At the gateway to Agen, a 19th-century chateau in tree-filled 5-hectare grounds,
with outbuildings, a swimming pool, pool-house and troglodyte dwelling
with outbuildings, a swimming pool, pool-house and troglodyte dwelling
Agen,
LOT-ET-GARONNE
aquitaine
47000
FR
Location
Agen is the administrative hub and largest city of the Lot-et-Garonne area as well as a stopping point between Bordeaux and Toulouse. In the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, it boasts a dynamic economic and cultural influence. It is renowned for its PDO prunes and possesses many shops, schools and healthcare structures as well as a dense associative scene. A residential sector in the upper reaches of the city to the north combines the discretion of the countryside with the immediate proximity of the city-centre. From the station that is only 2 kilometres away, direct high-speed TGV trains can be taken to Paris-Montparnasse, Bordeaux and Toulouse. The A62 motorway can be reached in ten minutes, providing road links to the latter two of the aforementioned destinations. From Agen-La Garenne airport, there are direct flights to Paris-Orly, while the international airports in Bordeaux and Toulouse are less than 1 hour away by road.
Description
The chateau looms into view at the end of a drive crossing through the almost 5-hectare grounds. It was built in the 19th century and stands in the middle of the estate. The remarkably well-kept parkland combines lawns, tall trees and southern French undergrowth, providing it with total privacy, completely sheltered from view. Thanks to its location in the upper part of Agen, it enjoys views of the city’s roofs and the surrounding slopes. The chateau itself has around 500 m² of living space and is architecturally sober, which is typical of the Second Empire period during which it was built, with ashlar facades and two towers, whose roofs have been recently renovated. As a whole it is in a very good general condition thanks to meticulous upkeep.
The interior of this four-storey building is set around a classic sequence of reception rooms, with an entrance hall, dining room, lounge and kitchen one after another on the ground floor, where a large double-level conservatory harmoniously links the two wings of the edifice. Four bedrooms and two shower rooms can be found on the upper floors, while one bedroom and a lavatory are on the garden level floor. They stand next to a suite of relaxation rooms, with a spa, billiards room and conservatory. They are followed by usual utility rooms, such as the boiler room, storerooms and cellar.
The estate possesses three outbuildings. The first, which is referred to as the guests’ house or estate manager’s house, is currently being restored and a little finishing work is all that is necessary to make it self-contained accommodation. It includes a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. The second outbuilding contains a workshop for DIY and upkeep of the garden. The last outbuilding houses a large garage and a virtually completed, vast fitness room with a shower. A pool-house stands next to the swimming pool. The property enjoys a unique touch thanks to the presence of a one-room troglodyte dwelling carved out of the nearby cliff.
The interior of this four-storey building is set around a classic sequence of reception rooms, with an entrance hall, dining room, lounge and kitchen one after another on the ground floor, where a large double-level conservatory harmoniously links the two wings of the edifice. Four bedrooms and two shower rooms can be found on the upper floors, while one bedroom and a lavatory are on the garden level floor. They stand next to a suite of relaxation rooms, with a spa, billiards room and conservatory. They are followed by usual utility rooms, such as the boiler room, storerooms and cellar.
The estate possesses three outbuildings. The first, which is referred to as the guests’ house or estate manager’s house, is currently being restored and a little finishing work is all that is necessary to make it self-contained accommodation. It includes a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. The second outbuilding contains a workshop for DIY and upkeep of the garden. The last outbuilding houses a large garage and a virtually completed, vast fitness room with a shower. A pool-house stands next to the swimming pool. The property enjoys a unique touch thanks to the presence of a one-room troglodyte dwelling carved out of the nearby cliff.
The chateau
This four-storey residence, framed by two protruding octagonal towers with conical slate roofs topped by ridge caps, boasts a slender silhouette typical of the late 19th-century eclectic style. The southeast-facing facades are punctuated by tall windows with semi-circular arched dressed stone surrounds beneath roofs in excellent condition. The double-glazed metal veranda adjoining the central section on two levels is the stand-out element of the edifice’s facades, providing a haven of brightness and forming a link between the interior and the grounds. A double stone staircase climbs up to the stoop. Once through the entrance door, the residence boasts generous volumes, terracotta tiles, wood strip flooring and remarkable ceiling heights, all of which has been constantly and carefully looked after.
The garden-level floor
This level can be reached via the veranda or from the chateau’s grounds and includes several leisure rooms. A conservatory boasts the ambiance of an Andalusian patio with a stone wall fountain, a terracotta tiled spout, tropical plants and filtered light. On one side, a spa occupies a space arranged like an orangery, with exposed stonework and brickwork plus arched windows, while on the other side, through an arcade with ochre-coloured pillars, there is a billiards room with white-painted beams. In one of the towers, a circular room opening out onto the patio has been transformed into an office, while the cellars and lavatory are set back a little. On the opposite side in the second tower, a circular bedroom, paved with terracotta tiles and boasting arched windows with views of the parkland and palm trees, is adjacent to a shower room and a separate entrance from the garden.
The ground floor
The covered gallery on the southern facade includes semi-circular arched arcades on stone columns overlooking red and white cement tiles. A glazed door leads into the entrance hall where a wooden spiral staircase stands. On one side, a lounge with wood strip flooring and powder pink rendered walls beneath a stucco ceiling rose leads out through double French windows into the grounds. Opposite, in the dining room with a moulded coffered ceiling, there is a grey marble fireplace with a sculpted trumeau panel. Next to it, the mezzanine level of the veranda houses a dining area for everyday meals, overlooking the conservatory below. A walkway leads to a kitchen where the white-painted roof frame contrasts with the bright red rendered walls and hexagonally patterned cement tiles on the floor. A professional-grade cooking range forming part of an island unit is bathed in light through semi-circular arched windows. An arched doorway with ironwork scroll decorations opens onto the driveway to the north.
