A 17th-century mill, with water rights, on two hectares of grounds including one kilometre of riverbanks, nestled within the Green Périgord region of
A 17th-century mill, with water rights, on two hectares of grounds including one kilometre of riverbanks, nestled within the Green Périgord region of Dordogne.
The property is located in the middle of the Périgord-Limousin regional natural park, an area known for its forests and rivers, as well as its rich and extraordinary natural and cultural heritage, where medieval chateaus, manors and abbeys can be glimpsed around each bend of its rolling countryside. Within proximity to a small city in the Green Périgord region, which includes shops, amenities, services, primary schools and a secondary school, the property is only five minutes from a train station located along the Bordeaux-Limoges line, 30 minutes from the motorway that connects the Massif Central highlands with the Pyrenees Mountains and one hour from the Limoges airport.
At the end of a tarmacked lane that winds its way up a gentle slope and through a forest of chestnut trees, the hamlet includes the miller's house, a barn and a stately mill typical of the 17th century, built on a granite rock from the Jurassic period, and once under the purview of the fiefdom of Jaubert de Nanthiat. The site's unspoilt and beautiful natural environment, perched on the banks of the Isle River, provides opportunities to observe otters, herons and kingfishers from it many patios, while, once past the property's entrance and at the end of a parking area, the mill's large water wheel, four metres in diameter, and its locks leave a lasting impression. As for the grounds, of approximately 2 hectares and planted with many trees, it runs alongside private riverbanks for more than a kilometre, while the mill, with its beaches of golden sand, acts like a balcony over the river. Lastly, a garage and a wooden shed, appearing on the land registry and used for storage and as a painter's studio, respectively, could easily be converted for other purposes.
The MillAt the end of the tarmacked lane that traverses the forest, a clearing reveals the mill and its large water wheel, which were once used to provide electricity for the hamlet of three houses. Thanks to a private dam that directs the river towards the locks, it is possible to regulate the flow of the intake canal, which sends water to the mill through two arches that once formed the entrance to a masonry cistern with two horizontal wheels, used to turn the millstones and produce flour. As for the mill's patios and balcony, they make it possible to appreciate the peace and quiet of the surrounding verdant nature.
The ground floor
This floor includes a large bedroom with two exposed stone walls - cadenced by two windows and a sliding glass door providing abundant natural light - as well as a cast-iron, lion-claw bathtub and an adjacent wooden patio, sheltered from sight and with unobstructed views of the river. Next door, a large fitted laundry room with a lavatory is used as a storeroom, but could also be converted into a bathroom thanks to its picture window, while a staircase made out of skilfully assembled ancient wood planks, matching the mill's overall bohemian style, leads upstairs.
The upstairs
This level includes a long room with impressive floor-to-ceiling heights, resulting in an overall feeling of space and volume. Receiving ample natural light from its many windows facing three different directions, sliding glass doors open onto a large wrap-around balcony, which makes it possible to contemplate the aquatic flora and fauna and provides a breath-taking panorama of the river and the forest's canopy, while, back in the living room, a fireplace is not only used to heat the premises, but for cooking purposes as well.
