Restoration help and gardening at a beautiful ancient watermill in Severac-le-Chateau, France
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: 14 juil. 2025
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Usually responds ≤ 7 jours
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Infos
N° de référence hôte : 278533384741
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Feedback (5)
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Galen)
Hosting Galen was an absolute joy. From the outset it was clear he would fit in seamlessly, with an intuitive understanding of the mill and its environs. Whether hefting a mighty medieval door on to its hinges, bonding with the little yellow dumper, getting stuck into the mud – pretty much literally – in the millstream, clearing thickets of
… read more brambles around the sluice gate, or whisking up a mean marinade for the grill, he was always creative, strategic, effective and fun in his approach, and never lost his bone-dry sense of humour. We felt privileged to hear about his environmental research, and mealtimes were a delightful stream of entertaining chat. Somehow he managed to fit his own work around whatever herculean task happened to be in progress with enviable ease. We feel that we and the mill have made a firm friend in Galen, and our only regret was that we couldn't host him for longer. Any Workaway host would be lucky to have him, but we hope he'll come back to us another time. He'll always be welcome.
Laissé par le workawayer (Galen) pour l'hôte
Simply put, Barbara and Gavin are truly remarkable people. I spent two weeks at the mill, and never once did I feel anything but welcome. You are never just an assistant or an extra pair of hands. From the moment you arrive, you become a full partner in their projects, a true member of the household, and a fast friend. From morning coffee
… read more discussing the news to lunch on the back porch (sneaking bites of food to the dog) to evenings enjoying the grill…it all quickly becomes a home away from home. I would never have imagined that digging mud out of the workings of a medieval mill would be as entertaining as it turned out to be (driving mechanized equipment, however, was exactly as fun as I expected it to be, with everyone except a tractor’s hydraulic arm escaping unscathed). Wonderful people in what must be one of the most idyllic settings possible. I hope to return soon… even if we may disagree on how many past tenses is too many past tenses for the French language.
Brenda and Wilhelm were really delightful company, and we only wish they could have stayed for longer! They achieved a lot in a short time, and approached everything they did – from clearing round our old bread oven/barbecue to clearing brambles from the millpond wall while balancing precariously in our little boat, via cooking the most delicious
… read more fajitas for us – with tremendous care and thoroughness. We had fascinating and entertaining conversations about our different cultures (and their English is so good!), and they were exceptionally thoughtful and appreciative in their response to the mill and its environment. They were unfailingly willing and positive, extremely generous and kind, and we particularly loved the way they were constantly spotting little things that they could do to help. We wish them huge success in their studies and all their projects and we hope one day to catch up with them again.
Barbara and Gavin are amazing!
We spent an incredible Time together with them, they made us feel at home and it was very hard to leave when the time was over.
It’s amazing to see the dedication they put in the mill, it feels like being in a dream, and they are the main point of it with their kind hearts and beautiful souls, we felt like if we
… read more already knew each other before❤️
This experience was the best of all , we will always remember it and it will always be in our heart !
They showed us the authentic French culture and the moments together were full of happiness and fun :)
The work was a pleasure to do in such an important and beautiful place.
Thank you so much for everything and see you very soon❤️
With love
-Brenda and wilhelm:)
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Gian Marco & Elena)
Gian Marco and Elena accomplished a huge amount while they were with us at the mill – from repairing bridges to renovating the barbecue and from inspired sewing to heroic feats of gardening – and they did so with endless good humour, energy, enthusiasm and initiative. They are extremely hardworking, conscientious and eager to learn new skills, as
… read more well as being hugely appreciative, fun, easy and great company. In addition to more ambitious tasks they were also extremely helpful around the house, helping with cooking and cleaning, making delicious pasta dishes and even teaching me how to make gnocchi. We loved hosting them and hope they will come again. We can't recommend them too highly and we wish them well on their travels. Any Workaway host will be lucky to have them.
Laissé par le workawayer (Gian Marco & Elena) pour l'hôte
The experience we had was better than any prediction we could ever made. We create a real connection with Barbara and Gavin, two special, kind, careful and generous people (As also their son Jamie). They teach you a lot of things, Barbara can cook very well and spoiled us with delicious tipical food, while Gavin it's an incredible handyman, that
… read more with his patience makes lighter every work. Both of the are fantastic people with a lot to share and that are a pleasure to talk with.
We always had a room for ourselves in which had our privacy. The place is really special and every description and photo is reductive.
