Old Watermill in Idyllic River Setting sleeps 10

17th Century Water Mill Set in an idyllic riverside setting in the beautiful unspoilt Limousin area of Central France, Le Moulin Joly is a 17th century water mill, completely and lovingly restored. The house is full of local antiques and period touches, homely but with all the mod cons that you would need for a peaceful and comfortable stay. The property has 4 bedrooms sleeping 8 or 10 max, spacious sitting room and separate dining room, 2 bathrooms (one en suite) and a well equipped kitchen The house is surrounded by 1.5 acres of its own land, with a terrace for eating overlooking the river, and its own island offering shaded places to sit out during the day and a lovely spot to have an evening meal beside the river. You can also enjoy unique river swimming in the beautiful and unpolluted Petite Creuse. 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 large double bedroom with double bed overlooking the river. An open-tread staircase leads up to the 2nd floor area: A large attic space with beautifully exposed beams which contains the 4th bedroom which has 3 single beds and a futon - ideal for children! The bedrooms have electric and/or gas heaters. The owners are not present. Pierre and Catherine, who look after the house and will see you in, live in the nearby village of Cheniers. LOCATION The Moulin Joly is 2 km from the village of Cheniers, in the north of the Creuse, 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. Cheniers has a village shop where you can get most basic provisions, including fresh bread, although the best shopping is either in Aigurande (8 miles away) or Gueret or La Souterraine (15 miles away). Cheniers also has a cafe and simple restaurant. 8 miles away is the pretty town of Aigurande, which has supermarkets, cafes and restaurants and a lively market every Friday. 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 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 so one can easily get in or out of the water. For children there is a little pebble beach just on the island where the river is shallower. However, please note that 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. 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. For an alternative to river swimming there are two man-made lakes nearby; at Le Bourg d'Hem 6 miles away and at the Lac de Jouillat 12 miles away. Both have boat hire and tennis, and a small restaurant. Further afield, for the keen water sporter, is the Lac de Vassiviere, one of the most important water-sport centres in France. 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. 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. Aubusson is 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... Riding, mountain-bike hire, canoeing, and tennis are all available about 5 miles away at the pretty village of La Celle Dunoise on the Grande Creuse. LOCAL AMENITIES Nearest bakery: Cheniers (Creuse) Nearest supermarket: Aigurande (Indre) Nearest market: Aigurande (Indre) Nearest pharmacy: Aigurande (Indre) Nearest bar: Cheniers (Creuse) Tourist information: Aigurande (Indre) The nearest airport is Limoges, which is serviced by Ryanair with flights from London (Stansted), Bristol, Leeds, Manchester and East Midlands. The nearest railway station is Chateauroux, 60 km from Cheniers, with multiple daily connections from Paris Gare d’Austerlitz (2 hours). It is possible to travel to Chateauroux from London, taking the Eurostar to Paris, in 7 hours. By car is about 7 hours from Calais. The easiest is to take Eurotunnel to Calais, and drive via Paris, taking the A86 tunnel under the centre of Paris. The owner can furnish further directions. There are many lovely walking routes in the area, and there are local maps and walking route itineraries in the house.