs covered with small tiles. They have all been regularly maintained. The first two buildings, on the west side, were restored several decades ago. The lowest building is used as a machine room. The second consists, on the ground floor, of a living room comprising a sober fireplace of a good size, typical of local rural housing, as well as a kitchen, a shower room and a toilet. The upstairs is taken up by one very large room, featuring the exposed roofing framework. The next two buildings await full restoration works: only the wooden framework and a few quarry stone block or cob walls remain. The upstairs are also in need of recreation. However, it is not necessary to tightrope walk as they can still be reached via the stairway in the square tower. The last building houses a bread oven, the hearth and vault of which are in a good state of preservation.
Our opinion
New owners can but spend hours contemplating this edifice, bearing witness to the past! Breathing new life back into it will not only be a great challenge, but will also provide great satisfaction as it is in a most authentic state. This is not just a building awaiting restoration or finishing works, even though the task might appear simple. The setting remains tranquil and unspoilt despite its ease of access and proximity to Amboise and Tours.
330 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 569382
| Land registry surface area | 4854 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 400 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
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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.
