A noble Renaissance-era dwelling, its holiday cottage and outbuildings
in a 2-hectare enclosed park overlooking the valley, within the Périgord Blanc region
Périgueux, DORDOGNE aquitaine 24000 FR

Location

In south-eastern France, in the centre of the Dordogne department, the Périgord Blanc offers a hilly landscape and old buildings of white limestone from local quarries which change colour with the ambient light. The area is easily accessed by the A89 motorway which links Bordeaux to Lyon via Périgueux and Brive, and by the Bordeaux-Périgueux-Limoges railway line. The airports of Bergerac and Bordeaux are respectively 50 min and 1h30 away.
It takes less than 10 minutes to drive to the nearest town, which has all the essential shops and services, and Périgueux, the administrative centre of the department, can be easily reached.

Description

Dating from the 15th, 16th and 18th centuries, the property stands on a hillside, protected by woodlands to the south and overlooking the valley to the north and west. The high north end walls of the main edifice, with sparse openings, the buttresses and the round tower of the current guest house testify to the fact that this was once a fortified castle. A tree-lined driveway leads from the entrance gate to the noble residence, while a track running alongside the tennis court meets the outbuildings and a swimming pool at the bottom of a slope. A barely visible lap pool is perfectly embedded in the park surrounding the complex. The residence is framed by two enclosed spaces, each offering a breathtaking view: the courtyard where the main entrance is located, a well topped by a pyramid-shaped roof, an outbuilding used as a garden shed, a hangar for vehicles, as well as a pool facing a low pilaster and dressed stone wall. All of these are accessed via a carriage gate, a pedestrian gate and a recently installed gate. On the other side of the residence, the lawned garden with bountiful flowers features a summer dining area under a covered patio.

The Noble Dwelling

The former fortified castle with its four towers and a surrounding wall has been replaced over the years by a 15th and 16th century fortified manor house, which was extensively altered in the 18th century and restored in recent years. A rectangular building with a flat tile gambrel roof overlooks two dwellings set at right angles with gently sloping roofs and a few mullioned windows. A masonry watchtower in the corner keeps an eye on the Louis XIII style entrance door. Dressed stone surrounds the facades and the red wooden window frames.


The ground floor
The heavy studded wooden main entrance door opens onto the landing of a stone staircase without any gaps between the stringers, leading down to the cellars and the former underground passageway, and up to the first floor. The start of each of the two flights of steps is framed by a basket-handle arch adorned with a coat of arms and a carved pilaster. The wooden ceiling rests on finely carved joists with a pattern identical to that of the adjoining sitting room. The latter showcases wooden features, from the original ladder parquet to the beamed ceiling, a large fireplace with a straight hood, panelled doors and walls with carved woodwork. The room is flanked by a bedroom in the same style and a vast, dual-exposure dining room/sitting room, which is very bright thanks to the later addition of a semi-circular arched French window overlooking the lawned garden. The meticulous restoration, using noble materials, as in the adjoining kitchen, has highlighted the existing architectural features - the vegetable plot, the fireplaces and the recesses - while providing a high degree of living comfort.
The first floor
Three flights of stairs lead to the first floor. The main staircase and the service stairs behind the ground-floor bedroom lead to either end of a long, angled corridor which leads to two bedrooms, a storeroom and a laundry room in the oldest part of the house. A low doorway leads to the master bedroom with high ceilings in the more recent dwelling set at right angles. This is also accessed via the landing of a wooden spiral staircase starting from the kitchen. The master bedroom is a large full-width room with a view over both enclosed courtyards, restored in a modern style, with two closets and a shower room. A final, more country-style bedroom is situated in the rectangular lodge with a separate shower room and bathtub.
The second floor
In the lodge with sloping ceilings, a bedroom takes up all the space under a ceiling with exposed joists. There are small windows on all four sides of the room. The bathtub and shower room are in a corner of the room, without any partition, the toilet is separate and can be locked.
The basement
They are half-underground under the fortified building and can be accessed either by the main stone staircase or by an external door in the north wall. They contain the start of an old underground passage, a wine cellar and the heating system. Heating is provided by an air/water heat pump connected to cast iron radiators.

The guest house

Under the same roof as the barn, most of which it takes up, the guest house is a remnant of the castle's former fortification. Particularly noticeable in the oval defence tower featuring loopholes, its thick walls are supported by the buttresses of the corner quoins. The building is similar in style to the noble residence.


The ground floor
The living room features stone pillars and a fireplace with wooden surround. It includes the television room, the dining room, a wooden staircase leading to the first floor and serves on either side a kitchen, a laundry room, a study, a bedroom hidden behind the doors of a cupboard, a toilet and a shower room in the tower.
The first floor
Protected by a wrought metal railing, a long corridor partially clad in wood serves three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a toilet.
The barn
Under a monk-and-nun tile roof, the vast building comprises both the gîte in its lower part, a garage and former horse stalls in its centre, as well as a covered patio in the enclosed garden.

Our opinion

Living in an edifice out of an illuminated manuscript in the 21st century. Significantly altered from its medieval origins, this property has succeeded in offering the best of each era thanks to its architecture on a human scale, brimming with character and history. The layout protecting the property, the easy circulation and the painstaking restoration have turned this noble residence into a comfortable family home. The reception rooms offer generous volumes and the enclosed garden which extends out from the living room invites guests to once again join magnificent gatherings on the grass or in the shade of the covered patio. The guest house and its swimming pool are perfectly positioned for a holiday rental where everyone can preserve their independence and privacy.

Exclusive sale

1 200 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 897169

Land registry surface area 2 ha 8 a 44 ca
Main building surface area 501 m2
Number of bedrooms 10
Outbuilding surface area 300 m2
including refurbished area 183 m2



French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant

Jonathan Barbot +33 1 42 84 80 85

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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.

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