Converted Sawmill Located In One Of France's Most Unspoilt Regions
Top rated by guests
9.6Outstanding
(30 Ratings)
Guests had a truly wonderful experience at the property, enjoying the charming house, beautiful surroundings, and friendly hosts. Everything needed for a relaxing and enjoyable stay was provided, making it a perfect getaway.
Guests love it hereGuests give this property a top rating
High-end valueWell priced for this area
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About this house rental
The house is in the Parc Livradois Forez, a nature reserve in Puy De Dome, in the heart of the Auvergne, France's most unspoilt region. It is 900 metres above sea level and surrounded by forest and pastures, with many tracks and trails accessible from the house. Straw Angel Mill is ideal for those who love to be outdoors; whether hiking through the natural environment, relaxing by the stream in the privacy of the secluded wild garden or exploring an authentic region that hasn't been overwhelmed by tourists. Despite the house's secluded setting, both basic needs and special treats are within easy reach - a 5 minute drive or 20 minute walk to Viverols, a small medieval town with a traditional French bakery open daily for fresh baguettes and pastries, and 5 minutes from a mountain pass with a restaurant serving delicious local food. There is a mountain lake for a cool dip in summer & a ski station in winter, 20 minutes away, and several marked mountain-bike circuits nearby.
Amenities at Converted Sawmill Located In One Of France's Most Unspoilt Regions
Cleaning & other feesWe include all stay related fees in the Cleaning Fee line, which may include cleaning, property manager, resort, tourism and other stay related fees. All Vrbo properties are professionally cleaned after each stay.
Service feeThis helps Vrbo provide a safer and more secure booking experience.
TaxesTaxes on accommodation such as Occupancy Tax, VAT, or GST. May also include tourism fees.
Customer support
Customer support is handled by our partner Vrbo
$$$$
Top rated by guests
9.6Outstanding
(30 Ratings)
Guests had a truly wonderful experience at the property, enjoying the charming house, beautiful surroundings, and friendly hosts. Everything needed for a relaxing and enjoyable stay was provided, making it a perfect getaway.
The house is in the Parc Livradois Forez, a nature reserve in Puy De Dome, in the heart of the Auvergne, France's most unspoilt region. It is 900 metres above sea level and surrounded by forest and pastures, with many tracks and trails accessible from the house. Straw Angel Mill is ideal for those who love to be outdoors; whether hiking through the natural environment, relaxing by the stream in the privacy of the secluded wild garden or exploring an authentic region that hasn't been overwhelmed by tourists. Despite the house's secluded setting, both basic needs and special treats are within easy reach - a 5 minute drive or 20 minute walk to Viverols, a small medieval town with a traditional French bakery open daily for fresh baguettes and pastries, and 5 minutes from a mountain pass with a restaurant serving delicious local food. There is a mountain lake for a cool dip in summer & a ski station in winter, 20 minutes away, and several marked mountain-bike circuits nearby.
Amenities
Pets allowed
Things to know
Additional fees to expect
Cleaning & other feesWe include all stay related fees in the Cleaning Fee line, which may include cleaning, property manager, resort, tourism and other stay related fees. All Vrbo properties are professionally cleaned after each stay.
Service feeThis helps Vrbo provide a safer and more secure booking experience.
TaxesTaxes on accommodation such as Occupancy Tax, VAT, or GST. May also include tourism fees.
Customer support
Customer support is handled by our partner Vrbo
Ratings and reviews
9.6 / 10.0
Outstanding(30 Ratings)
Summary of reviews
Guests had a truly wonderful experience at the property, enjoying the charming house, beautiful surroundings, and friendly hosts. Everything needed for a relaxing and enjoyable stay was provided, making it a perfect getaway.
