A 17th-century, former water mill and its eight-hectare estate, nestled between woods and meadows, in the Vexin region - ref 527777
A 17th-century, former water mill and its eight-hectare estate, nestled between woods and meadows, in the Vexin region.
Secluded, but not isolated, the mill, located within a rural hamlet and accessible via a small lane, is nestled in a bucolic landscape traversed by a river that winds its way through the middle of a clearing surrounded by large, old trees. As for Paris, it can be reached in approximately one hour, via the A16 motorway or by train, to either Saint-Lazare or Paris-Nord station, while Brussels and Calais, a crossing point to London, are 3.5 and 2.5 hours away, respectively, and the Charles-de-Gaulle and Beauvais-Tillé airports are both less than one hour away.
Built in the 17th century, the first confirmed reference to the mill dates back to 1718 when it was used to grind the grain harvested from the surrounding fields of the Vexin region, the latter of which has been used for agricultural purposes since Antiquity, while, in the late 19th century, the mill's water power was employed for the manufacturing of small household objects and buttons made out of mother-of-pearl when its grinding stones were swapped out for machines designed to cut nacre. Having ceased this production during the 1930s, the edifice was then transformed into a full-time residence before becoming a holiday home in the 1970s.
Today, the dwelling, nestled within dense, verdant vegetation and built above a mill run, approximately 25 metres long and fed by the river, first comes into view with its gable end, while the three-storey stone building, including a floor under the eaves, is topped with a small local tile hipped roof.
As for its main façade, it is arranged into seven rows of vertical, large-paned windows, safeguarded by shutters, whereas Virginia creeper blankets its understated walls in abundant foliage, the former of which feature stringcourses on each floor as well as keystones placed above each window. In addition, a hanging hipped dormer punctuates the roof directly over the dwelling's front door, while along one wall, water still flows over the mill's immobile waterwheel.
Directly opposite and parallel to the dwelling, an outbuilding is located on the other side of the lawn, whereas two streams and a pond, bordered by moss and reeds, are the home to many wild ducks, and, in the back, woods and a pasture extend over the rest of the property.
The Water Mill
The ground floor
Two entrances, located on either side of the mill, communicate with a dual-aspect foyer with a wooden staircase, the base of which is decorated with a bevelled glass orb, while the walls, in pointed ashlar stone, complement the terracotta tile floors, which can be found in all the rooms on this level.
On one side, a living room with four windows, bathing this space in ample sunlight, features a Directoire-style fireplace, flanked by two windows facing the pond, as well as white visible ceiling beams and walls, which help balance the room's overall composition, whereas, extending on from the foyer, a large dual-aspect room with five windows provides direct access to the garden and an adjacent kitchen, furnished with white cupboards, also communicates with the garden via a glass door.
As for the second entrance, it houses the axle and pinion of the mill's former mechanism, which have been preserved in a white masonry structure topped with two beams, which are, in turn, supported by four thin wooden columns.
The first floor
Two staircases, located on each end of the mill, provide access to this level, with either parquet or sisal floors, where a hallway communicates with three bedrooms. One of them, at the end of the building, features a floor area of approximately 34 m² and plenty of natural light thanks to four windows, while two bathrooms can also be found on this floor, and, on the other end of the dwelling, a bedroom, ...
