The project's story
In the watermill’s heyday, there must have been a bustling activity
with farmers bringing their wheat to grind,
lorries being loaded with flour bags to deliver to bakers,
and families using the bread oven to turn their flour into bread.
My story
A journey
After growing up abroad, I spent 20 years working in the luxury goods sector at New York, London and Hong Kong. It gave me a taste for craftsmanship, but my interest in plants was already there (perhaps inspired by my grandparents who were seed growers and my great-grandparents who were nurserymen) and I was learning permaculture in my spare time.
I was made aware of the climate change and in my quest for solutions, agriculture seems to me to be a a major lever for the ecological transition: which can regenerate soil life, capture carbon, preserve water reserves and promote biodiversity.
Birth of the project
In 2021, the planets aligned with the announcement of a return to France and, at the same time, the opportunity to buy this old watermill in my home region. I embarked on a 2-year agricultural qualification and began renovation work.
With this project agri-tourism, I would like to share my positive and desirable vision of the ecological transition with a wider public. agriculture that creates our landscapes,a eco-renovated home full of charm and comfort, and know-how workshops to reconnect with the intelligence of the hands.
History of the site
A mill in operation until 1987
There were two mills at Les Etrebières. The windmill on the hill turned in the summer. The water mill in the hamlet operated in winter when there was enough water in the stream to feed the millstream.
There has been a water mill at Les Etrebières since 1610, and it is shown on the Cassini map dating from before 1789. In 1908, it was converted to a steam-powered cylinder mill, followed by lean gas (1918), diesel (1933), petrol (1949) and finally electricity (1955).
Roger Sionnet closed the mill on 31 December 1987, but the farm continued to operate until the 2000s.
Eco-renovation
Work from October 2023 to May 2025
The emphasis was on respect for the history of the placeand eco-construction techniques. Energy efficiency is at the heart of the project:
- collecting rain from the roofs to flush toilets
- phyto-purification sanitation system with reed beds
- wood furnace (renewable energy) and a log burner in the lounge for cosiness
- hemp, flax and cotton as insulation material + hemp-sand coating on walls
- hemp and lime insulation + hemp-lime-sand coating for the lounge's wall
- maximising natural light (velux windows)
- maximising natural ventilation (tilt and turn windows)
- solar protection (shutters, pergola)
- solar panels on farm buildings
- charging point for electric vehicles
The project for the hamlet
A village on a hillside
The hamlet was built gradually, always on the level lines, according to the needs of the mill., or family extensions.
The old dwellings have been restored to create a large, charming gîte that can accommodate families, groups of friends or colleagues. The mill, barn and orchard/vegetable garden are home to skills workshops where you can get your hands dirty again.
The mill - witness to the site's history
A showcase for the hamlet, the mill welcomes visitors with its imposing façade. It bears witness to the intense milling activity all along the stream.
The mill is out of the water and will be fitted out with two reception rooms, a catering office and a workspace with a superb view over the meadow crossed by the stream.
The barn - a place where know-how is passed on
The barn hosts skills workshops to reconnect with the intelligence of your hands. Reconnecting with materials and rediscovering the pleasure of creating are profound motivators and a source of well-being. You can try your hand at basketry, dry stone masonry, permaculture in the orchard or vegetable garden, sewing and much more...
The farm buildings
The cowshed, shed, pigsty and henhouse on the heights of the hamlet will continue to be used for agricultural purposes and will house fruit trees, market gardening, small livestock and other crops.
Although built of clinker blocks after the Second World War, the hangar respects the proportions of the Vendée barn. traditionalIt is flanked by a stone stable.
As part of the ecological renovation, photovoltaic panels for electricity production are being installed on the roofs.
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