A 15th-century dwelling surrounded by a garden, courtyard and meadow,
in a village less than half an hour from Tours
, INDRE-ET-LOIRE center-val-de-loire FR

Location

The property is located in a dynamic Val-de-Loire village, 220 km from Paris via the A10, 12 minutes from the motorway and 25 minutes from Tours and its TGV train station with services connecting to the capital in less than 1 hour. Close to Amboise and the châteaux of the Loire Valley, the region attracts many tourists. The UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts a rich historical, architectural and natural heritage. The surrounding rolling countryside includes a renowned age-old vineyard. Schools, shops and a medical centre are all in the immediate vicinity.

Description

The north gable of the house backs onto the protecting hillside, while the south side enjoys the sun from dawn to dusk. Situated in a prominent position in the heart of the village, the property affords stunning views. It is to the south and east that the view stretches furthest, across the gardens, the rooftops of the village and out over the valley. A courtyard and two lush gardens border the building on all three sides, creating a skilful visual and olfactory interplay. Vehicle access is via the street leading up to the vineyards and across the courtyard. This recently paved courtyard also provides access to the former stables and the three troglodyte caves. A second pedestrian entrance leads to one of the two gardens. Close to the house and on the hillside, a brick flight of steps leads up to a small terraced kitchen garden, from where a path of round wood slices climbs up to the meadow, which was once planted with vines.

The house

The 15th-century building has a trapezoid base, whose sharp angle evokes the prow of a ship. The facades of the first two levels, the ground and garden floors, are of rendered rubble masonry. The corner quoins and window surrounds are of dressed stone. The upper floor, which projects slightly from the lower level, is of brick and rests on alternating dressed stone and brick modillions. A tall buttress supports the structure on the courtyard side. The four-pitched slate roof is crowned with two ridge finials and features an impressive chimney stack, two dormer windows on the east side and two roof windows on the west side.
Over the course of the 20th century, extensions were added towards the hillside, as well as a staircase turret linking the ground floor to the garden level.


The garden-level floor
Access from the garden is via the kitchen, the entrance hall or the sitting room. These three rooms open directly onto one another. The sitting room and the entrance hall are both original. Their walls are mainly of Tuffeau limestone. The ceiling beams are exposed and supported on either side by stone corbels. The hood of the sitting room fireplace features a concave recess framed by Ionic pilasters and topped by a curved pediment flanked by roses, whose tympanum takes the form of a scallop shell. On the west wall of the sitting room, the crosspieces of an old mullioned window can be seen, which was closed off and is partly hidden by the staircase turret. The entrance hall contains a wood-burning stove powerful enough to heat all three rooms and the staircase. The other rooms on this floor date from the 20th century. The kitchen is spacious and bright, with slate flooring, oak furniture and granite worktops. An outdoor flight of stairs provides access to the courtyard. From the kitchen, a small passageway leads to a shower room with toilet, a bedroom with sloping ceilings and a laundry room, which also provides access to the courtyard via a brick staircase.
The ground floor
The ground level is accessed from the courtyard, the garden or from the garden floor via the staircase turret. At this level, there is no opening to the east. Only the billiard room is not part of the 15th century building. It opens onto the courtyard through a four-leaf French window. The stone walls are pointed and the ceiling features brick vault cells and metal beams. In the 15th century section, a corridor links the billiard room to a library and also serves a shower room and a lavatory. The library has the same trapezoid floor plan as the sitting room above and also boasts a monumental fireplace. Finally, a bedroom next to the library and billiard room also overlooks the courtyard, under the wisteria.
The first floor
Only the 15th century building has higher levels. On this level, the flooring is of oak, the ceiling beams are exposed, the walls are brick or exposed, pointed stone, and the heating is electric. The arched windows are fitted with internal shutters. The large trapezoid bedroom also boasts a monumental fireplace, although the ceiling height is lower than on the lower levels. The landing leads to another bedroom and a bathroom with toilet.
The attic
A small landing leads to a bedroom and two small rooms. The flooring is of pitch pine and the roof timbers are bare. The heating system is electric.

The outbuildings

The cellars are a reminder of the estate's original wine-growing purpose. The first of these, which is quite long, once served as a winery. Today, it is used as a garage. The second central cellar is shorter and serves to store firewood. The third is linked to the first by a storage cellar with brick racks.
The stable abuts the house next door, providing shelter for no more than two horses. It is now used as a shed.

Our opinion

The building is striking for its prominent location and its distinctive architectural style. The building, with its singular and impressive contours, has withstood the test of time without losing any of its outstanding character. The vine-clad facades conceal a cosy, comfortable interior, retaining the15th-century structure as well as many original decorative features. The garden, with its carefully selected plants and its many varieties of roses, is a romantic haven of scents, where roses of all shapes and fragrances reign supreme.

840 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 802287

Land registry surface area 3221 m2
Main building surface area 276 m2
Number of bedrooms 5
Outbuilding surface area 14 m2

French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant

Marie-Antoinette de Groulard +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.