Mill in Tardets-Sorholus , Pyrénées-Atlantiques , Aquitaine

Built in 1820, this pretty farmhouse is located in a delightful riverside setting in the foothills of the Pyrénées. The property also has an ancient, and still partly functional, watermill, grounds of 8,875m² and a separate forest of 14,418m², which is situated 600m away on the other side of the river. And if you enjoy wild swimming, there are two places in the river where this is possible!

Bursting with character, history and cachet, the watermill dates back to at least the mid 18th-century and has been lovingly restored by the existing owners since they purchased the property in 1996. The mill has full "en titre" water rights, but unfortunately there is no longer enough water to generate hydroelectric power. The milling part of the mill does, however, work perfectly for demonstration purposes.

The property is accessible from the main road via a private drive. The drive leads down to the farmhouse, where there is space for parking next to the farmhouse or a little further on in a garage/barn, which is adjacent to the mill building.

The front door of the farmhouse opens into a delightful cottage-style main room with a sitting area and a dining area. The room has exposed stone walls, exposed wooden beams, a traditional open fireplace and French doors, which open out to a south-facing decked terrace where you can dine alfresco! Adjacent to the sitting area is a sunny kitchen, which also has doors out to the dining terrace and garden. In addition, there is a utility room accessible from the terrace.

A wooden staircase in the centre of the main room leads up to the mezzanine level, first floor and second floor. On the mezzanine level, there is a small study/office/playroom area and a shower room with a WC.

Continuing up the staircase, there are two bedrooms on the first floor and a third loft-style bedroom on the second floor. Although the ceilings are sloping in this room, it might be possible to create a shower room at one end of the room or to divide the room up into two smaller bedrooms.

Stepping stones from the outdoor dining terrace lead to a woodstore, part of which is lockable for storing garden furniture and equipment. There is also a covered terrace, which could be used as a summer kitchen.

A little further along is the mill building and an adjacent barn, which is used as a garage/workshop. The garage/workshop (35m²) would be perfect for using as an art studio, a pottery studio, a gym... as a stable for horses and donkeys.

To access the mill building, there is a wooden walkway to cross the mill stream which channels the water as it flows out of the mill. Inside the watermill part of the building (35m²), there is a glazed floor panel which allows you to see the metal waterwheels turning beneath the building. The current owners have also restored the millstones and other features of the mill. This part of the building has a mezzanine. NB: although the mill benefits from a "droit d'eau en titre" (water rights), there is no longer enough water to generate electricity. Adjoining the watermill is a traditional sawmill (30m²), which has also been partially restored by the current owners.

Situated in the Basque Country, but close to the Béarn and its famous Jurançon vineyards, there are always things to see and do, whatever the season in this beautiful area. For mountain lovers, there are mountain trails close by and ski resorts just 30 minutes away in the Pyrénées. If you prefer watersports, you have your own river, as well as faster rivers for exciting white-water rafting and canoeing. If you prefer a more relaxing day out, the leisure lakes in the Béarn and the beach resorts on the Atlantic coast are perfect for family picnics, swimming and sunbathing.

THE FARMHOUSE

Ground floor:
- a south-facing terrace for dining alfresco
- a double-size sitting room/dining room with an open fireplace and access to the dining terrace
- a kitchen with access to the dining terrace
- a utility room (only accessible from outside)

Mezzanine level:
- an office/study/playroom area
- a shower room
- a WC

First floor:
- two bedrooms

Second floor:
- a loft-style bedroom with room to create an en suite shower room, or which could be transformed into two smaller bedrooms


THE OUTBUILDINGS, GROUNDS & FOREST

- a south-facing dining terrace accessible from the sitting room and the kitchen
- riverside grounds of 8,875m² including a flat field of about 4000m² and a garden of about 5000m²
- a partially-restored watermill (35m²) with a mezzanine level
- an adjoining sawmill (30m²)
- an adjacent barn/garage/workshop (35m²) with a mezzanine level
- a woodstore with secure storage for garden equipment
- an adjoining covered terrace/summer kitchen
- a separate forest of 14,418m² located 600 metres away on the far side of the river


THE POTENTIAL!

This charming property comprises 90m² of living space in the farmhouse, making it perfect for a cosy family home or a holiday home. If you are retired and hoping to downsize, this property will give you two spare bedrooms, ensuring you still have enough room to accommodate friends and family when they come to stay – or perhaps you would like to use one of the bedrooms as a home office, a gym, an art studio…

If you are hoping to find an excellent-value property that could be rented out as a holiday cottage/gîte, the farmhouse has excellent income potential thanks to its wonderful rural surroundings, its stunning riverside setting and its proximity to the Pyrénées, Spain and the Atlantic coast. As the number of people visiting this area increases each year, there is a growing demand for unique and high-quality accommodation all year round, especially during the summer months, the skiing season and for Christmas and New Year.

You could also use one or two of the bedrooms in the farmhouse for Bed and Breakfast guests, attracting visitors for short breaks out of season.

Please note that because the property is situated in zone at risk of flooding (PPRI), conversion of the outbuildings into accommodation will not be possible. The house itself has, however, been flooded just three times in the 27 years that the present owners have had the property.


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Telephone & ADSL (cable internet expected soon)
Electricity
Heating: open fireplace + electric radiators
Hot water: gas boiler (bottle gas)
Water supplied by a spring
Septic tank (non-compliant - will need works)


THE LOCAL AREA

The property is located in the Soule, which is one of the three provinces of the delightful French Basque Country. The local village has a small shop and a bar-restaurant; for a greater choice of shops, the town of Tardets-Sorholus is a few minutes further on, or you can go to Oloron-Ste-Marie, Mauléon-Licharre or Pau. From Tardets-Sorholus, there is a direct bus to Bayonne, Ikea and the Basque coast.

Popular with tourists all year round for hiking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting and fishing, this beautiful region has a great choice of winter sports just 30 minutes away, including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Issarbe and downhill skiing and snowboarding at La-Pierre-St-Martin. For beach-based activities, the famous resorts on the Atlantic coast are about 90 minutes away, with family beaches at Hendaye and St-Jean-de-Luz, and surfing at Biarritz and Anglet.

Airports: Biarritz, Tarbes-Lourdes, Pau
Train: Oloron-Ste-Marie
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: La-Pierre-St-Martin, Issarbe, Iraty, Val-d’Azun, Artouste, Gourette, Candanchú (Spain)
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Aqua Béarn, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Grottes de Bétharram, Parc'Ours...
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Information about risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr