Gascony in the Gers

On the outskirts of a hamlet, in the valley of the Adour, is this secluded and attractively restored water mill with canal frontage, mill race and the original mill workings. The property is set in nearly two hectares of landscaped parkland with spacious terraces overlooking the water.

Although the property is peacefully situated it is only a few minutes' drive (or bicycle ride) from the busy little market town of Plaisance, which has most facilities. The airport at Pau, with its daily flight to London, Stanstead, is an hour's drive. Bordeaux, Toulouse, the Pyrenees, the Atlantic coast and the Spanish border are all within two hours by car.

Accommodation: House - 160m².  Covered terraces, garage and storage - 200m².

The property has been completely renovated with great charm. It has been entirely rewired, replumbed and reroofed and the oil-fired central heating system is almost new.

Accommodation

¨     Garden Level.

¨     The property is set on an incline so that the ground floor at the front of the house becomes the first floor at the back of the house.

¨     The garden path passes under a stone archway before arriving at a small covered terrace, which serves as an outside dining area.

¨     The front door opens from the covered terrace into a large living/kitchen, 30m²: an "L"-shaped room with beams, terra-cotta tiles, large Gascon fireplace, window, glazed door to ornamental balcony, glazed double doors to salon and a kitchen area with fitted surfaces, shelf units, fridge, sink and combination cooker/dishwasher.

¨     Salon, on two levels, 64m², with cathedral roof, terra-cotta/wood floor, large windows, enormous roof timbers, French window to main terrace and exposed staircase with galleried mezzanine overlookng the salon. The most striking features of this room are the old mill wheels on the upper level, the original stone archways below and the glass panel in the floor which permits a view of the water going through the mill race.

¨     Bathroom with bath, basin, separate wc and large built-in cupboard.

First Floor

¨     The timber staircase leads from the salon to the galleried mezzanine.
Mezzanine: an "L"-shaped area of approximately 20m²  and currently used as an office.

¨     Bedroom (1), 3.5m x 3.2m, with window, large built-in cupboard, wood-strip ceiling, beam and French windows to east-facing covered terrace, 2m x 4m. The current owners had considered turning this terrace into an en suite bathroom.

¨     Bedroom (2), 5m x 3.2m, with carpet, wood-strip ceiling, beam and large built-in cupboard.

¨     Bedroom (3), 3m x 2.4m, with wood floor, wood-strip ceiling, linen-clad walls and roof light.

Basement

¨     There are three storage rooms under the house serving as:

¨     Workshop, 12m².

¨     Wine cellar.

¨     Laundry/boiler room.

Outside

¨     Tall double gates open into a spacious gravelled courtyard, providing parking for several cars and access to the timber-clad garage.

¨     Garage, 77m², with two sets of sliding French windows giving a lovely view of the canal and grounds.

¨     Small dining terrace outside the front door.

¨     Attractive open terrace, 60m², with tiled floor, lovely views and glazed door to the salon.

¨     Leading from the open terrace is the covered terrace, 85m², built over the garage and providing, in total, a splendid area for entertaining.

¨     The grounds are attractively arranged and planted with a variety of specimen trees and shrubs.

¨     Two garden tables have been created, using a mill wheel in the front garden and a giant slab of slate in the rear garden.

¨     A small stone gazebo makes a pretty barbecue area.

¨     The grounds extend to almost 2 hectares, including the parkland, the canal banks and a small field which is currently tended by a local farmer.

¨     There is the possibility of fishing in the canal.

This is an unusual property, beautifully presented and in a delightful location.