An 18th-century stone watermill that could be a family home or a second home, nestled in a bucolic backd-rop in France's beautiful Vexin area, 35 minu
An 18th-century stone watermill that could be a family home or a second home, nestled in a bucolic backd-rop in France's beautiful Vexin area, 35 minutes from Paris.
The property lies in a village in the River Sausseron valley in the east of France's Vexin area. It is three kilometres from the town of Nesle-la-Vallée, eight kilometres from L'Isle-Adam, 10 kilometres from Pontoise and 35 kilometres from Paris via the A15 or A16 motorways. From the local train station, you can reach the French capital in 35 minutes. And Paris Charles de Gaulle international airport is only 30 kilometres away. You can find shops, markets, schools and cultural centres in the surrounding villages and towns, especially in L'Isle-Adam. France's Vexin area is a cereal-producing region. Its landscape includes wooded hills, deep valleys and architectural heritage. An environment of meadows, forests and hiking trails creates a calm backd-rop for a relaxed lifestyle, at once rural and close to the amenities of local towns.
Once you have gone through the gate, a hedge-lined drive leads up to the edifice of pale ashlar. The building faces the garden, spanning its breadth. The house has a basement, a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor in the roof space. With its gabled roof of flat tiles and its evenly spaced windows, it stands out as a strong, plain structure. On one side of it, the River Sausseron flows gently to a lock that is still in working order and that bears witness to the watermill's past. This watermill was built in the 18th century. At the time, it was one of the region's most efficient mills thanks to its large-diameter water wheel, turned by a diversion of the river than runs through the grounds of a neighbouring chateau. The building was converted in 1906 to become a metalwork plant. Later, it was turned into a house with spacious rooms and thick walls. Today, it offers 450m² of living space. The dual-aspect entrance hall connects to a 50m² kitchen and a 120m² lounge, bathed in natural light from many windows that look out at the garden. On the first floor, there are three bedrooms, an open office, two bathrooms and a utility room. They form a comfortable, practical space. On the second floor, in the roof, there are two other bedrooms, as well as a bathroom, a small room and around 150m² of convertible loft space. A basement and a large garage complete the building. The garden extends behind the house and in front of it. This outdoor space is made up of lawns, old trees and natural hedges.
The ground floorOnce you have stepped through the entrance door, you find yourself in a large hallway that runs from the front of the house to the rear, leading out to the back garden. Pale walls and a timber spiral staircase structure this bright space. The hallway connects to a spacious kitchen, which is filled with natural light from a double opening on the east and west sides. Given its huge space, you could easily place a big table in this kitchen for daily meals or guests and make the room a central hub for day-to-day living. Beyond it lies a lounge. This lounge's exposed stonework, its beams painted white and its imposing fireplace form a backd-rop that is elegantly understated yet undeniably warm and welcoming. Wood strip flooring gives the whole room coherence and many windows offer views of the garden. Beneath part of the floor, in one corner of the room, there is the water wheel's mechanism, which could be revealed and showcased.
The upstairsThe first floor has a landing, which is extended with a long corridor that connects to three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a utility room and a separate lavatory. The largest bedroom has a floor area of roughly 40m². It stands out for its huge space. Its two stone pillars, which support broad, exposed ...