From real guest reviews summarized by AI
10.0 / 10.0
We are a family of 6- kids loved it as did we. Stream was a constant tinkling presence in which our daughter spent a whole day just playing with rocks. So much room to spread out- good playing areas- Road is not a noticeable factor as so little traffic. We went on walks- visited markets- went canoing on the Loire (highlight for the kids). It’s a very outdoor sort of area- getting places is slow as mountainous. It’s high up so cooler- loads of shade- we had great weather and enjoyed that it wasn’t as hot as where we are now in Carcassonne. At night it’s far cooler- so makes for a nice sleep. They’ve got all the tech you need- so much room for everything. You could easily fit 2 families maybe 3!Hosts, David and Sarah, were very welcoming and all round super.House very clean with lots of lovely Moroccan plates and features etc. quirky and rustic and full of character. We’d like to go again. Everywhere you walk or drive there are amazing views- the house itself is 800m high. The weather is probably more variable- we had a coolMorning, went down to Loire and it was 5 degrees hotter-noticeably so. I imagine if the weather in the mountains is beingTricky you’d head down and do something on the Loire or somewhere if you wanted it hotter. For walking this higher location is perfect.We had a great week for weather though and perfect temperatures. Now we’re too hot in Carcassonne.All round great time.
10.0 / 10.0
We had a group of 6 adults, 2 dogs and a baby stay here for 2 weeks and it was a truly wonderful experience. The property is very special and full of character, the surroundings are stunning and invite true relaxation (the sound of the stream burbling will lull anyone into a relaxed stupor) and Sarah and the property manager were delightful to deal with.
8.0 / 10.0
We had a great time in the house.
We had a great time in the house.
We liked the nice house located in the nature. Everyone who is looking for a nice and calm holiday in nature will be delighted. We will come back again.
10.0 / 10.0
Great place to stay
Great place to stay
We had an excellent week here, the house is beautiful and very comfortable. The sound of the stream sends you to sleep every night and having breakfast on the deck was a lovely start to the day. We cycled in to Viverols most days to get croissants and the walks around are amazing. The property is particularly well stocked with maps, walking guides and information. The mountain activities place above St Anthelme was fantastic: the 800m zip wire is quite an experience. We also walked to the local Auberge (Relais du Vermont) for an excellent lunch - really good food. Would definitely go back.
10.0 / 10.0
A great get away from it all place!
A great get away from it all place!
We had the most fantastic 2 weeks here - Clean air, lovely walks in the woods and characterful villages.
We received a warm welcome and the house was is good shape. Hope to return next year.
10.0 / 10.0
Fabulous house & setting.
Fabulous house & setting.
We had a lovely time at Straw Angel - loved the house and the area. The house was beautifully presented and the welcome provisions were extremely welcome at midnight when we eventually arrived. Charlie was very helpful and pointed us in the right direction for a Vide Grenier and a high wire activity place near Le Puy - we picked up a handful of leaflets and left them in your activity folder - Canopy en Foret I think they were called. We went there on the Monday and the guys who now run it were excellent and the afternoon good value. We hired extra bikes one afternoon and suffered for it riding from Usson to St. Bonnet Le Chateau visiting the Resistance Museum on the way. Towards the end of the week the weather was fabulous and we went rafting near La Privat (?) - again left leaflets at the house. That was fantastic and I would strongly recommend it to everyone - you travel down a particularly beautiful gorge and there is just enough leisurely paddling and white knuckle riding to suit everyone in the family and again the guys who run it were excellent at their rather enviable job.
I think your house is lovely and well equipped, comfortable and warm and your guests, like us, very lucky to stay there. I'm sure we'll be in touch again soon to book another week.
10.0 / 10.0
Perfect for a relaxing holiday
Perfect for a relaxing holiday
We had a lovely week at Straw Angel Mill - the accommodation was wonderfully quirky and had everything we needed, and more! The local area is beautiful - ideal for walking and hilly cycling.
From breakfast overlooking the garden in the early morning sunshine to lazing around in the hammock by the river - time slowed to the perfect holiday pace!
10.0 / 10.0
Enchanted
Enchanted
I think Straw Angel Mill must be enchanted; I woke up to our first morning with ideas for my new book already flowing fast. I find time out in a beautiful, wild, peaceful place such as this is essential for reflection, restoration and inner renewal.
