A waterside house and Scottish-style inn, facing a canal, tucked away in
the valley of the River Loing in France’s Centre-Val-de-Loire region
the valley of the River Loing in France’s Centre-Val-de-Loire region
Montargis,
LOIRET
center-val-de-loire
45200
FR
Location
The property lies a hundred kilometres south of Paris, via the A6 and A77 motorways. You can also get to the property by rail from the French capital’s train stations Gare de Bercy and Gare de Lyon. The property lies close to two medieval towns. The surrounding area offers exciting visits for discovering a wealth of cultural heritage and countless outdoor activities that range from canoeing, golf and woodland rambling to carp-fishing in the region’s many lakes. Lovers of cycling and country walks appreciate the peaceful towpaths that run along the canals. These bucolic paths are part of the Scandibérique cycle route that links Norway to Spain. The Loing canal was built between 1719 and 1724. It spans 49.5 kilometres and ties the Orléans canal to the Briare canal. It is punctuated with nineteen locks that form a waterway route from the town of Montargis to the River Seine.
The property is nestled in the valley of the River Loing, five kilometres from the town centre of Ferrières-en-Gâtinais, which offers shops and has over 3,000 inhabitants, and thirteen kilometres from Montargis. It is also close to the town of Château–Landon.
Description
The old inn, which was once a coaching inn, the house, an open-sided barn and a chalet hidden among vegetation lie together by a towpath that edges the Loing canal, on a little cul-de-sac that was made on the hillside, just outside the local village, in 1900. Higher up, there is a small, fenced garden. A wooded plot extends it. Any gardening-lover would take great pleasure in redesigning this lush corner.
The inn
The inn is rectangular. It is made of stone. A rendering coats its walls, up which a lush Virginia creeper climbs. Wooden windows with large panes punctuate its facade. On the ground floor, these windows have green-painted shutters. The doors are wooden too. The inn offers a floor area of around 300m². It has two floors. A pergola stands upon a terrace running along its facade, which faces south and looks out over the canal. Interlocking tiles cover the building’s hipped roof.
The ground floor
This level offers a floor area of around 220m². It includes three rooms that lie in a row and that together offer a floor area of 105m²: a bar room with a coloured checked floor and a broad tailor-made counter of sculpted solid wood; a billiards room with parquet flooring; and a dining area and lounge with a carpeted floor that includes a fireplace with a fine mantelpiece and wooden piers sculpted to look like columns. All the windows look out over the terrace. The walls are painted and adorned with wooden dado panelling. An entrance hallway with a wooden staircase leads upstairs. A pantry, a stainless-steel kitchen and a scullery complete the ground floor.
The upstairs
The first floor is an attic level. It offers a floor area of around 75m². This upstairs level includes six bedrooms overlooking the canal, each fitted with a sink. Wood flooring covers this level. Rush matting adorns the floor of the corridor. The walls are painted or are decorated with wallpaper. There are two shower rooms and a lavatory.
The house
The house forms an L-shape around a small courtyard. Its stone walls are coated with a rendering. It offers a floor area of around 115m². The building has two floors. Interlocking tiles cover its roof.
First level
The ground floor has a section that includes a workshop and a storage space with a cold room. At a right angle lies a section with a floor area of around 30m² that includes a small office and a storeroom.
Second level
The second floor has a fitted kitchen; a lounge with a dining area, a fireplace and a remarkable wall of exposed stone; a small mezzanine; and a bedroom with a bathroom. This levels offers a floor area of around 85m². The bedroom window looks out over the barn and the canal. The floors are mostly covered with large white tiles. Lintel beams cap the doorways. A staircase leads to the office and the ground-floor storeroom.
The outbuildings
An open-sided barn leads out into the natural surroundings. It stands against one end of the house. It offers a floor area of around 80m². Its floor is made of concrete. A frame of iron and timber supports a roof of sheet metal. This open space houses a reception area with a considerable ceiling height.
A timber chalet offers a floor area of around 40m². This lodge is hidden among dense vegetation of lilacs, lime trees and magnolias.
Our opinion
This waterside haven is nestled in an enchanting spot cherished by artists, boaters, cyclists and hikers. It is tucked away in lush surroundings where it looks out over the peaceful Loing canal. A future owner of this property could choose between continuing the inn’s business in food and drink or turning the place into a splendid private home. This inn serving food and drink has enjoyed a fine reputation for around twenty years, both in France and abroad. That is unsurprising, given that it enjoys absolute calm in an idyllic setting. You can reach the property by road or rail, yet a rare feature of this gem is that you can also reach it by river. So the most adventurous souls might be tempted to get to it from Paris by barge. Some renovation works would be needed on the property, but its dream location is invaluable.
380 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 739888
| Land registry surface area | 6076 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 411 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 7 |
| 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.
