An 18th and 19th-century property with a swimming pool
and cellars in a troglodyte village on the plains of the Anjou region
and cellars in a troglodyte village on the plains of the Anjou region
Doué-la-Fontaine,
MAINE-ET-LOIRE
pays-de-loire
49700
FR
Location
Located at the crossroads between the vineyards of Saumur and the hillsides of the Layon River valley and Anjou, the hamlet is surrounded by farmland and sheltered from all road-related noise. Known for its troglodyte houses carved deep into the tuffeau stone, built by local peasants who lived in this type of dwellings until the 1930s, today this area represents a breath-taking testimony to rural life in the region. In addition, the city of Doué-en-Anjou is ten minutes away by car, while Saumur and its SNCF train station are 20 minutes away as is the A85 motorway. Lastly, Angers is accessible in 40 minutes by car, the high-speed rail station of which provides service to Paris in just 1.5 hours.
Description
From the hamlet, the 2,538-m² property is accessible via three separate entrances: the first one opens onto a courtyard where terraced patios lead to the different building structures. On one side, a two-storey tuffeau stone dwelling is cadenced by mullion windows and topped with a barrel tile roof, while, opposite, an immense dwelling, used as a holiday cottage, has exteriors that alternate between tuffeau stone and half timbering with brick infill. In addition, wide picture windows, recently added, are perfectly integrated within the projecting forepart of the holiday cottage’s living room and reflect the shimmering water of the adjacent swimming pool. Extending on from here, an independent flat closes off the courtyard, while the property’s second entrance provides access to a workshop and a laundry room as well as the holiday cottage. As for the third entrance, it opens onto a complex of troglodyte dwellings, located below the property, the cellars of which span the entirety of the hamlet. It should be noted that one of them has been converted and includes a bread oven and a well, while another one is used to store wine.
The Main Dwelling
Although the oldest construction on the property, its interior still contains many of its original elements, which have been carefully preserved over the years. As for its front door, it opens onto a living room with terracotta floor tiles, a finely sculpted moulded tuffeau stone fireplace as well as walls with timber framing and exposed stone into which an ancient flat stone sink has been embedded. From here, the space provides access to the house’s other rooms: on one side, an arched doorway leads to a fitted kitchen topped with exposed wooden rafters, while, adjacent, is a bedroom with terracotta and black cabochon floor tiles, a tuffeau stone fireplace and the staircase’s stone string wall, the latter of which provides access to the first-floor bathroom, constructed out of the same materials. Lastly, a second sitting room with mitred herringbone hardwood floors is located on the other side of the living room, while two bedrooms with sloping ceilings and a shower room can be found directly above the former on the upstairs level.
The Holiday Cottage
Built in an L shape, the ground floor is organised around the living room. Open onto both the kitchen and dining room, it provides breath-taking views of the swimming pool, which feels like part of the interior thanks to the immense picture windows that span the width of its walls. With bright colour floor tiles, the room takes on an almost Provencal ambiance, while, on the half floor, a second sitting room abuts a game room with direct access to a garden of approximately 200 m². In addition, the cottage contains seven renovated bedrooms each with their own bathroom and lavatory.
The Flat
Extending on from the holiday cottage is the independent flat, accessible from the outside and completely renovated, with a living room, an open fitted kitchen and a bedroom on its half floor.
The Cellars
These are accessible from the road via a separate gate as well as from the property’s patios via a staircase that descends towards an immense, uncovered courtyard. With two lavatories and a bar, an initial converted cellar, with cement and terracotta floor tiles, includes a bread oven and a well, while massive visible tuffeau stone arches on either side of the rocky partitions structure the space and highlight the premises’ mineral environment, ideal for receptions. Lastly, instead of a second courtyard, a cellar is used to store wine.
Our opinion
Designed as either tourist accommodations or a comfortable family home, this traditional and stately group of buildings is sheltered from view thanks to its thick tuffeau stone walls, while the holiday cottage and dwelling have been meticulously preserved, clad in only the finest of materials and inundated with light thanks to immense picture windows looking out towards the exterior, including a lovely swimming pool. In addition, the property’s reception capacity is not only promising, but also conducive for meeting the growing enthusiasm for group accommodations, while the troglodyte cellars, the estate’s main asset, are worth the trip alone and provide a priceless testimony to a unique and ancestral way of living.
795 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 337048
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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.