We will met certainly again we can't wait for it.Vous pouvez seulement contacter les workawayers avec une adhésion active.
Feedback
Ce sont des évaluations supplémentaires en option lorsque les membres laissent un feedback. La note moyenne pour chaque option est affichée.
Exactitude du profil:
(5.0)
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Galen)
Hosting Galen was an absolute joy. From the outset it was clear he would fit in seamlessly, with an intuitive understanding of the mill and its environs. Whether hefting a mighty medieval door on to its hinges, bonding with the little yellow dumper, getting stuck into the mud – pretty much literally – in the millstream, clearing thickets of
… read more brambles around the sluice gate, or whisking up a mean marinade for the grill, he was always creative, strategic, effective and fun in his approach, and never lost his bone-dry sense of humour. We felt privileged to hear about his environmental research, and mealtimes were a delightful stream of entertaining chat. Somehow he managed to fit his own work around whatever herculean task happened to be in progress with enviable ease. We feel that we and the mill have made a firm friend in Galen, and our only regret was that we couldn't host him for longer. Any Workaway host would be lucky to have him, but we hope he'll come back to us another time. He'll always be welcome.
Laissé par le workawayer (Galen) pour l'hôte
Simply put, Barbara and Gavin are truly remarkable people. I spent two weeks at the mill, and never once did I feel anything but welcome. You are never just an assistant or an extra pair of hands. From the moment you arrive, you become a full partner in their projects, a true member of the household, and a fast friend. From morning coffee
… read more discussing the news to lunch on the back porch (sneaking bites of food to the dog) to evenings enjoying the grill…it all quickly becomes a home away from home. I would never have imagined that digging mud out of the workings of a medieval mill would be as entertaining as it turned out to be (driving mechanized equipment, however, was exactly as fun as I expected it to be, with everyone except a tractor’s hydraulic arm escaping unscathed). Wonderful people in what must be one of the most idyllic settings possible. I hope to return soon… even if we may disagree on how many past tenses is too many past tenses for the French language.
Brenda and Wilhelm were really delightful company, and we only wish they could have stayed for longer! They achieved a lot in a short time, and approached everything they did – from clearing round our old bread oven/barbecue to clearing brambles from the millpond wall while balancing precariously in our little boat, via cooking the most delicious
… read more fajitas for us – with tremendous care and thoroughness. We had fascinating and entertaining conversations about our different cultures (and their English is so good!), and they were exceptionally thoughtful and appreciative in their response to the mill and its environment. They were unfailingly willing and positive, extremely generous and kind, and we particularly loved the way they were constantly spotting little things that they could do to help. We wish them huge success in their studies and all their projects and we hope one day to catch up with them again.
Barbara and Gavin are amazing!
We spent an incredible Time together with them, they made us feel at home and it was very hard to leave when the time was over.
It’s amazing to see the dedication they put in the mill, it feels like being in a dream, and they are the main point of it with their kind hearts and beautiful souls, we felt like if we
… read more already knew each other before❤️
This experience was the best of all , we will always remember it and it will always be in our heart !
They showed us the authentic French culture and the moments together were full of happiness and fun :)
The work was a pleasure to do in such an important and beautiful place.
Thank you so much for everything and see you very soon❤️
With love
-Brenda and wilhelm:)
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Gian Marco & Elena)
Gian Marco and Elena accomplished a huge amount while they were with us at the mill – from repairing bridges to renovating the barbecue and from inspired sewing to heroic feats of gardening – and they did so with endless good humour, energy, enthusiasm and initiative. They are extremely hardworking, conscientious and eager to learn new skills, as
… read more well as being hugely appreciative, fun, easy and great company. In addition to more ambitious tasks they were also extremely helpful around the house, helping with cooking and cleaning, making delicious pasta dishes and even teaching me how to make gnocchi. We loved hosting them and hope they will come again. We can't recommend them too highly and we wish them well on their travels. Any Workaway host will be lucky to have them.
Laissé par le workawayer (Gian Marco & Elena) pour l'hôte
The experience we had was better than any prediction we could ever made. We create a real connection with Barbara and Gavin, two special, kind, careful and generous people (As also their son Jamie). They teach you a lot of things, Barbara can cook very well and spoiled us with delicious tipical food, while Gavin it's an incredible handyman, that
… read more with his patience makes lighter every work. Both of the are fantastic people with a lot to share and that are a pleasure to talk with.
