text: Moulin85 (LV003226)
  Saint-Cyr-des-Gats (15km from Fontenay-le-Comte), Vendée, Western Loire Reference: LV003226 Advertiser since: 7 March 2016
  Ms Sally Herbert
  Moulin85 Self Catering Flexible 1 2 1 There is one z-bed at the property.
  Pets considered extra charge £50.
  A Lovingly Renovated 19th Century Windmill. This cottage/gite is in a rural setting.
  The Moulin is set just outside a small village. The only noise comes from the church bells that chime hourly. The sound of sheep and cows in the surrounding fields really emphasises the tranquillity of the area.
  St Cyr des Gats has a cafe/bar, restaurant, Post Office, church and hairdressers. A small supermarket (Spar), cashpoint, butchers, chemist and patisserie can be found in La Calliere, 6km away.
  A short drive will take you to the medieval village of Vouvant, (designated one of the prettiest in France) and Mervant Forest with its walks, cycle tracks, large leisure lake and various other attractions. La Rochelle with its beautiful old port and fresh seafood eateries makes a lovely day out.
  The Windmill is arranged over 4 floors, and provides the ideal place to relax and unwind in a romantic and unusual property, it is perfect for a honeymoon or special occasion.
  Sitting outside in the patio area with the bbq on, cooking fresh lamb from the local farm, drinking a nice bottle of wine and watching the stunning sunsets is an outstanding way to lazily while away the hours.
  A lovely modern kitchen with granite work surface, ceramic hob, grill/microwave, fridge-freezer and a breakfast table is situated in the basement.
  A curved wrought iron staircase leads up to the living area, furnished with 2 leather easy chairs and houses a wood burning stove to warm up chilly spring or autumn evenings.
  Onwards and upwards, the top floor is reached by a wrought iron staircase which rises, quite sharply, to the beautiful romantic bedroom with double bed and a lovely view.
  The original wooden staircase rises from the living room to the second floor landing and a beautiful modern bathroom, with large shower cubicle, basin and wc.
  Electric heating and a wood burning stove heat the property.
  A mini dvd player and some films, books, cards and boardgames are available should you need to spend your time indoors.
  Outside there is a bbq area with a table and chairs sheltered from the inevitable breeze, the outlook from the patio is of farmland with distant treelined views. The evenings provide stunning sunsets and clear starry skies.
  Not suitable for anyone that has mobility issues as there are several steep staircases. Equally, young children are not ideally suited to this property.
  Animals may be considered by prior arrangement.
  Check out my website for more in depth information:
  www.romantic-windmill.com
  Name of nearest fishing location: Lake at St Cyr Des Gats
  Name/number of nearest marked trail: Mervant Foret
  About the Owner/Advertiser, Ms Sally Herbert
  My name is Sally, I live in Surrey and work at a tube driver on the Underground. I spend my holidays carrying out maintenance on the windmill to keep it looking lovely.
  Because it had a beautiful windmill for sale!!
  It's unique because of the type of property it is..... holidaying in a windmill is fairly uncommon!
  Île de Re is a quiet island off La Rochelle, a new road bridge makes it accessible by car. It is picturesque and has numerous beaches, cafés, towns and parks. The cost for the toll bridge is approximately £10 but is free if you cycle or walk out to the island. There is also a very good value golf course on the island.
  La Rochelle is France's 2nd largest boat building area and the historic Vieux Port remains largely unchanged. A daily fish market can be found in the old town until 12:00 midday. The port is very attractive and waterside cafés and restaurants offer a relaxing break. The seafood platters are their speciality and are excellent. The new marina holds Europe's largest aquarium which is open 365 days a year and has a large selection of fish from highly coloured tropical types to eels and sharks. Well worth a visit at approximately £4 per person.
  Saumur and St Emillion
  Saumur is more for the wine buff, it is similar distance north and this town on the Loire also offers numerous caves (cellars) along with various historic buildings. St Emillion is ½ hour drive south of Cognac, this historic wine producing region is for the red wine enthusiasts and boasts excellent tours of vineyards and historic sites. When staying at the windmill, please read the visitors book for lots of great ideas of other places to visit.
  The Venise Vert
  The VENISE VERT is the canal system the Vendée is famous for. There are numerous places (Maillezais is one of the best, 20 min drive from St Cyr Des Gats) where small rowing boats can be hired (with or without guides). Maps are provided and you can navigate round canal systems to set routes. The canals range from 20m wide to narrow stretches barely wide enough for the boat. All the canals are completely covered with a very distinctive weed giving them the appearance of flat green land, hence the 'Venise Vert' name. At Maillezais there is also a restaurant, souvenir shop and crazy golf course. A great day out, though beware, boat hire is more expensive than you would expect.
  Vouvant and Mervent
  There are many many interesting places to visit and things to see and do whilst staying at the windmill. Vouvant is a quiet historic town with a church overlooking a valley and river. There is a very good crêperie and pedalos can be hired out by the hour. Mervent is only a short drive ride from St Cyr Des Gats, it has a dam and a large reservoir. The area has been developed with tourism in mind. There are large wooded areas ideal for walking and particularly mountain biking. There are places where pedalos and wind surfers can be hired, and wind surfing lessons are offered at reasonable rates.