A group of buildings with an enclosed garden, just over 1½ hours from Orleans,
3 hours from Paris and but a stone’s throw from novelist George-Sand’s country house
3 hours from Paris and but a stone’s throw from novelist George-Sand’s country house
Nohant-Vic, INDRE
center-val-de-loire
36400
FR
Location
On the borders of the Champagne-Berrichonne region, to the south-west of the Indre department, in the natural Boischaut-Méridional area that George-Sand named “Vallée Noire” (Black Valley), meadows are to be found in the valleys on the edge of forests, marked by a maritime climate.
3 hours from Paris, 1⅔ hours from Orleans via the L’Occitane or A20 and the A77 motorways, less than 30 minutes from Châteauroux, a regional TER train station provides 2-hour links to Paris-Austerlitz and an airport charter flights to northern Europe and other southern destinations.
Description
The hamlet is right next to Nohant. It comprises a group of buildings reflecting architectural unity. Constructed on Gallo-Roman foundations, the houses are scattered around the church, built in the 11th century. The place appears isolated, timeless, with no roads, parking areas or electricity.
Constructed in the 17th century, the two houses are in a good overall state of repair as major renovation works were carried out in 2017 (roof, insulation, laying of floors both inside and outside, with a sanitation system in line with current day standards). The architect who supervised the restoration works took meticulous care of the cleverly preserved and enhanced character features, like the rooms with their exposed roofing framework.
The first house on the property, clearly delimited by a hedge and a low stone wall, adjoins a neighbouring building. Two houses can be seen. The main, semi-detached house and the guest house. They are separated by a courtyard leading to the garden with an opening on to the countryside. The property is accessed via a chest-high, wooden barrier opening on to a gravel courtyard leaving a stretch of wooded lawn, enhanced with flowering shrubs. One section of the garden, planted with a few fruit trees, is separated by a stone wall and fencing. A first access is reached from the exterior, on the road side, via the first house. The second is set back then, on a slightly lower level, a garden shed used for storing gardening equipment. The roofs are covered with flat tiles, the walls are composed of quarry stone blocks, rendered using natural lime so as to leave the stone exposed. Lighting has been discreetly installed under the roofing framework.
The buildings give an unobstructed view on one side over the garden and the surrounding woods.
Constructed in the 17th century, the two houses are in a good overall state of repair as major renovation works were carried out in 2017 (roof, insulation, laying of floors both inside and outside, with a sanitation system in line with current day standards). The architect who supervised the restoration works took meticulous care of the cleverly preserved and enhanced character features, like the rooms with their exposed roofing framework.
The first house on the property, clearly delimited by a hedge and a low stone wall, adjoins a neighbouring building. Two houses can be seen. The main, semi-detached house and the guest house. They are separated by a courtyard leading to the garden with an opening on to the countryside. The property is accessed via a chest-high, wooden barrier opening on to a gravel courtyard leaving a stretch of wooded lawn, enhanced with flowering shrubs. One section of the garden, planted with a few fruit trees, is separated by a stone wall and fencing. A first access is reached from the exterior, on the road side, via the first house. The second is set back then, on a slightly lower level, a garden shed used for storing gardening equipment. The roofs are covered with flat tiles, the walls are composed of quarry stone blocks, rendered using natural lime so as to leave the stone exposed. Lighting has been discreetly installed under the roofing framework.
The buildings give an unobstructed view on one side over the garden and the surrounding woods.
The main house
Spanning two levels, this house can be accessed via several entrances, one off the street, another in the gable near to the entrance gates and the third is round the back of the building. The area underneath a stone stairway is sealed off by oak wood planks and used for storage purposes.
The ceilings in all the buildings feature exposed beams. The floors are covered with parquet and limestone or terracotta tiles. Underfloor heating has been installed, cupboards are concealed by doors, panelling and mirrors. The walls are lined with wallpaper or rendered so as to leave the stone exposed with openings on both sides of each floor letting in through light. Each opening is embellished with oak wood shutters.
Ground floor
This level comprises a kitchen and a living area in the same room, with a cooker set in the hard stone moulded fireplace, dating from the 17th century. Next to it, a sink is surrounded by blue ceramic tiles. The floor is covered with large, limestone tiles. The ceiling features exposed beams. Through light comes in via the glazed doors opening on to the interior courtyard on the garden side and on to the road side.
First floor
A wooden stairway goes up to the first floor, where a hall area houses a toilet with a wash-hand basin. A lounge has beautiful oak wood parquet flooring, the room comprises built-in, tall, wide bookshelf units, lining one wall. This room looks out in several directions courtesy of its windows on both sides, giving unobstructed views over the surrounding countryside. This room can also be reached from the outside via a stairway going up from the courtyard.
Attic
A stairway goes up under the rafters to a comfortable bedroom, with a shower room and a toilet.
The guest house
Two doors provide access to the house, one leads to a room and the second to a linen room, with terracotta floor tiles, a wash-hand basin and a toilet. A hall area provides access to a shower room and a bedroom, which has parquet flooring and two straight windows. The hall is also home to a wooden stairway going upstairs.
An extension houses a machine room and the hot water heater.
Our opinion
The work of an owner who loves classical music and the novels written by George-Sand. First-class, major renovation works, still covered by their ten-year guarantee, have been carried out throughout the buildings with the help of an architect who took great care to use the traditional materials of the region and the time. The fact that one of the houses is semi-detached is not a problem as the neighbouring house is out of sight: the peace and quiet of the premises is respected. The annexe house could accommodate friends or be used as a holiday rental unit and perfect a daily way of life with the greatest freedom whether walking or cycling, just a stone’s throw from the famous novelist’s country house.
Reference 645547
| Land registry surface area | 1346 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 82 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 2 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 35 m2 |
Share
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.
