A chateau, redesigned in the 18th century, with large annexes, a 1,200m² floor area and 14
hectares of grounds with a moat in France’s Gers department, 100 kilometres from Toulouse
hectares of grounds with a moat in France’s Gers department, 100 kilometres from Toulouse
Lectoure,
GERS
midi-pyrenees
32700
FR
Location
This property is tucked away in the beautiful Lomagne area of the Gers department in south-west France. Here, the undulating land is often bathed in golden light. The chateau is ideally located in the countryside, just a few minutes by car from the nearest shops and around 10 kilometres from Lectoure, a much-visited town that is rich in art and history. This wonderful region of France looks like Tuscany. It enjoys a mild climate, an abundance of tasty produce and a vibrant cultural life. Gentle slopes alternate between fields, woods and renowned bastides with the Pyrenees mountains as an enchanting backdrop in the distance.
The high-speed train station in the city of Agen is 45 kilometres from the property. From there, you can get to Paris in just over three hours. And Toulouse airport is under 100 kilometres from the chateau. The property’s location combines bucolic countryside with easy access to towns and cities.
Description
You reach the 14-hectare property from a country road that edges its west side. A low stone wall protects a front section of the grounds where many outhouses stand. A shady path lined with towering horse chestnuts crosses a grassy expanse and leads up to the chateau’s main entrance. On the south side, a long separate building made of rubble stone demarcates this front section and marks the edge of the property. Storehouses lie at the sides of the grounds. These structures have been partly renovated to become a caretaker’s lodge and a workshop space, but much of the roofing on them needs to be restored. On the north side of the grounds, a small house with a dovecote and walls of repointed exposed stonework stands among farming annexes that include vast barns and other buildings. On the east side of this front section, a two-storey building with a tiled roof separates the old farm complex from the chateau, giving the latter complete privacy and calm.
The chateau lies beyond a tall wrought-iron gate that stands in a covered carriage entrance. The edifice dates back to the Middle Ages and the time when the lords of Armagnac reigned here. It was built in the centre of its grounds, surrounded by a gravel terrace. A chapel protrudes at a right angle to the main section at the chateau’s east end. And a wing of annexes with a covered carriage entrance extends at the edifice’s west end. This wing is flanked with an adjoining tower crowned with a windmill. A remarkable mechanism in this section brought running water to the property at the end of the 19th century. The mechanism was invented by Élie Coulange, the property’s owner at the time.
An ornamental pond and stone pedestals supporting bronze vestals echo the typically 18th-century traits of the chateau’s south and east walls. These statues were ordered by the famous countess Marie-Jacqueline de Biran d'Armagnac. Beyond the ornamental garden, and hidden behind a hedge, lies a swimming pool with a clear view of the surrounding countryside.
The grounds are as majestic as the edifice: the vast plot is punctuated with wells, water-filled moats and a wide range of age-old trees, including cedars that line a long path.
The chateau lies beyond a tall wrought-iron gate that stands in a covered carriage entrance. The edifice dates back to the Middle Ages and the time when the lords of Armagnac reigned here. It was built in the centre of its grounds, surrounded by a gravel terrace. A chapel protrudes at a right angle to the main section at the chateau’s east end. And a wing of annexes with a covered carriage entrance extends at the edifice’s west end. This wing is flanked with an adjoining tower crowned with a windmill. A remarkable mechanism in this section brought running water to the property at the end of the 19th century. The mechanism was invented by Élie Coulange, the property’s owner at the time.
An ornamental pond and stone pedestals supporting bronze vestals echo the typically 18th-century traits of the chateau’s south and east walls. These statues were ordered by the famous countess Marie-Jacqueline de Biran d'Armagnac. Beyond the ornamental garden, and hidden behind a hedge, lies a swimming pool with a clear view of the surrounding countryside.
The grounds are as majestic as the edifice: the vast plot is punctuated with wells, water-filled moats and a wide range of age-old trees, including cedars that line a long path.
The chateau
The chateau is rectangular. It has two floors beneath a hipped roof that is almost new and is underlined with a double-row génoise cornice. The south-facing facade is classical and elegant in style. It typifies 18th-century architecture and the works that the countess ordered after the French Revolution. It has many openings. Its walls of dressed stone are punctuated with nine bays in which 18 tall windows with pane bars are protected behind solid shutters and capped with arched lintels. The facade is rendered with an ivory-coloured lime coating. The north wall is protected by three towers. The main tower stands at the edifice’s north-east corner. This neo-Gothic square tower is adorned with four remarkable gargoyles. It rises up to a roof terrace that offers an unrivalled view of the surrounding countryside. Straight lintels, masonry and stone-transomed windows stand out among rendering affected by the ravages of time.