The first floor
The wooden spiral staircase climbs to the vast open space of a landing that is currently used as an office / study, with wood strip flooring and powder pink rendered walls, which are bathed in light trough a large window overlooking the grounds. On one side, the master bedroom with wood strip flooring is particularly impressive, thanks to part of it being contained in the octagonal tower, where there is a circular sitting room boasting panoramic views of the parkland. There is also an en suite bathroom. On the opposite side, a corridor leads to a second bedroom with wood strip flooring and powder pink rendering, which contains a white marble fireplace opposite a large window with views of palm trees in the garden. An en suite shower room occupies the space in the other tower, opposite which a utility room and lavatory are discretely housed next to the corridor. At the end, a second wooden spiral staircase leads to the top floor.
The top floor
The staircase leads to an attic level that can be fully converted. The rafters and tie beams of the lime-stained, exposed roof frame climb to a roof ridge with a height of more than 4 metres, whilst white panelled partitions, approximately 2 metres high, provide structure to the space without enclosing it. This level is made up of two bedrooms, an office space, a cloakroom and a shower room beneath the rafters. Each volume is generously bathed in light by the midday sun through skylights, while small, pointed-arch shaped dormers provide views of the grounds and Agen’s roofs. The whole level, which is decorated with a palette of white and light-coloured wood, has been thoughtfully arranged.
The guests’ house
This rendered stone building can be reached via a flight of external stone steps leading directly to the top floor from a large, west-facing patio. Its ground floor contains an approximately 30-m² garage. The top floor that can be reached directly from the patio boasts a surface of approximately 45 m², made up of a bright and large room with exposed stonework as well as brickwork, a floor paved with terracotta tiles and small-paned, single-glazed lattice windows through which light streams. The rest of the volume is shared by a mezzanine with a bedroom as well as en suite shower room and a lavatory. The finishing work, such as the rendering, installation of sanitary equipment, electrical wiring and heating requires completion.
The workshop
It is located in a two-storey construction in a lime-rendered stone building with a gabled roof and a semi-circular arched carriage gate. On the ground floor, there are two storerooms for tools and equipment required for the upkeep of the parkland. They cover a floor area of almost 30 m² and are paved with terracotta tiles beneath ceilings with exposed beams and joists. On the top level, which can be reached via a staircase, there is a slightly more than 27-m² loft into which light filters through several windows.
The barn
This outbuilding with a facade overlooking a cobbled court is the largest one on the property. It boasts wooden facing on the upper part, has a wide arched carriage gate giving it a resolutely modern appearance and is split into two equally sized parts. On the gate side, an almost 90-m² garage with a metal roof structure and concrete floor has enough capacity to house several vehicles and equipment for the upkeep of the grounds. On the opposite side, covering around 80 m² and beneath a height up to the roof ridge of almost 6 metres, there is a what was designed as a fitness room whose structure has already been completed, though an adjoining shower room requires completion. It could also be used as an artist’s studio, a reception room or a self-contained studio apartment.
The parkland
It is one of the property’s most remarkable features and stretches over almost 5 hectares. It is made up of Mediterranean and sub-tropical tree types, such as tall palms, bamboo, bay and dracenas, plus more traditional varieties like hundred-year-old lime trees, oaks and ash. The diversity of the vegetation and its layering give the grounds a sense of relief and density. It is popular with wildlife, especially deer. From the entrance gate, a tarmacked driveway crosses through the parkland and leads to the stoop in front of the chateau.
The swimming pool and pool-house
This generously sized, rectangular, turquoise coloured pool is located in the grounds below the chateau, can be reached by a stone staircase and is surrounded by ivy covered walls. Alongside it, there is decking in weathered wood, beneath which the pool cover slides discretely. The palm trees and vegetation form a protective barrier, ensuring it is not overlooked and that silence reigns supreme. A pool-house overlooks the swimming pool providing an open and shaded space. It includes a summer kitchen and a large table, plus a floor paved with enamelled terracotta tiles and taco tiling, beneath an exposed roof frame.
The troglodyte dwelling
To the north, the imposing natural barrier of the limestone cliff protects the chateau from the wind and creates a micro-climate, which is especially conducive to growth of the parkland’s exotic vegetation. A troglodyte dwelling has been carved out of the cliff. It provides constant coolness throughout the seasons and has rough flooring and walls. It is currently used for storage but could be converted, for example, into a wine cellar, studio apartment, office or unique holiday let.
Our opinion
With almost 5 hectares of grounds in the city, this estate is truly exceptional. Few properties can boast the combination of vast grounds that are not overlooked with the close proximity of services, shops and transport links. From the chateau, the views over Agen and the surrounding slopes further enhance this feeling of being away from it all yet remaining close by. The 19th-century architecture has lost nothing of its coherence. Indeed, it is even enriched by a vast conservatory linking the two wings of this building and providing a unique brightness to this type of residence, a sort of joyful modernity. The grounds with their southern French vegetation, swimming pool and relaxation areas fully contribute to the place’s excellent living environment. As for the troglodyte dwelling carved out of the cliff, it is a unique feature and part of the property’s identity, awaiting a future purpose.
1 290 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 484583
| Land registry surface area | 4 ha 86 a 67 ca |
| Main building floor area | 466.82 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 410.98 m² |
| including refurbished area | 87.27 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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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.