We always had a room for ourselves in which had our privacy. The place is really special and every description and photo is reductive.
We will met certainly again we can't wait for it.Vous pouvez seulement contacter les workawayers avec une adhésion active.
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Chung Chun)
It's been such fun having Cécé, and she has made a huge contribution to life at the mill during her fortnight here (which went too quickly!). No job was too daunting for her (how the three of us managed to change the pool liner I will never know, and we certainly couldn't have done it without her), and everything – from shifting felled trees to
… read more sorting linen and cooking exquisite Taiwanese delicacies – was done with meticulous care, thoughtfulness and great good humour. Cécé was a pleasure to host: we really enjoyed introducing her to friends and to the local region, and we wish her well in her future travels. We can't recommend her too highly to any future Workaday hosts. Thank you Cécé, and please come back any time!
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Liisa & Sampo)
We loved hosting Liisa and Sampo. They were fun and easy and very good company, and they were wonderfully positive and willing to turn their creative talents to any project, large or small. With their invaluable help we achieved a great deal in a short time and had a lot of laughs along the way (as well as a truly delicious Finnish meal featuring
… read more Liisa's fabulous fish soup and apple tart with Sampo's special vanilla sauce). They would be an asset to any project, but we hope they keep some time free to come back to the mill! Thank you so much, Liisa and Sampo, and please remember you are welcome any time.
Laissé par le workawayer (Marie) pour l'hôte
A place like this mill is pretty hard to find. But to find people like Barbara and Gavin seems almost impossible.
They are generous, funny and grateful for every job you went through.
From the first second I felt like a part of their wonderful family. They shared everything with me. Work, delicious (!) food and laughter.
They give you the
… read more opportunity to decide which work suits you the best. There were a lot of small jobs around the house like cutting the wine of the roof or cleaning the pool.
We also digged out the millpond which was great fun and exactly the hard physical work I was looking for.
At midday it was great to relax next to the pool or go for a swim. And to work with Gavin was absolutely great! He knows everything! Honestly, I can´t imagine a craftsmanship he is not into.
In order to cut the matter short, I can strongly recommend this host to anyone. But you may reckon that I will be there too.
Thank you so much for this overwhelming week! I will come back as soon as possible!Vous pouvez seulement contacter les workawayers avec une adhésion active.
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Marie)
Marie made a huge contribution during the time we were fortunate enough to host her at the mill. She has an impressive range of skills, from mechanics to sewing (and, it turns out, digging out millponds!), and applies them with considerable intelligence, initiative and good humour. Highly competent, unflustered and undaunted, she rose to many
… read more challenges and was also a lot of fun to have around. We really enjoyed her company and valued her abilities and her positive attitude: she would be an asset to any project, but we really want to keep her for ourselves! We wish her every success in her studies, and we look forward to welcoming her back any time. Thank you, Marie, and please come back soon!
Laissé par le workawayer (Evander & Sophie) pour l'hôte
Perfect workaway experience! We spent every day at the mill saying "I can't wait to come back one day" and meant it. Barbara and Gavin are extremely welcoming and good-humoured hosts, who made sure we were always overloaded with delicious food (oh my goodness the tarts and creme brûlée) and fun conversations. The location was ridiculously
… read more beautiful, and Gavin and Barbara made sure to provide us with opportunities to see local lifestyles and tourist-spots. The work projects were clearly explained and allowed flexibility in terms of skills and hours (but obviously the work is most rewarding if you're willing to put the effort in). We do highly recommend this workaway...but also selfishly want to keep it for ourselves... thank you so much!Vous pouvez seulement contacter les workawayers avec une adhésion active.
Laissé par l'hôte pour le workawayer (Evander & Sophie)
Hosting Sophie and Evander was a real pleasure, and we are sorry to see them go! During their time with us they made a valuable contribution to the conservation of this historic watermill and its surroundings, and laid the ground for some exciting future projects. They worked hard and achieved more than we could have hoped for; and in addition to
… read more tackling some ambitious tasks with energy, initiative, intelligence, resourcefulness and great good humour, they were also great company and fun to have around. We enjoyed introducing them to our French friends, and we are glad they managed to explore the region a bit. We hope we may have the opportunity to host them again in the future, and we cannot recommend them too highly to other potential hosts. In the meantime we wish them every possible success in all their endeavours. Come back soon, Evander and Sophie: there will always be a warm welcome for you in either France or Scotland. A bientôt!Help creating a cat-castle in Normandy, France
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