Le Mans, Pays de la Loire, Address available on request

An old, 17th-century paper mill and its millrace on over 4 ha to the west of Le Mans in the French department of Sarthe's bocage countryside. The western regions being far from Spain and Italy, countries through which paper was introduced into France, they were slow to make use of this invention. Paper manufacturers only appeared in the French department of Maine in the 17th century. This mill which supplied a paper factory continued working until the middle of the 19th century. In its heyday, the estate encompassed housing for its workers which is no longer in existence. 
It is currently concealed at the bottom of the valley, hidden behind lush vegetation where a wild river flows. This first category river was diverted to supply the millrace so that it lapped against the walls of the building. Behind the gates stands the north facade of the dwelling in its courtyard surrounded by buildings, the view stretching as far as the grasslands beyond the millrace and the river. On the south side, the residence opens on to a garden with cavities hewn out of the rock and used as cellars in the lower sections. On the west side are grasslands, bordered by hedges, extending into the distance. The stream and the millrace merge to form a wider stretch of water, before returning to the original river bed which winds through the countryside. At the end of the enclosed courtyard, adjoining a local stone outbuilding, a large farm shed houses equestrian facilities. Another building, a short distance away, adjoins a neighbouring property.