One of the advantages (to us) of going to the Forez in the spring is that all the creatures are so much more visible: on walks from the house we saw a young grass snake, red squirrel courtship, newts and tawny owls; during one quiet hour sitting on the hangar a mountain hare ran across the hillside beyond the stream, a black woodpecker visited the pines, and a vole popped out from a hole in the wall to eat stitchwort flowers. Wagtails, coal tits and redstarts were nesting all around us, and on our last morning a fox trotted across the garden and jumped the stream.
The Auberge at the top of the hill gave us two extremely good meals and accommodated our particular diets very well, and we were able to buy all our provisions in the friendly town of Viverols. There is a shop in nearby Saillant selling eco-friendly products but sadly it was closed for holidays for the duration of our stay. We came on the train this time and really appreciated having the bikes, which made it easy for us to get into town for essentials (such as the excellent local liqueurs!), and to check emails in the lovely old library with its helpful staff. We enjoyed choosing from the films and books in the evenings, and watching the stars through the skylights at night. Special thanks to Sarah in England, and David and Charlie in France, for helping with travel arrangements!
10.0 / 10.0
An Abundance of Life!
An Abundance of Life!
Last July we stayed at Straw Angel Mill for the first time, and we loved it so much that we went back again this September. We were delighted to find that there were still wild flowers everywhere, and an abundance of crickets, grasshoppers, moths, butterflies, bats... on walks from the house we saw a red squirrel, a polecat and tawny owls, and were lucky enough to see a deer, a stoat and a hoopoe in the garden! This area truly is a wildlife lovers' paradise. Lots of foraging possibilities too: hazel nuts, sweet chestnuts and blackberries, whereas last July it was mostly wild strawberries and raspberries. The house is lovely; a peaceful space with some beautiful touches and an emphasis on natural materials. I love the Straw Angel symbol in the wooden shutters! We enjoyed sitting at the end of the beautiful wild garden to catch the last of the sunshine, and it was so hot for most of our two weeks that we were able to make good use of the delightful hammocks in shady areas by the stream. I'm sure there is lots to see and do in the wider area but we only got the car out three days in two weeks - there are so many beautiful walks from the house, and everything we needed in town, not to mention the wonderful Auberge at the top of the hill - a must for a high quality, good value lunch! Thanks for providing the bikes: Peter cycled in to town most days while I was writing (the Mill is a wonderful space for creativity), and we went out for a big ride one day. So now we know how lovely it is there in summer and autumn, we think that next year we will have to try late spring, when I believe the wild flowers are spectacular!
10.0 / 10.0
Peace at last!
Peace at last!
We live in the Alps and were looking for a get-away-from-it-all location for a long weekend with our dog. Sarah was kind enough to let us rent the mill for a few nights (as it was out of season) and we couldn't have wished for more.
We loved the fact that there was no Wifi and phone reception only from the kitchen window. It meant that we just enjoyed the countryside, eating, drinking and playing Scrabble! Viverols is small but has all the amenities you need, the food at the Auberge up the road was local & totally scrumptious and the various footpaths near the mill kept the dog happy.
It snowed, which is very unusual for this time of year, but the mill was toasty warm. It did mean we couldn't make much use of the garden, but I can imagine how lovely it must be in summer, particularly with the covered outside space.
The mill is well-equipped in the kitchen and with games & books. Luckily the wood-burner, tins of candles and gas oven came into their own when we had a power-cut!
We hope to return one day, next time with a group of friends. It was a great cosy weekend getaway, but is also definitely a place for summer BBQs and late-night guitar playing!
10.0 / 10.0
Charming Getaway
Charming Getaway
The pictures on the website give an inkling of this charming getaway. We wanted a place off the beaten track away from the hordes of tourists in Europe in July but with modern comforts and plenty of room. My teenage daughters discovered that there is life without internet.
We all had a marvelous time. We visited the neighboring village Viverols and the nearest market town Ambert had everything we needed. The mountain lake was quite refreshing so we went there often.
A perfect place for a peaceful holiday.
10.0 / 10.0
AN AMAZING WEEK IN AUVERGNE
AN AMAZING WEEK IN AUVERGNE
Myself and 7 university friends (all in our mid-twenties) spent a week at the heavenly Straw Angel Mill in June 2013.
If you want to spend a week (or more..which you will) away from everything, the idyllic hamlet of Paillange is perfect for you.