The ground floor
A double door beneath a stone entablature forms the main entrance. It takes you into a hallway where a majestic quarter-turn staircase of stone with two intermediate landings leads upwards. A floor of cement tiles and pale lime-coated walls produce a charming atmosphere. On the south side, a series of five spacious rooms in a row are separated from one another by tall, elegant double doors made of wood. High ceilings, an abundance of natural light, solid-wood floors, marble fireplaces and mouldings contribute to an interior design that typifies a period that focused on comfort. Two lounges lie in the middle of the dwelling. They lead straight out onto the terrace. One of these lounges has kept decorative features that are still in an excellent state today above its double doors: fine paintings of angels, framed in mouldings. Like in the layout of many noble houses with spaces for domestic staff, this chateau includes a long corridor that divides the ground floor lengthways. A kitchen, a scullery and a dining room stand along it. There are also bedrooms on this floor. Private shower rooms and lavatories give these bedrooms greater independence. The internal walls in this part of the chateau display stonework, brickwork and half-timber work. A wooden service staircase leads upstairs.
The upstairs
The layout of the first floor is similar to the ground-floor layout. The decoration follows the same style, which makes the whole interior harmonious and gives it a warm atmosphere, underlined by floors of solid wood. The main staircase leads up to a row of refined reception rooms that face south. These rooms include a billiards room, a library with wooden panelling and fine mouldings, and three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom. Four bedrooms on the north side share a bathroom with a lavatory. There is also a separate guest lavatory on this floor. At the end of the corridor there are extra rooms that still need to be converted.
The chapel
The countess ordered construction of this chapel in the 18th century. It was consecrated for use as a parish church. Today it lies on the structure’s ground floor. A tall wooden double door beneath a fanlight and a stone arch leads inside. Within this rectangular chapel, the chancel stands out from the nave through a space raised by one step and edged with a wrought-iron guardrail. Cement tiles adorn the floor and subtle stars embellish the ceiling, which is outlined with a decorative strip just above a fine cornice. Two rose windows face each other in the east and west walls, bringing in soft, coloured light through their stained glass. There is a third rose window in the gable wall, below a small bell tower.
The chateau’s wing of annexes
The chateau’s wing of annexes forms an L shape with the main section. It has two floors. This building is doubtless one of the oldest parts of the chateau. It is also one of the most surprising parts. First, the wing’s floor areas, which amount to around 1,000m² in total, offer an endless range of possibilities for development. Second, this wing includes a remarkable innovation: water can be stored in pools through the use of windmills. This mechanism was invented by Élie Coulange and is still present above the covered carriage entrance and in the roof of the tower. It makes this wing a unique, fascinating place.
The grounds and swimming pool
The grounds cover 14 hectares and are dotted with a wide range of trees and old statues. This vast outdoor space forms a long shape around the property’s buildings and extends to woods in the east via a long path lined with Lebanese cedars that spans around 200 metres. A bronze statue of Diana the Huntress stands in the middle of a central clearing. It was placed here in the 18th century by the countess de Biran d'Armagnac, who became the countess de Beaumont by marriage. The wing of annexes that marks the courtyard’s entrance is edged with a water-filled moat that reminds us of this property’s distant historical origins. To the south, a swimming pool is set back from the chateau. A poolside area of timber decking surrounds this pool, which is 12 metres long and 4 metres wide. Here you can admire the bucolic surroundings that stretch to the Pyrenees mountains.
The farm outhouses to be converted or restored
At the property’s entrance, the first outhouse has two floors. It is a long rectangular structure. This building is a caretaker’s house. It has a floor area of around 120m² and includes two bedrooms. This outhouse was fully restored recently. It offers independence and modern comfort.
A vast room adjoins it. This room has been converted beneath exposed roof beams. Tall windows with solid shutters look out from it. This inspiring space has been used as an artist’s studio and as a yoga room.
Other annexes lie beyond this structure. These were once used as storehouses and need to be renovated. Barns and other buildings in different conditions can also be found on this old farm complex. A water well crowned with a stone dome supplies water for the vegetable patch and orchard beside the chateau’s kitchens.
Lastly, there is an old farmhouse with a dovecote. It has been converted into a quaint guesthouse.
Our opinion
This centuries-old chateau is rich in architecture and history. The total floor area of its buildings exceeds 3,000m². The splendid property offers potential for even the most ambitious projects. Its real luxury is its tremendous space. The majestic edifice is not listed as a historical monument, but parts of it are certainly remarkable enough to qualify for such a status. The chateau is simply waiting to be given back its former splendour. Its 14 hectares of calm, lush grounds in beautiful surroundings are pleasantly remote. They form an idyllic backdrop for this unique gem.
And anyone who appreciates the extensive area of this property will be pleased to acquire an optional extra alongside it: 135 hectares of organic farmland.
Reference 788882
| Land registry surface area | 14 ha |
| Main building surface area | 1340 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 18 |
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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.
