Béarn in the Pyrenées Atlantiques

Accommodation: House - 600m² over 3 floors. Outbuildings (garage, former mill & covered terrace) - 95m²;

Set in a delightfully private valley, among the rolling hills of the Béarn, within easy reach of Naverrenx, Oloron and the charming small town of Monein, is this spacious mill house together with the former mill, the mill pond, a small lake and more than 600m of river frontage.

The house has been converted to provide a high standard of comfort, with a state-of-the-art oil-fired central heating system, solar-powered water heating, new wiring, good insulation, double-glazed windows, a top-of-the-range kitchen and extensive terracing.  Broadband is newly available.

From a narrow country lane, tall stone pillars and double gates mark the entrance to the drive, which curves away out of sight, between flowering shrubs, past the lake, to the house  which is completely hidden from view. The drive is nearly 500m long and has been relaid in concrete and sand to give a solid but ttractive surface. There is a turning circle near the house and a rear drive which leads to the garage and the car port.

Despite its rural setting the property is easily accessed, being less than 30 minutes by car from Pau airport, within an hour of Biarritz airport and the Atlantic coast,  and within an easy 45 minute drive from the Spanish border and the ski slopes.

House

Ground Floor

¨     From the south-facing terrace double doors (with opening glazed panels) lead into the attractively proportioned hall, 5m x 2.6m, with tiled floor and exposed beams.

¨     From the hall a door leads into a vestibule with a window and a tiled floor, giving access to a shower room with shower and basin plus a separate wc with a basin.

¨     Living room - a very pleasant room - 8.5m x 4.2m, with old oak staircase, 2 windows, double doors to the terrace, tiled floor, exposed beams and a large Béarnais fireplace fitted with a Godin woodburning stove, and featuring the original bread oven.

¨     Library/salon - a magnificent room - 16m x 7m, with stone floor, exposed beams, staircase, free-standing Godin stove, 2 windows, French windows opening onto the front terrace and wall of fitted bookshelves.

¨     A lobby with useful shelving leads into the bar/office, 6m x 3.9, with a pretty corner fireplace, tiled floor, exposed beams, old Béarnais "bar" and French windows onto a small terrace.

¨     Back kitchen, 5m x 2.8m (max), with double sink, gas hob, extractor, refrigerator, freezer, dishwasher and good range of basic units.

¨     Beyond the back kitchen is the main kitchen, 7m x 5m (max), with wide French windows onto a spacious covered terrace, 2 further windows, a tiled floor and an impressive range of kitchen units, incorporating the latest internal fittings, and equipped with: double sink, dishwasher, large induction hob, extractor, self-cleaning oven, marble worktops, and air conditioning.

¨     Leading from the main kitchen is the large utility/workshop, 8m x 6.5m, housing the  washing machine, drier, chest freezer, the computer-driven De Dietrich central heating boiler, and the immersion heater - designed to flick automatically from solar power to oil heating  to electricity, depending on the availability of the supply. Door to wine cellar.

First Floor

¨     The living room staircase leads to an attractive landing with a wooden floor and a window.

¨     Bedroom (1), 6m x 4.8m, a split level room with the bed on a raised dais, 2 windows and door to en suite shower room.

¨     En suite shower room with shower, basin and bidet.

¨     Bedroom (2), 6m x 4.6m, with carpet, fireplace and 2 windows.

¨     Family bathroom - a spacious room - with twin washbasins, wc, bidet, bath, 2 windows and tiled floor.

¨     Large room - over bar, lobby and workshop - 14m x 6.5m, with east-facing window, exposed roof timbers and insulated walls. Just the plastering and decoration remain to be done.

First Floor Apartment

¨     From the library/salon the second staircase leads up to a potentially independent apartment, 16m x 7m. This comprises:

¨     Large bedroom, 4.2m x 6.8m; with Velux window and exposed timbers.

¨     En suite shower room with shower and basin.

¨     Useful vestibule with door to wc/cloakroom.

¨     Large living room with window, insulated walls and ceiling, exposed timbers and French windows to a "bridge" which leads to the garden.. The plasterwork and decoration remain to be finished.

Second Floor

¨     The living room staircase continues to the second floor and 2 further spacious bedrooms.

¨     Bedroom (3), 3.6m x 5.6m, with carpet, exposed timberwork, air conditioning and window with window seat, giving a lovely view of the mill stream.

Outside

¨     7.15 hectares of land, divided into meadow and woodland, with large specimen trees, fruit trees and ornamental shrubs. The grounds are a particularly appealing feature of the property.

¨     South facing entrance terrace.

¨     Small east facing terrace from the bar/office.

¨     Large east-facing terrace leading from the kitchen, with attractive roofed dining area, old stone paving and the delightful sound of rushing water from the mill race.

¨     Double car port.

¨     Double, integral garage, 15m x 3.5m., with double doors to rear drive and pedestrian door to utility/workshop.

¨     Charming former mill building in stone with a tiled roof, 32m². The current owners had planned on turning this into a guest suite: - 2 double-glazed windows are ready for installation and the upstairs floor has been renewed. It would provide a groundfloor room plus a first floor (sleeping platform?)with slightly limited headroom.

¨     Small lake, stocked with a variety of ducks.

¨     River frontage and trout fishing.