A water mill with two houses and a former restaurant, awaiting renovation,
at the limits of the Creuse, Haute-Vienne and the Monts d’Ambazac hills
at the limits of the Creuse, Haute-Vienne and the Monts d’Ambazac hills
Saint-Goussaud,
CREUSE
limousin
23430
FR
Location
This mill is located in the Creuse, in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, in the heart of mostly wooded countryside, 30 minutes away from La Souterraine, Ambazac as well as Bessines-sur-Gartempe and less than one hour from Limoges. For daily needs, several village grocery stores can be found nearby, while larger shops for bigger purchases are half an hour away. The nearby A20 motorway means Paris can be reached in 4 hours and Toulouse in a little more than 3 hours. The railway station in La Souterraine is approximately 30 minutes away.
Description
Small country roads wind through the wooded hills and meadows up to the mill, which can be found behind thick foliage. The stream running below has carved out its bed through the surrounding relief and a mill race supplies the still visible wheel with water from the lake almost 500 metres away. The various buildings, which are built lengthwise and are joined together, are made of two separate dwellings, namely a former restaurant with professional grade kitchen and the old mill itself, which still has all the old mill workings. The different adjoining and non-adjoining plots of meadows, coppices and woodlands as well as the lake amount to almost 11 hectares.
The first dwelling
This building, standing on the western side of the complex and with floor-space of almost 135 m², can be reached via a double stoop. On the ground floor, there is a lounge with a fireplace in which there is a wood-burning stove. A small flight of steps leads to a room used as a library, which can also be reached from the outside via the rear façade. Next to this, there is a shower room with a lavatory, a kitchen and a bedroom with a fireplace in the corner. A second staircase leads to the first floor, made up of a landing, two bedrooms a walk-in wardrobe and a bathroom. The attic above could be converted into extra rooms. Below the ground floor is a basement.
The former restaurant
The restaurant is separated from the first dwelling by a barn used as a woodshed and a boiler room with a double gas boiler. The restaurant building is made up of a large, south-facing 70-m² dining room with plenty of windows overlooking the patio and stream. It also boasts lavatories, the former restaurant kitchen, a scullery and a dish-washing room.
The second dwelling
This part of the buildings was designed as large-scale bed & breakfast or holiday rental accommodation and can be reached by a wide spiral staircase built in a modern extension set in the north and centre of the complex. Over the two storeys, it contains nine bedrooms which all have en suite shower rooms and lavatories.
The flour mill
This slate-roofed, three storey part of the buildings can be reached either via the south-facing façade or through a second barn located to the rear. It still possesses the mill machinery and equipment dating back to the 1920s. The water wheel is still in place on the eastern gable of the buildings and is powered by the mill race which brings water from the lake situated 500 metres upstream.
Our opinion
In the hollow of a small valley, tucked away from prying eyes, bordered by hills, woods and streams, this vast property is authentic and unique. The premises, requiring renovation, will not fail to inspire a number of possible projects. The flour mill is in remarkable condition, almost as if time had stood still at the dawn of the last century. The complex is ideal for a family or friends seeking a holiday home several hours from Paris. Equally, it could be suited to enthusiastic businesspeople who wish to invest in a bucolic, rural area.
Reference 811364
| Land registry surface area | 10 ha 28 a 17 ca |
| Main building surface area | 552.5 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 12 |
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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.