Far enough out in the country that you feel at peace and have space to relax, yet the nearest town Eglisolles is just a 5 minute drive or 20-30 min walk. and further afield there is a plethora of charming French villages, sights and larger towns to explore.
The house has been beautifully renovated whilst still retaining its charm, with lots of exposed woodwork and beams, it easily slept all 7 of us! with 2 beautiful double bedrooms overlooking the stream and an open plan attic space that easily sleeps 6! The house is fully equipped with everything you could need to enjoy your time there.
We particularly enjoyed BBQ-ing outdoors, clearing the mezzanine dining are for morning yoga sessions, walking up the stream, spending the day at the local lake in St. Antheme, wandering round the beautiful Ambert and just generally enjoying the peaceful surrounding with some good drink and food.
The owners Sarah & David are charming, polite and very knowledgable about the area, happy to answer any questions about the Auvergne and make recommendations for things to do, see and eat! You can tell they have put all their enthusiasm into the house!
They couldn't have made the booking process easier either, all in all an idyllic house in a glorious location. I would definitely go back over and over again!
8.0 / 10.0
A charming retreat lovingly renovated
A charming retreat lovingly renovated
A former sawmill, this property is situated in the SE corner of the Livradois-Forez National Park, between the towns of Ambert and Usson-en-Forez. It's been lovingly restored by the owners keeping many of the original features and giving a very different feel compared to many more standard holiday homes. The whole house is cool and airy - good in a hot climate - and there is a large verandah to the side which we really enjoyed. The furniture is a quirky mix of pieces from the Middle East and more easily recognisable stuff from a well known Swedish furniture manufacturer. There is a large and well equipped kitchen and a good sized lounge. Outside there's lots of meadows and woodlands for the kids to explore, though care should be exercised with the stream if you have young children. There are also loads of other fringe benefits such as use of two bikes that come with the house, hammocks and a barbecue, and a well stocked library of guide books and maps that we made good use of, and the owners kindly left us a welcome pack including some essentials such as a bottle of the local wine.
The Mill is a great place to bring a dog and the owners allow pets, even providing a basket on the verandah (which is also nice and cool even during the day). Your dog will need to be able to climb some quite steep steps though (as will you) so this house won't suit if any in your party have mobility problems. The house has plenty of parking and although it's just off the equivalent of a French B-road, there is little traffic noise.
There are two potential drawbacks with the Mill, both of which are most likely to be an issue if you are a large party. There is only one bathroom, which can lead to congestion especially in the morning. Also, the open plan - including the upstairs mezzanine containing some of the beds - means that you can hear a lot of what's going on elsewhere in the house. For us these problems were more than made up for by the charm of the place and we felt at home in no time.
Overall I would definitely recommend the Mill. It's a great place to get away from it all in an area that's a bit off the beaten track but still has plenty to do, see and taste. Even if you're not feeling energetic, it's a pleasant place to relax and soak in the mountain air. We were in a group of six aged between 5 and 70ish, and we all had a great time.
10.0 / 10.0
Super semaine familiale en Auvergne dans une maison chaleureuse et accueillante
Super semaine familiale en Auvergne dans une maison chaleureuse et accueillante
Belle ambiance dans cette maison rénovée avec soin et contact sur place sympathique et accommodant. L'environnement est optimal pour les amoureux de campagne et de nature.
10.0 / 10.0
StawAngel
StawAngel
Parfait
10.0 / 10.0
Calme, bien équipé, cadre idyllique
Calme, bien équipé, cadre idyllique
Maison rénovée avec goût, très bien équipée, idéalement située pour découvrir toutes les richesses du parc naturel.
Nous (5 adultes et 3 enfants) avons passé un excellent séjour de 2 semaines.
Sarah, la propriétaire, et David présent sur place sont disponibles, extrêmement réactifs et très sympathiques.
Nous recommandons chaudement.
