Sunday, 10 January 2010

Local authority

The field opposite my place came up for sale a couple of years ago, and the local mayor, in his capacity on the local council, bought it. He swapped a bit of it with the local farmer in exchange for a 3-metre wide strip of land alongside the river.

He then negotiated with the owner of the Hardray Mill at the end of this strip, for a public right of way across his land, which was granted in exchange for the creation of a vehicle-accessible access road to the mill, that also happened to make it much more saleable.

As a result, there is now a footpath that leads from the river by my house, all the way to St Pierre, and that is the background to my walk today.




This is the footpath alongside the river.


















The Hardray mill, still for sale.


















The new mill access road
at

9 comments:

  1. @eloh10 January 2010 at 09:57

    So many questions.. is that an electric fence? Is that part of the fence that holds in the cows you have photographed?

    You do such beautiful pictures. I'd love to see more of that mill.

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  2. Molly Potter10 January 2010 at 10:25

    You do live an enchanted existence Codgi.

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  3. Mark In Mayenne10 January 2010 at 10:53

    Hi Eloh, yes and yes. More pics of the mill when we get good weather.

    Hey, Molls, did you know that giving nicknames, especially early on in an acquaintance, is a sure sign of extroversion? :)

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  4. Molly Potter10 January 2010 at 11:24

    Ah...you appear to be clocking up MB expertise!!

    I might be an extravert! Possibly. A little. Maybe. Definitely a possibility.

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  5. Jonathan10 January 2010 at 22:42

    I love the way business gets done. Especially when it seems to be for the good of all. Hats off to the mayor.

    How much for the mill?

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  6. Mark In Mayenne10 January 2010 at 23:05

    Hi Jonathan,
    yes, local government here has a lot of power. When misused it can do a lot of harm, as people have noted, but when used well it can be of great benefit.

    For the mill, figure 60K euros, but 250K more to do it up.

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  7. Lia11 January 2010 at 09:02

    If only things could get done so quickly over here. Shame we don't take a leaf out of their book, but then that would be the sensible thing to do!!!!!!
    I wish I could afford that mill, it is fabulous.
    Much love
    Lia
    xx

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  8. ReedBunting11 January 2010 at 11:15

    Sounds like the old way of doing things, before red tape was invented... much as I hate to admit it, they seem to do many things in France so much better than us.

    A lovely walk!

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  9. Mimi Lenox31 January 2010 at 08:16

    As I'm reading and catching up with you today, you've now inspired me to take a walk. Of course, there is a foot of snow outside. I think not.

    Maybe tomorrow.

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