Le Mans, Pays de la Loire 72000

An old 17th-century paper mill and its millrace, on more than 4 hectares in the wooded countryside of the Sarthe department, to the west of Le Mans. The mill was established in the 17th century with the arrival of the paper industry in the Maine region, which fuelled a factory that remained in business until the mid-19th century. In its heyday, the estate even included workers' housing, which no longer exists today, while the nearby trout-stocked river was rerouted all the way to the foot of the building in order to provide water for the millrace. Behind the gate, the edifice's northern exterior faces a courtyard surrounded by buildings, whereas to the south, the dwelling opens onto a garden, which is buttressed on one side by cavities hollowed out of the rock, once used as cellars. To the west, pastures bordered by hedges extend all the way to the horizon, while the stream and millrace eventually merge together in order to create a wider body of water before re-joining the stream's original banks once again and continuing its journey through the countryside.Behind the enclosed courtyard, a large agricultural storage building abuts an outbuilding made out of local stone and, further on, another outbuilding shares a common wall with the main dwelling.