10.0 / 10.0
À la maison mais ailleurs
À la maison mais ailleurs
Bien à tout point de vue. Très belle maison. Idéal famille
10.0 / 10.0
Nous avons passé une très bonne semaine de vacances de plus la neige était au rendez-vous
Nous avons passé une très bonne semaine de vacances de plus la neige était au rendez-vous
La maison est très bien situé dans un cadre idyllique
10.0 / 10.0
Incredible house
Incredible house
We stayed at the house for 7 days with 8 friends. We arrived sunday evening and there was some bread, cheese and fruit on the table for us. The house had everything we needed to cook (which is often not the case when you book a house!!), like pans, knives and herbs. We loved the way it was decorated!! In the village next to the house, you can find a bakery and a small store. In about a half hour you can drive to a bigger town with a big supermarket. We especially loved the beautiful garden, with a couple of hammocks to enjoy the sun. We went to a small lake a couple times and we also visited Lyon.
I don't really have anything bad to say about our trip, it was so great! If you're looking for a house to stay with friends our family, I really recommend this one, because it is very well equiped and is located in a beautiful place.
When speaking to Sarah, the owner, on the phone you could really hear how passionate she was about the house and you can see that when you arrive in the house aswell.
We had a great time and we'll come back in the future!! Thank you!
10.0 / 10.0
Grande maison chaleureuse et conviviale pour un séjour de resourse en famille
Grande maison chaleureuse et conviviale pour un séjour de resourse en famille
Superbe location très bien équipé et très agréable au calme en pleine nature du livradois forez.
8.0 / 10.0
Heerlijk verblijf in Straw Angel Mill met fijne tuin in een prachtige omgeving.
Heerlijk verblijf in Straw Angel Mill met fijne tuin in een prachtige omgeving.
De oude zaagmolen is door de eigenaren omgetoverd in een sfeervolle en persoonlijke woning. Door een mooie mix van oosterse attributen en prachtig nieuw timmerwerk wordt de geschiedenis van het pand eer aan gedaan.
Op koelere avonden kun je op de open vliering toch nog beschut buiten zitten en genieten van de grote tuin. De beek die rond de tuin stroomt mag met recht een beek genoemd worden. In de tuin hebben wij heerlijk gebruik gemaakt van de BBQ en later op de afgekoelde zomerse avond genoten van de warmte van een kampvuur.
Door het fijne contact met de eigenaren voor onze aankomst gaf ons al een warm welkom.
Strawsangel Mill is een echte aanrader.
10.0 / 10.0
Superbe expérience pour toute la famille
Superbe expérience pour toute la famille
Partis en famille, nous avons passé un excellent séjour à Eglisolles. Le cadre est fantastique et la maison parfaite pour des vacances au calme.
Le contact a été particulièrement agréable avec la propriétaire.
Au total, une expérience 100% positive !
10.0 / 10.0
Amazing house
Amazing house
Nous avons eu enormement de plaisir dans cette magnifique maison renovee. 2 familles avec 4 enfants...le bonheur et plein de balades, jeu au bord de la riviere, visite, accueil incroyable,... merci pour tout
10.0 / 10.0
Un excellent séjour!
Un excellent séjour!
Dans cette maison, on trouve tout ce dont on a besoin, et même des choses auxquelles on n'aurait pas pensé. Et si, par hasard, il manque malgré tout quelque chose, David et Charlie, qui s'occupent du lieu en l'absence des propriétaires, se font un plaisir de fournir généreusement leur aide. La literie est très bonne, la vaisselle vraiment agréable, les revues anciennes sont vraiment intéressantes... chaque objet a une raison d'être. On a plutôt l'impression d'être chez des amis très discrets... Nous avons fait un excellent séjour!
FAQs
Is parking included with this house?
Parking is not specified as an available amenity at Converted Sawmill Located In One Of France's Most Unspoilt Regions. For more information, we encourage you to contact the property about where to park.
Is there a pool at this house?
We didn’t find pool listed as an amenity for this house. It may be worth double checking if a pool is important for your stay.
Is Converted Sawmill Located In One Of France's Most Unspoilt Regions pet friendly?
Yes! This house is pet-friendly. For more information, we recommend contacting the booking provider about animal policies.
What amenities are available at Converted Sawmill Located In One Of France's Most Unspoilt Regions?
We found 1 amenities for this rental. This includes , and pets allowed.
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