An old hunting lodge, set in a wonderful garden
surrounded by forest, in the Landes-Girondines region
, LOT-ET-GARONNE aquitaine FR

Location

3 hours door-to-door from Paris via TGV train, 1½ hours from the beaches on the Atlantic coast and Arcachon Bay, an hour from Bordeaux and 2½ hours from the Pyrenean ski slopes.
Casteljaloux, a renowned spa town 7 km away, has a golf course, a casino and a large leisure park. Barely 7 minutes from small as well as large shops, a post office, health centres and the other amenities of a little provincial town, including its large market.
Where the borders of three French departments meet, there where deciduous forests alternate with the pine trees in the typical central section of the Landes-de-Gascogne Regional Natural Park, the landscape takes on a secret character, far away from everything.
Here, the lack of relief makes it possible to go for long bike rides along the forest trails.

Description

Once the remote-controlled gates are open, visitors are able to appreciate a view of the garden. With its wealth of flowers, it is harmoniously laid out around the large house whose origins date back to the 16th century. It was once a convent, prior to being converted into a hunting lodge.
It is said that Henri IV stayed here during his many jaunts into the region, but that is possibly a legend.

The house

Abandoned after the war, this house was given a new lease on life by a first set of restoration works during the early 1970’s. Then, between 2010 and 2020, the current owners installed all modern-day home comforts whilst respectfully preserving the timeless character of the premises. Spanning two levels, it features a particularly original decor: the upstairs is surrounded by a wide gallery, totally made of wood, giving independent access to all the bedrooms on this level. It is reached via a recently built outside stairway.


The ground floor
A small, bright, west-facing entrance hall provides access to an adjoining lounge-dining room, illuminated via large French window, facing south. This reception room has two stone fireplaces. One houses a closed-hearth fire with a heat recuperation system and, the other, a wood-burning storage heater. The floor is paved with Gironde terracotta tiles and the ceiling features exposed, painted beams. A toilet, with a wash-hand basin, and a wardrobe are next to the entrance hall.
A kitchen, adjoining the dining room, has quartz worksurfaces and recent built-in units. A small back kitchen completes the storage space. Opening on to a tiled terrace, set at right angles, a covered summer eating area ideally faces north. The beams of its old half-timbering have been left standing, ensuring perfect ventilation on summer evenings. Some utility rooms, in another section of the ground floor communicating with the dining room, include a laundry room, with large cupboards, a closed and tiled cellar, a vast storeroom and, lastly, a boiler room, housing the controls for the solar panels and the new central heating system.

The first floor
A wooden stairway goes up from the dining room to the first floor. A landing provides access to a vast, south-facing bedroom, with its own shower room and toilet, and to a very large dressing room. A door in the corner opens on to the large, wooden gallery that runs alongside the east and north facades of the house. Also opening on to the landing, a bathroom, with a shower, two wash-hand basins and a 2-person bath, has a small terrace. Two large cupboards and a separate toilet complete the landing which opens into a large study, with a broadband connection, installation of fibre optic cabling is in progress. Following on is a television room, the cob wall of which has been preserved and painted a raspberry hue against a background of 300-year-old oak wood beams.
A corridor, lined with a long bookshelf unit, leads to another two bedrooms, one of which has a child area. They both still have access to the gallery, enabling residents to move around at will which could encourage the setting up of a bed & breakfast activity.

The exteriors

The view from all sides takes in a meticulously-laid out garden with flowerbeds. Five small buildings, sheds for storing tools and the lawnmower as well as the machine room for the automatic watering system. The latter is fed by a water well which never dries up. The swimming pool, with a vast, south-facing deck, is fitted with a remote-controlled cover for keeping it clean all year round.
This property, completely enclosed by fencing, has two entrances with remote-controlled gates. It is also dotted with numerous water supply points and extremely powerful lights.

Our opinion

Residents here are immersed in the Landes Forest in an unusual, perfectly harmonious manner courtesy of the abundance of deciduous trees, mixed with the pine trees. Cycling and horse-riding enthusiasts will greatly appreciate the forest trails. Just three hours from Paris. Main residence or holiday home, in a setting removed from the world without being secluded, it will undoubtedly appeal to the most indecisive who will find themselves reassured by the presence of discreet neighbours.

675 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 765369

Land registry surface area 6305 m2
Main building surface area 400 m2
Number of bedrooms 3
Outbuilding surface area 65 m2

French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant
South-West Lot-et-Garonne

Armelle Chiberry du Vignau +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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