Location
This property stands on the outskirts of a village near to Saintes, the centre of which is less than 10 minutes away. Saintes, a town with a dynamic tertiary sector, is the capital of the luminous Saintonge region, with its oceanic climate. Its rich past spans more than 2,000 years of history, with its Gallo-Roman amphitheatre and its Arch of Germanicus. It is steeped in Romanesque art with the crypt of Saint-Eutrope church, one of the biggest in Europe, and the “Abbaye aux Dames” (Ladies’ Abbey), now a music centre. A golf course and an equestrian centre are nearby. Less than an hour from the sea, it is 3½ hours from Paris by train. The A10 motorway puts it 4½ hours from Paris and just 1⅓ hours from Bordeaux. Furthermore, the region is lucky enough to include invaluable vineyards renowned for producing pineau-des-Charentes and cognac.
Description
The villa
Ground floor
Four stone steps go up to the entrance door recessed in the facade. The impressive glazed, wooden door opens into a perfectly finished, entrance vestibule, where the floor is paved with marble and wooden panels line the lower sections of the walls as well as the interjoists in the ceiling. A separate toilet precedes a corridor on the east side, leading to the bedrooms and other rooms in the house. A door, glazed with small, bevelled panes, opens on the south side into a little lounge. Its windows opening on to the terrace are protected from the sun by a lean-to. On the other side, following a window illuminating the hall, a stairway going upstairs is made of young twisted elm. A door opens into a large lounge set in the south-west corner. Its fireplace, open on two sides, is crowned with an oak wood cornice. The floor is covered with oak wood parquet flooring laid in a herringbone pattern and the ceiling is similar to that in the hall. Two French windows illuminate the entire room. A room between the lounge and the stairway is fitted with a steam oven, an eating area and wooden cupboards, painted white like the ceiling. It precedes an adjoining kitchen. The latter is a universe of copper, enamel, brass and black chrome courtesy of its kitchen range, the top model of a famous brand name. A stack of four wooden drawers adjoins two large ovens. A fireplace, with a small brick hearth on a level with the work surface, is next to a roasting spit making it possible to work in accordance with good cooking practices and to keep meats tender. The corridor provides access to a room, laid out as a study, a bedroom, a toilet and a dressing room, two bedrooms, with toilets, a large bedroom followed by a bathroom, with a bath, and a relaxation room, with a shower. The latter two have their walls and inlaid floors completely covered with the renowned yellow marble from Siena. A door opens into a large, through room, illuminated on either side by picture windows. A wooden terrace on the west side creates a private area, protected by a thick conifer hedge. And lastly, an immense room housing a vast swimming pool is preceded by a barbecue area, including a back kitchen. With floor-to-ceiling panelling, its walls are enhanced with diamond-shaped motifs. Behind the swimming pool are a games room and an ornamental pond with a shower.
First floor
The landing with its toilet provides access to four bedrooms and a bathroom. This level has oak wood parquet flooring throughout.
Basement
The basement houses a boiler room, a room laid out as a games room, a wine cellar and a vast, 2-car garage.
The annexe building
Reflecting a similar style to that of the main house, this annexe building has been constructed like two staggered, matching houses, the roof of one being slightly higher than the other. It comprises a large, tiled room, spanning more than approx. 120 m², enhanced on one side with a dressed stone fireplace and on the other with an oak wood mezzanine, dominating the room and its still. A toilet. The exposed trusses of the roofing framework are made of oak wood.
The garage
This garage is composed of four sections, making it possible, amongst other things, to store equipment such as a tractor with an articulated lower section. The latter could be included in the sale of the property.
Our opinion
An architecture which successfully sought to be suited to the seasons and their colours. Winter around the fireside in the large lounge, spring and autumn in the annexe building with its still and the swimming pool in the height of summer. A summer which even appears to triumph over winter courtesy of the many plants and trees whose curved, trimmed lines reduce the effect of the winter’s cold which is nonetheless relative in this mid-Atlantic region.
Reference 119778
Land registry surface area | 2 ha 17 a 64 ca |
Main building surface area | 587 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 8 |
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.