Le Moulin sur Célé

Le Moulin sur Célé is a dream come true. The property is centred around a 14^th century water mill on the banks of the Célé river, with accommodation divided between the Miller’s House and an adjacent Tower linked by a walled terrace (10 metres above the river bank). There are four double ensuite bedrooms with a fifth ensuite bedroom that can be made up as a double or 3 singles providing accommodation for up to 11 guests. Ideal for two or three families, a group of friends or larger family gatherings.

The Miller's House:

Ground Floor

Family Room/Dining Room – large and comfortable, with an impressive working fireplace, sofa and armchairs, satellite TV, Broadband/WiFi internet access and a dining table which seats 12. There are "sonos" (a great music system) in this room with large speakers which cover the terraces. There's also a chargeable speaker on wheels which can be moved to the river bank or to anywhere else in the grounds.

Farmhouse-style kitchen – with La Cornue cooker, two electric ovens, kitchen island with ample refrigeration, dishwasher, coffee making facilities etc French doors on the west side open onto a dining terrace overlooking th river.  Additional all weather new dining room woth lovely views of the garden. 

Utility Room - with washing machine and dryer, fridge/freezer, ice maker and ironing equipment.

Dining Areas -There are three main dining areas, inside and outside.     

Interconnecting terrace attractively adorned with colourful potted plants and flowers, links the Miller's House with the Tower and provides a second outdoor dining area with a table seating 12. The perfect site for evening dinner or early drinks with views down the river and along the valley.

All bedrooms and shared indoor areas are equipped with air conditioning in the summer and heating in winter. All bedrooms have ceiling fans.

Bedroom 1 (Madame's Room) - a spacious master bedroom with a 6 ft double bed and windows overlooking the gardens on 3 sides. It has a large en-suite

Bathroom 1 with a large powerful walk-in shower and a separate W.C.

First Floor

Bedroom 2 (The River Room) - with two 3' 6" beds which can be joined together to form a large double and windows on 2 sides. It has a large ensuite 

Dressing Room/Bathroom 2 - with a deep bath and a W.C.

Bedroom 3 (The Garden Room) - with a 5' 6" double bed with views onto the garden and towards the tower.

Bathroom 3 - with a deep bath, and a W.C.

The Landing area has a comfortable chair with table and light next to it.

The Tower:

Ground floor Sitting Room – large and full of character, with creamy stone walls and exposed beamed ceiling, a huge working fireplace, comfortable sofas and armchairs, wide-screen satellite T.V., VOD (Netflix, Disney +) plus board games and cards. There is a new private bar.

First Floor Bedroom 4 - 'The Tower Family Room' with two 3' beds which can be joined together, plus a third 2' 6" bed (also full-length) and windows on 3 sides. An en-suite (Shower Room 2) has a shower and separate W.C.

Second Floor Bedroom 5 –  tucked under the eaves, with exposed rafters, a 6 ft double bed and windows on 3 sides. There is also a bath and separate W.C.

Le Moulin sur Célé is set amongst the dramatic hills and cliffs of the Lot 'département' and stands on the banks of the Célé River.

The surrounding countryside is renowned for its beauty and tranquillity and is known as the ‘triangle noir’ in reference to its black, star-studded night skies. The region is also reputed to have some of the purest and most unpolluted air in France.

Le Moulin is 2 kms from the medieval riverside village of Marcilhac-sur-Célé, with basic shopping facilities, 2 small restaurants and an ancient abbey. It’s 10 kms from the small town of Cajarc which has a good range of shops including a supermarket. The charming historic town of Figeac is 25 kms, on the outskirts of which (at Capdenac) is a giant E.Leclerc supermarket, and a very good open-air market each Saturday.

The nearest main railway stations are at Cahors and Brive-la-Gaillarde (both 1 hour's drive), whilst the TGV stops at Agen (75 minutes). There is also a small station at Assier (15 minutes) with connections to Paris.

The closest airports are Brive-la-Gaillade (1 hour) and Rodez (75 minutes), both of which have some international flights. Toulouse (Blagnac) and Bergerac (Roumanière) international airports are 2 hours' away.

• The extensive house manual comprises maps and guides, plus details regarding the local restaurants (in various price ranges), shops, markets, antique/bric-à-brac emporia, fairs and festivals, museums, medieval villages, towns and castles, as well as cultural and sporting activities of all kinds in the surrounding area.
• The House Manual has details re: the hire of bicycles (they can de delivered to Le Moulin if required). This is great cycling country!
• There are wonderful walks in all directions, very much including the well-trodden, ancient pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain. The national park of the Causses du Quercy surrounds the property.
• Hiking in the National Park. The parc naturel regional des Causses du Quercy surrounds le Moulin. It has many well marked foot paths throughout the ‘blue path’ system. There are many ordinance survey maps of the local area showing the foot paths in the sitting room. These take you from Le Moulin around the Valley or further afield. A slightly longer two hour walk for instance starts at Marcilhac-sur-Cele (the next village west down the Valley) and follows the valley ridge towards Le Moulin before dropping down onto the river and finally back to Le Moulin (this is a blue-path route).
• For the more intrepid walkers go online and you can pick up the well-trodden, ancient pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain.
• Canoeing -The Lot and Célé rivers are renowned for the most beautiful canoe trips. This activity alone draws large numbers of visitors each year and The Lot department local government has a large budget and does a fine job of keeping rivers and banks clear and easy to navigate. They also maintain many weirs with safe canoe slides for many miles of uninterrupted gliding down the river. Le Moulin has two canoes taking 2 or 3 people. These should only be used after instruction from Patrick. Patrick will transport these up the valley for either a half day or full day canoeing. The end of the trip ends on Le Moulin’s river bank.
• The Croissant Run. The valley first thing in the morning and at dusk is sublime. The seven minute drive to the boulangerie in Marcilhac-sur-cele is never a chore. The road follows the river along the valley west, it’s a fantastic drive. 
• The organic vegetable farm shop is a stone’s throw up the road to Brengues. It has a fantastic selection of the most wonderful, fresh local vegetables.
• Foie gras is a speciality of the region as demonstrated by the many local producers and shops.
• There is an extraordinary underground river near Le Moulin which can be explored by serious divers - apparently its furthest point has yet to be discovered!
• Arguably France's most beautiful village is only 10 kms away - St. Cirque-la-Popie, which cascades down a steep hill into the river Lot.
• This is a splendid region for wild flowers and wild life in general - red squirrels, deer, butterflies and nightingales to name just a few.
• Cabrerets (half an hour's drive) is said to have some of the country's finest pre-historic painted caves that are still open to the public.
• The ancient city of Cahors is within an hour's drive - its 14th century fortified bridge is of particular interest. The region around Cahors is widely known for its red wine, once rivalling the finest Bordeaux in terms of quality and price.
• There is a charming 9-hole golf course at St Céré, with a superb restaurant.
• There are riding stables nearby, offering everything from lessons to pony trekking in the surrounding national park.