Moulin Niras

Moulin Niras is a 17th century olive oil mill which has recently been sympathetically renovated and extended using local stone, terracotta and wood. It has been featured in the Daily Mail and Country Life magazine. The holiday house is set amidst three acres (over a hectare) of secluded gardens. Beyond, vineyards and protected woods create a peaceful and private setting, but the house is only a ten-minute walk from the centre of the village of Callas. Built on a gentle hillside, the old part of the house is on one level, with the new part on two floors. Five bedrooms, all with en-suite bathrooms, accommodate ten guests in comfort plus an additional two children; each bedroom overlooks the gardens surrounding the house. Wireless internet access is available throughout the house and pool area. The large, deep swimming pool is surrounded by a stone terrace furnished with chairs and loungers, and a large teak dining table comfortably seating twelve. The pool has an alarm and is fully fenced and secured, meeting all current French safety legislation. Beside the pool is a Turkish-style sofra - a roofed outdoor sitting area with a central chimney-piece. Ideal for shady daytime relaxing, the sofra is also a cozy place with a log fire for cool evenings. A large gas barbecue is next to the sofra and close to the second kitchen for convenient poolside cooking. The gardens include a boules court, olive trees, herb and rose gardens, mature trees and meadowland. French double doors lead from the terrace and garden into the very large grand salon, which has a high vaulted, beamed ceiling. This room was originally the main part of the old mill, and many original features have been retained including a millstone, several gears and the great wooden waterwheel. Large cream sofas surround a central stone fireplace. A wide-screen TV with satellite channels, a DVD/CD player and a Bose stereo provide entertainment. The dining area at the end of the room has a solid oak dining table and an antique dresser. Double French doors lead onto a terrace with an external table and chairs under the trees. Next to the dining area, the spacious and well-equipped kitchen features hand-crafted wooden cabinets and a flagstone floor. The high tech appliances include a professional La Canche six-burner/two-oven stove, a large American-style fridge/freezer, a dishwasher and a microwave. Another set of French doors lead onto the dining terrace. On the ground floor next to the swimming pool is a second kitchen and a shower room, both with cool stone floors. The kitchen has a fridge/freezer, a microwave, a washing machine/dryer, a sink and plenty of food preparation and storage cabinets, and is ideally situated to serve the poolside dining table. Bedroom one and its en-suite bathroom are in the old part of the house. The bedroom's stone walls and terracotta floor have been carefully restored; hand-crafted oak cupboards and an antique armoire provide storage. Double French doors lead out to the rose and herb garden terrace. The bathroom features an oversized stone-tiled shower and stone flooring. There are two more double bedrooms overlooking the pool, both with en-suite bathrooms. One has a queen-sized bed and a loft above with two single beds, where two children can sleep. Double French doors lead onto a terrace overlooking the pool. The bright white-tiled en-suite bathroom has a roomy shower and traditional terracotta floors. The third bedroom has a high wooden-beamed ceiling, an en-suite shower room and a private terrace. The fourth and fifth double bedrooms lie off the grand salon, one on the ground floor and one upstairs. Each of the bedrooms has an en-suite bathroom. One has a queen-size double bed and one has a pair of twin beds, and both are furnished with antique wardrobes and chests, and feature wooden-beamed ceilings and terracotta floors.