A restored 17th-century chateau with outbuildings, a garden, a swimming pool,
a secondary dwelling and one hectare of grounds in Burgundy, France
a secondary dwelling and one hectare of grounds in Burgundy, France
Corbigny,
NIEVRE
burgundy
58800
FR
Location
The property is nestled in the north of France’s Nièvre department in Burgundy, among the foothills of the enchanting Morvan regional nature park. It lies on a hillside on the southern edge of a hamlet. With a 13th-century church and a 16th-century cemetery cross, the chateau is part of the hamlet’s built heritage. It is a 25-minute drive from the charming town of Vézelay – an emblematic stopover on the Camino de Santiago pilgrims’ way. The town of Clamecy is 20 minutes away and the town of Avallon (where you can get onto the A6 motorway) is 30 minutes away. You can reach Paris in three hours and Dijon in 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Description
You reach the chateau via a straight driveway lined with linden trees. Wrought-iron gates – once a carriage entrance and a pedestrian entrance – lead into the chateau’s inner courtyard. The large gate is an electric gate. The main section of the edifice is plain in style. It is rectangular and has a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor. On the garden side, the main section is extended with two square corner towers. There are many annexes around the court, including a secondary dwelling that adjoins the chateau’s north side. The two dwellings are made of rubble stone with rendering and ashlar quoins and window surrounds. Hipped roofs of flat Burgundy tiles crown the two houses. The chateau’s roof has dormers with triangular pediments, brick chimney stacks and terracotta finials. On the north side, the court is edged with a large building of annexes. Opposite it, there are various storerooms and a large stone well. The back of the chateau looks out at the grounds and a dovecote.
The chateau
The chateau’s facade evokes the 17th century through its proportions, symmetry and forms. It is elegantly understated and punctuated with five tall rectangular windows set in ashlar surrounds. The windows are arranged harmoniously around the front door – a double door of wood painted white, beneath a large oval fanlight with panes in a sun-like pattern. The building’s neatly laid stone quoins are exposed. Its hipped roof of tiles is punctuated with three pediment dormers at the front and three at the back. The edifice offers a 450m² liveable floor area, spread over three levels. It is well insulated with double glazing in all the windows. And upstairs, four bedrooms enjoy air conditioning.
The ground floor
The arched front door stands beneath a remarkable oval fanlight. The door leads into a hallway where a broad U-shaped stone staircase leads upstairs. The ceilings are vaulted and the floor is covered with slabs of Burgundy stone. The hallway connects to a large lounge on one side and to a dining room on the other. These rooms have floors of terracotta tiles and clay bricks. Remarkable fireplaces from the 17th century – one of limestone and one of brick – stand beneath French-style beamed ceilings of raw timber. The double-glazed windows are fitted with indoor shutters that close within large recesses. The kitchen has a floor of terracotta tiles. It lies beside the dining room. In the adjoining square towers, there is an office and a utility room. Tall rectangular small-paned windows with fanlights bathe the interior in natural light.
The first floor
On the first floor, the rooms are laid out symmetrically on each side of the landing. They include two large bedrooms with French-style beamed ceilings of oak joists and beams. Each one has a bathroom with a lavatory. Also on this level there is an office, two other bedrooms and spacious walk-in wardrobes. The floors are either covered with terracotta tiles or oak strips. The shutters, floors, glazed fanlights and skirting boards are all made of wood, either raw or painted. And the fireplaces, beneath trumeau mirrors, are made of marble.
The second floor
The second floor has five bedrooms and two bathrooms with lavatories. You can reach the loft space from this floor via a fold-out flight of stairs. This loft space has not been converted.
The secondary dwelling
The secondary dwelling offers a floor area of around 85m². It has a ground floor and a first floor and stands beside the chateau. To reach it, you just have to walk down a passageway of sandstone slabs from the dining room. The similarities of its roof and elevations with those of the chateau – especially its hipped roofing, its local roof tiles, its lime rendering, and its ashlar quoins and surrounds – suggest that the two edifices were built during the same period.
The ground floor
To enter the secondary dwelling, you step into a large room with a floor of terracotta tiles. This room currently serves as a billiard room. Its exposed oak beams are impressive. They showcase a fireplace and window surrounds of Burgundy stone. A small room that houses the swimming pool’s technical installations leads to a vaulted brick cellar that is half-underground.
The upstairs
A wooden staircase leads up to a large room with a floor of terracotta tiles. The exposed timber trusses of the roof frame in this space are positioned symmetrically. The room up here serves as a reading space and lounge.
The outbuildings
The outbuildings include a large barn crowned with a roof of local tiles. This barn is covered with climbing ivy. Its interior is divided into two sections of similar sizes. Each one has a door. Beside this building there are shelters, storerooms and a workshop. The architecture of these annexes is traditional, in harmony with the two dwellings. Lastly, there is a large lean-to opposite the barn. It serves as a woodstore and houses an old stone well.
The swimming pool
The swimming pool forms an L shape. It has a rectangular main section and a square shallow pool. It is set in a terrace of stone slabs, surrounded by a lawn that is dotted with shrubs and trees. Beside the pool, there is a former barn. It has been converted into an annexe with a shower, a lavatory, a summer kitchen and an open-sided shelter, which gives the terrace welcome shade.
The grounds
The grounds are divided into two sections, separated by a stone wall. In the first section, there is the swimming pool and an orchard. On a vast lawn, you can unwind and admire the chateau in the sun. A stone pond embellishes this section. The second section includes a dovecote.
Our opinion
The current owners have taken great care to preserve this chateau, just like those before them. Their masterful renovation of the edifice is subtle and tasteful, giving the place pleasant coherence. This property is a haven of tranquillity that is conducive to contemplation. Now this splendid gem is waiting for you to write the next chapter in its long story. It could be a remarkable home for a large family or a magnificent guesthouse. Anyone can make this unique property their true refuge of peace and quiet as the noble dwelling and its bucolic grounds are tucked away in a rural environment where absolute calm reigns. The property is available for sale with all or part of its furniture.
1 450 000 €
Negotiation fees included
1 367 925 € Fees excluded
6%
TTC at the expense of the purchaser
Reference 675329
| Land registry surface area | 1 ha 5 a 27 ca |
| Main building surface area | 450 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 9 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 400 m2 |
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NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.
