Moulin du Quercy

Set in a quiet rural location but with all the village amenities of Montaigu de Quercy only a short level walk away, Moulin de Quercy is a spacious quality home at which a family or group can enjoy a quiet holiday. Accessed by a private road, and with trees throughout the grounds, privacy is assured for groups of up to 4 people.

Carefully renovated and maintained by the Owner, Moulin de Quercy, as the name suggests, was once a water mill, and some original features remain. The original mill leet runs through the house, and the original grindstones will be seen, one in the garden and one indoors.

The exclusive 10 x 5m pool has a sun terrace around it as well as a large au vent shelter for relaxing in the shade and an alfresco cooking area.

The Owner makes the house available only for a few short weeks each year in Peak season, and much of the decor is personal: This is not a typical rental house - This is a holiday home, with the emphasis on 'home'. 

Montaigu de Quercy is an excellent centre with good road access to explore the delights of the Quercy region with historic villages in all directions, the River Lot and the Cahors AOC wine production area to the north, The Garonne River and Canal du Midi to the west and the limestone Causses de Quercy and the Aveyron Gorge to the south and east.

A drive of about 100m off the road, and past the house takes you to the Garage and parking area where 3 cars could be comfortably parked, and there is a loop in the drive offering further parking if required.

Moulin du Quercy is an interestingly shaped building with the main entrance just beside a curved corner: You enter into a large low hall. which was clearly where the grain was ground in former times, as the main feature is one of the original large grindstones, which now serves as a raised table. Clear panels cut into the floor allow a view of the workings of the mill beneath the floor when illuminated.

The Kitchen is beside the Hall and is very well equipped with utensils, as the Owner makes a considerable proportion of her equipment available to guests, and also encourages her guests to use her stocks of consumables such as herbs and oils which are already in the cupboards.

The kitchen includes: Gas hob and electric oven, microwave oven, fridge freezer, dishwasher, coffee maker, toaster and a food processor

The other room on the ground level is the impressive Salon with a large dining table at one end, and a sitting area with an open fireplace at the other end: The original baking oven, built-in brick, is set in the wall beside the fireplace, and there are further grazed apertures in the floor to see the original workings of the mill.

A small bar houses a stereo system, with cassette, cd and radio, and a selection of CDs is offered for guests to enjoy. The large television has Orange satellite, and English news and sports channels can be found.

Back through the Hall is a rear area including a WC and a laundry room with a washing machine and tumble drier.

Wooden stairs lead up to the landing, off which all rooms lead: Guests have the option of a Double and a Twin bedroom or Two double bedrooms. There are also two bathrooms, a large shower room with a WC. There are also facing Jack and Jill basins which are separated by a large suspended mirror. The second bathroom is a small wet room with a half size bath and shower over, basin and WC.

The windows throughout are double glazed. Heating is not available - The house is available for a few weeks in Peak season only, and it is not considered that heating will be necessary during those weeks, although wood is available for an open fire in the Sitting room should extreme weather prevail.

Guests should remember that this house functions as an ordinary home for all but a few weeks of the year, and much of the decor is very personal to the Owner, who has busy and mixed tastes.

Moulin de Quercy sits in a 1.8 ha (5 acres)  plot, surrounded by tall poplar trees, although the house and pool are carefully situated so that the sun is not obstructed during the day. There are other large trees throughout the plot, offering shaded and sheltered places to explore and enjoy. At the north end, the weir that controlled the water for the Mill can still be seen, and the stream runs along the western boundary.

The pool area is beside the house, as seen in the photos, and has a shelter in one corner. Pool furniture including sunbeds, table and chairs and additional furniture is also available for guests to use.  An alfresco cooking area including charcoal barbecue and a clay oven is within the pool enclosure, and a gas plancha (griddle plate) is also available beside the house, a short distance away.

The original mill leet (watercourse) remains, running a channel through the outdoors area: It is deep in places, and will hold water especially after heavy rain: Parents with small children should be prepared for additional supervision when outside.

Moulin du Quercy is one of the last houses in the village of Montaigu de Quercy, and a short level 400m walk away is the centre of the village, with restaurants, shops, Tourist information and all guests are likely to need during their stay.

The historic bastide village of Montaigu de Quercy is a level 400m walk away with a good selection of restaurants, a supermarket and other services. The three nearest shops are an excellent bar/restaurant, a boulangerie and a reasonable sized supermarket.  The village is at a crossroads, and travel in all directions is easy.

To the north is another historic bastide village, Tournon d'Agenais, with Penne d'Agenais and its famed silver domed basilica a few miles further on. Many of the fortifications of Penne d'Agenais were built by the English king Richard the Lionheart. Beyond Tournon d'Agenais is a large area where much of the Cahors AOC wine is produced before you reach the River Lot. Across the Lot towards Fumel is a large commercial area with a LeClerc Hypermarket which is the nearest major retail outlet. The hilly land beyond the Lot hides a wealth of interest including two large chateaux, Bonaguil and Biron, which both make interesting visits.

Heading West from Montaigu de Quercy, the Seoune valley road takes you through fertile agricultural land where many different crops are grown and past hilltop villages at Roquecor and Beauville before you descend into the Garonne Valley to reach the regional centre at Agen, Moissac with its magnificent cloisters and abbey, and Montauban with its famed rose-coloured stone buildings.

The road south climbs into the limestone landscape and then drops down to the magnificent medieval bastide town at Lauzerte which has a deep history and amazing views from its hilltop position. Not far away is Montcuq which is a very lively town with markets, restaurants and a strong expat population.  Further to the east is the large area of the Causse de Quercy, a limestone landscape with caves, dolmen and other archaeological and geological features including the Aveyron Gorge, a massive deep gorge with spectacular cliffs and scenery throughout.

To the east of Montaigu de Quercy, the road leads through the peaceful countryside along the southern edge of the Cahors AOC wine area, before meeting the River Lot at Cahors. Upstream from Cahors is St Cirq Lapopie, one of 'Les Plus Beaux villages de France' (along with Lauzerte). Crossing the river at Cahors brings you into the northern part of Le Causses de Quercy with the well-known visitor caves at Pech Merle and the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lascaux where prehistoric cave paintings were found; Sadly the actual caves are no longer open to visitors, but there is plenty to see and visit in the area.