A 19th century townhouse with an ornamental garden, swimming pool
and garages nestled near the centre of Périgueux.
and garages nestled near the centre of Périgueux.
Périgueux,
DORDOGNE
aquitaine
24000
FR
Location
Périgueux, in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region and heart of the Dordogne department, for which it is the administrative centre, is an architecturally and historically significant place, as well a human-scale city built within a meander of the Isle River, surrounded by seven hills. From Gallo-Roman times to the present day, through the Renaissance and the Belle Époque eras, its history is borne out through the very distinctive architecture of its various neighbourhoods. The area around the Prefecture, a short walk from the lively and touristic city centre, is primarily residential, set around the Gamenson public park and the municipal library. The nearby schools and doctors’ surgeries can be reached on foot and the A89 motorway is only 10 minutes away by car.
Description
This slate-roofed house built in dressed stone is located on a residential street and stands out from the surrounding buildings thanks to its eclectic architecture drawn from a range of inspirations. The street-facing façade displays a classical-style articulation, such as the bosses that form trompe-l’oeil quoins, as if the house had a central avant-corps. This symmetrical feature is enhanced by a denticulated cornice, the dormer with arched pediment that sits atop the façade and the mouldings decorating the finely crafted corbelled balcony. The elevation is also decorated with Renaissance style elements such as chamfers and transoms. On the garden side of the house, the master builder gave a free reign to his imagination by adding a gallery and wood-adorned gabled windows, as well as a hexagonal corner tower topped by a weathervane. On both sides, the elevations possess several windows of various sizes. Lastly, at the rear, the imposing house and its adjoining outbuilding conceal a secret garden, sheltered from the prying eye, which is occupied by a large swimming pool.
The house
This three-storey house, with cellars, has a floor area of approximately 260 m².
The ground floor
With a patterned cement tile floor, the entrance hall has a welcoming ambiance and is brimming with original architectural decorative elements: ceiling mouldings, white painted wainscoting, an arched opening with moulded frame, coloured stained-glass windows and a painted decorative niche. A wooden staircase with a wrought iron balustrade leads to the two upper storeys, flooded by natural light through a skylight. A stairlift serving the first floor has been installed but can be removed without difficulty. You can reach the lounge through a double door and this room connects to the dining room, which has straight wood stripped flooring. The mantelpieces here are made of marble or finely sculpted wood. All the doors and windows, made of wood and with small glass panes, are original features, with double glazing on the street side. The first extension houses a garage as well as an office that leads out onto the patio, as do the dining room and tiled, fitted kitchen.
The first floor
The landing extends into a hallway off which there is an office with its own toilet, a large bedroom also with its own toilet, a smaller bedroom linked to a wardrobe by a secret passage, a third one with its washroom in the corner tower, and finally a bathroom. On the east-facing side of the house, there is a wooden balcony that you can reach from various rooms via French windows, overlooking the garden and the swimming pool.
The attic
There is a large bedroom with two dormer windows, a shower room and a loft.
The basement
You can reach the cellars via stairs from the kitchen. They are used as a boiler room, storage space and a secure wine cellar.
The tower
With a slate roof and ashlar stonework, it houses the only toilets on the ground floor, which you can only reach from the patio, as well as others on the first floor, which you can reach from the third bedroom and balcony.
The garden, swimming pool and outbuilding
The garden is entirely enclosed by stone walls and is divided into several segments. The patio, enclosed by a low stone wall and central staircase, slightly overlooks a flowery and tree-filled ornamental garden ideal for strolling around. Parallel to this section, there is a segment dedicated to swimming and relaxing. It is made up of a second patio, a bar, a large swimming pool, a lawn that is ideal for sunbathing and is bordered by the outbuilding.
The swimming pool
The vast saltwater swimming pool was installed at the beginning of the 2000s and is heated by mains gas. It is 12 metres long, 5 metres wide and has a blue mosaic lining. It can be covered by a roller shutter and is surrounded by a flagstone patio, a lawn area behind a low wall, a bar, a technical installation and an outdoor living space, all of which are not overlooked.
The outbuilding
This is a recent single-storey extension built against the gable end of the house, between the street and the swimming pool patio. It houses a double garage, a workshop, a utility room and the pool-house.
Our opinion
This is a unique house with an outbuilding and garden in the very heart of a dynamic city. In the middle of such a city, an outdoor space that is not overlooked and which has a large swimming pool is an outstanding asset. The cosiness of the lush, colourful garden, full of enchantment, is a fine addition to the house’s authenticity and architectural fantasy. Once some refurbishment and modernising of the decoration has been carried out, the house will regain its warm and unique atmosphere of a vast 19th century bourgeois home. Additionally, the garages, patios, bar and large heated swimming pool provide a level of comfort that allow this townhouse to perfectly rival the outstandingness of neighbouring villas, whilst retaining its own personality.
638 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 972960
| Land registry surface area | 877 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 260 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 170 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.
