17th Century Water Mill

The Moulin Joly details

Home description

Le Moulin Joly is a 17^th century water mill, one of a huge network of flour mills which flourished in the area in the 19^th century and early 20^th centuries. It was bought by the present owners in 1989, and has recently been completely restored.

The house is surrounded by 1.5 acres of its own land. In front is a terrace looking up through the trees to the track by which one descends, and at the side there is a bricked terrace with table and chairs overlooking the mill race and the river. At the back, between the mill race and the river, is an island which is partially wooded with a large rough grass area, and which offers shaded places to sit out in during the day and a lovely spot to have an evening meal beside the river.

 

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Boating lake
• Garden
• Scenic views

Accommodation detail

The property sleeps 8 or 10 maximum if 4 people sleep in the large upper bedroom.

The ground floor comprises a large sitting room with open fireplace, a large dining area (the old mill room) with a wood-burning stove and windows overlooking the mill race, and a fully equipped kitchen (washer/dryer, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, cooker and double oven).

A wooden open-tread staircase from the sitting room leads to bedroom 1, a large light double bedroom with a double bed. This room has its own en-suite shower and toilet room.

A wooden staircase from the dining room leads to the main body of the first floor. Here you will find bedroom 2, which is a small double bedroom (twin beds), the bathroom/toilet (there is a proper bath) and another separate toilet. Also on the first floor is bedroom 3, another double bedroom with double bed overlooking the river.

An open-tread staircase leads up to the 2^nd floor area – a large attic space with beautifully exposed beams – which contains the 4^th bedroom which can accommodate up to 4 beds – ideal for children! The bedrooms have electric and/or gas heaters.

There is a stone-built outhouse which will eventually be converted into a separate self-contained living unit, but is not in use at present.

About the location

The River

The house is situated on the river La Petite Creuse (the smaller of the two rivers which give the region its name). Since there is little or no industry to speak of in the region and the agriculture is small scale, the rivers are clean and unpolluted, particularly La Petite Creuse. This makes it ideal for swimming. There is a weir across the river which was built to divert the water towards the mill-race and the water above the weir affords a lovely uninterrupted stretch of swimming. And although the river reaches depths of  2 meters or more it is shallow beside the weir and so perfectly safe for children, as is the little pebble beach just on the island. However, the water can flow fairly fast through the mill stream and as this is unguarded it could be a potential hazard for unattended small children. Older children, however, have a lot of fun in it. The river is an endless source of pleasure for young and old – it is ideal for dinghies and canoes. In high summer a few people from the neighbouring hamlet sometimes come down to the river to swim and fishermen sometimes come to fish.

The river is well stocked with fish and fishing is permitted so long as one purchases a licence (available at the Marie). When the mill race was drained a couple of years ago we picked out dozens of fish (including trout and freshwater crayfish).

Wildlife

For lovers of wildlife, the river and indeed the whole area is a haven – kingfishers and dippers are a daily occurrence, coypus and even occasionally otters swim the river, and buzzards hover overhead. In Spring, oxslips, cowslips, and foxgloves abound, and in the wood which adjoins the mill there are bluebells. In autumn the colours are truly spectacular.

Location

The Creuse is one of France's best-kept secrets, one of those areas which seems to have been by-passed by the mass of tourists flocking to the Dordogne, the Lot, and Provence. Situated right in the middle of France, it is about 200 miles directly south of Paris, between the Indre and the Loire to the north, and the Dordogne and the Auvergne to the south. It is an unspoilt rural area of gently undulating hills and deciduous woodland, lakes and unpolluted rivers.

The main town is Gueret, which is about 15 miles to the south of Cheniers. This is a town of some 200,000 inhabitants with a very pretty old centre and all the shops and amenities.

The Moulin Joly is 2 km from the village of Cheniers, in the north of the Creuse, 12 km north west of Bonnat. Cheniers has a butcher and baker, as well as a village shop where you can get most basic provisions, although the best shopping is either in Aigurande (8 miles away) or Gueret or La Souterraine (15 miles away). Cheniers also has 2 cafes and one (simple) restaurant.

Places of Cultural Interest

There are numerous 'chateaux' in the area, the most important being Boussac and Villemonteix, and some offer Son et Lumiere in the Summer. Aubussonis the world centre of tapestry, and there is an important museum there. The Creuse's most famous inhabitant was Georges Sand, and the pretty village of Gargilesse where she stayed is a must, as is her house at Nohant, about 20 miles away. .

There are dozens of old churches, many of them in a poor state of repair (restoration with a capital R has not yet hit the Creuse). And although the Creuse is not a region particularly known for its gastronomy, there are several good restaurants nearby.

Excursions

Because the Creuse is literally in the centre of France, there is no part of the country which is not easily accessible within a day, and a lot of it in less. Paris is a 31/2 hours drive (Euro Disney!), the Dordogne 2 hours away, the Lot 5 hours, Provence 6 hours etc...

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities nearby

Bird Watching, Boating, Canoeing, Cycling, Fishing, Golf, Horse riding, Mountain biking, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Sailing, Swimming, Tennis, Walking, Wine tasting

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

By Car:

The house is within a day's drive of all the major French ports. The owners who live in West London use the Newhaven-Dieppe route (particularly now that the crossing only lasts 2 hours) as this avoids Paris altogether. But either Calais or Le Havre are equally good, Calais via Eurotunnel being particularly quick and easy.From Paris one takes the motorway as far as Chateauroux and the last 60 kms via Aigurande are on ordinary but quite fast main roads.

By Air:

Ryanair fly daily to Limoges (just over one hour's drive from Moulin Joly), often for very reduced fairs if you book early. Hired cars are available at the airport

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.