Home, tweed home: The unique apartment in a converted textile mill, complete with old machinery - and landmark chimney

Mail on sunday 24 january 2016

It looks as if it is part mansion, part folly – a country house with a huge tower sticking out of the roof. But once you hear the name of the building, all becomes apparent.

Bliss Mill was constructed in 1872 for William Bliss to make fine tweed cloth from locally produced wool, and the tower is actually a vast chimney. 

The site, just outside Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire, has now been converted into apartments, and one of them – which includes part of the tower and contains some of the mill’s old machinery – is on the market with a £495,000 guide price.

Although it may have looked like a stately home – local limestone was used for the outside of the main building specifically for this purpose – the mill was important enough for Bliss to build a railway line to it, to bring in coal for the mill’s steam engines. 

Other flourishes include square towers at each corner topped by stone urns, and the large chimney was styled to resemble a classical Tuscan column.

The mill thrived in the early part of the last century, in part due to a large order to make khaki for British Army uniforms during the First World War. 

However, the site closed in 1980, and it was later converted into apartments, which come with a communal swimming pool and gym complex.

The apartment up for sale is owned by retired couple Simon and Carmen Pont. They used to pass the site regularly on the way to visit their daughter when she was a pupil at Malvern College.

‘Then one day Simon said, “I’ve got something to show you,”’ recalls Carmen, a former economist. ‘I replied, “Oh no, not that building!” ’ 

She adds: ‘But then when we looked inside, I thought, “Wow!” ’

The couple’s flat is on the fourth floor. It features a number of skylights, and a ‘turret room’ with panoramic views of the Oxfordshire countryside.

The apartment is the largest two-bedroom property at Bliss Mill and even has some of the former machinery built into its ceiling.

The couple, who have lived there since 2010, are moving so their children – they also have two grown-up sons – can stay with them with their own expanding families. 

‘One of our sons lives in Toronto and now he has two children – the baby was born last November – so we want somewhere where everyone can stay with us,’ says Carmen, 65.

Her husband, who is a former accountant, adds: ‘We would like to get back to the sun, as we have lived most of our married life outside England.’

They have previously lived in Guatemala, Argentina, Hong Kong and Venezuela – Carmen’s home country. Simon would also like a garden and a dog.

But they have enjoyed Bliss Mill. Simon says: ‘Half of the residents don’t live here permanently – it’s their second home or their British residence. 

'There’s a building manager here and gardening staff. We will tell the building manager we are going away and he’ll pop his head in once a week and collect our mail.

‘And we can say, “We’re coming back next Thursday – can you put the heating on for us?” The way it is managed is perfect.’

They have also enjoyed the cachet of having the Prime Minister living in Chipping Norton. ‘We do see David Cameron in Sainsbury’s sometimes,’ says Simon, 65.

He adds: ‘Every September there is a street fair in nearby Charlbury and you see him there with Sam and the kids. 

Another near neighbour, Jeremy Clarkson, is great fun and he does the charitable auction for the local lido.’

Simon Merton, a partner at Strutt & Parker, says: ‘A strong sense of community and an excellent management company make Bliss Mill the perfect “lock up and leave” property, with the added benefits of the pool and gym complex.’