About

The “Moulin à Papier” is 300-year-old mill house, formerly a paper mill, that sits at the confluence of two rivers on the northwest corner of Normandy. On the large property are several farm buildings where guests will also be staying, as well as islands, streams, and ponds, flowers, a vegetable garden, a Dolmen (a neolithic rock structure attributed to a Druidic burial site), two friendly donkeys, several of the neighbor’s horses, and a variety of wildlife from pheasants to deer to wild swans. The previous owner was a sculptor and many of her marble and bronze sculptures are located throughout the landscape (such as Fallen Horse in the photograph above).

In the prewar period, the Moulin was the occasional studio of  the painters, Dunoyer de Segonzac, Paul Maze, and his student, Winston Churchill. Edouard Vuillard spent time here as well and Maurice de Vlaminck painted up the river. The Dutch expressionist Antoon Kruysen lived in the village for some time too. Orson Welles filmed portions of F for Fake here. The property is in a valley surrounded by 10,000 acres of public forest, and is walking distance to a privately-owned 16th century castle where Henry IV slept before the decisive Battle of Ivry, where Winston Churchill vacationed in the 1930s , and accordingly, Goebbels set up camp during the war.

A few bicycles and yoga mats are available to guests. Oscar, one of our resident donkeys, can also be hitched to a cart if he is fed enough carrots. Weather permitting, the swimming pool will remain open. The forest is accessible for walks and picnics.

A nearby medieval 13th century ruin can be reached on foot.  A 10-minute drive brings you to the royal castle of Anet, former hunting lodge of Henry II and his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The cathedral of Chartres with its labyrinth, crypt, and famous stained glass and organ is only a thirty-minute drive.