An 18th-century country house with annexes, a pool and two hectares of grounds, ready to be
lived in straight away in France’s Périgord area, 1 hour and 30 minutes from Bordeaux
lived in straight away in France’s Périgord area, 1 hour and 30 minutes from Bordeaux
Neuvic,
DORDOGNE
aquitaine
24190
FR
Location
The River Isle valley separates the Double and Landais forests in the west of France’s Périgord area, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. The countryside here is a patchwork of forests, meadows, vineyards, small lakes and streams. This landscape with immense ecological wealth is varied and lush. It offers a high quality of life and draws ever more visitors. Saint-Émilion, Castillon-la-Bataille, Saint-Aulaye, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, the château of Michel de Montaigne, Échourgnac Abbey, Vauclaire Charterhouse and the local glass industry illustrate this region’s rich history and character. To the east, the A89 motorway takes you to the city of Périgueux in 40 minutes. And to the west, towards the ocean, it takes you to Bordeaux in 1 hour and 30 minutes. Bordeaux has a high-speed train station and an airport.
Description
On the gentle slope of a meadow hidden behind woods, at the bottom of which the branch of a river flows gently, the buildings stand in a walled enclosure around a terrace, forming a stone island among greenery. The roofs of these buildings are covered with either flat tiles or barrel tiles. A single country lane leads up to the property, ending there as a cul-de-sac. The buildings around the rectangular walled terrace include a house; an open-sided shelter; an ornamental court with a spring; a barn flanked with a Zen garden, a kitchen garden and a dovecote; a second barn; a woodstore; a guesthouse; and a tall stone wall through which a pedestrian door and an electric gate lead into the walled enclosure. On the south-east side, the terrace and swimming pool look down over a landscaped garden dotted with flowers and trees. The overflow from the spring runs in a channel through this landscaped garden.
The 18th-century country house
The country house stands upon a semi-basement. It has an asymmetrical plan, which suggests an unfinished project, begun by a certain Sir Chevalier, a master surgeon, in the first half of the 18th century. Its rectangular pavilion has fine details: rounded quoins supporting slight overhangs upon cornices with mouldings. The pavilion is crowned with a mansard roof of barrel tiles on its upper section and four dormers along its lower section. These dormers are in line with the ground-floor windows below. The ground-floor window surrounds are finely decorated with lower ledges that have toric mouldings and arched lintels that have slightly protruding keystones. During the restoration work on this edifice, the main section’s six original roof windows in its flat-tile roof were replaced by a series of dormers that are identical to those upon the pavilion. This made it possible to fully convert the loft.
The ground floor
The house was uninhabitable when it was bought in 2012. It was entirely restored and turned into a main home that meets the demands of modern comfort. Every detail was renovated, from the roofing, timber framework, electrics, plumbing, ventilation and concrete base to the insulation in the floors, walls and ceilings with an air gap made in the supporting walls. The original fireplaces of finely sculpted stone were walled up in the dining room and office. And a new fireplace, made of brick, was built in the lounge to house a wood-burning stove as an extra source of heat. The windows are new. They are made of wood-imitation PVC, are double-glazed and are filled with argon gas. The entrance hall is a dual-aspect room. From here, a staircase leads up to the first floor and another staircase leads down to the utility room below. A door leads to a fitted kitchen and to a terrace.
The upstairs
Beneath sloping attic ceilings, there is, in the main section, a bedroom with a shower room. And in the pavilion, there is a master bedroom with a bathroom and a walk-in wardrobe – each space here is remarkably high-ceilinged and the roof beams are showcased.
The basement
The only basement room that you can reach from inside the house – via stairs beneath the main staircase – is a utility room. This utility room houses a water softener and a heating-oil boiler that was installed in 2016. Its walls and ceiling were entirely rebuilt and insulated. A ventilation system was added. Pleasant warmth reigns down here all year round. A large room houses the oil tank and serves as a storeroom. Another space – a long room – can be used to store the swimming pool’s cover sheet. And a technical installations room beneath the terrace houses the pool’s filtering system.
The outbuildings
The swimming pool
The swimming pool is set in a travertine terrace. It is 8.6 metres long, 3.7 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep. It is chlorine-treated and equipped with a sand filter. A heat pump keeps it warm.
The open-sided shelter
An open-sided shelter stands in line with the house. With its adjoining lavatory, it serves as a summer dining space. Through a broad opening in its south-east wall, you can keep an eye on the swimming pool and admire the landscape. This opening brings natural light into the shelter too.
The paved courtyard
A paved court lies in between a dovecote and the open-sided shelter. It is centred upon a fountain through which water rises from a spring. This spring supplies a toad pond with water. It is also used to water plants grown in stone planters along the walls. Its overflow goes into a channel that runs alongside the swimming pool and beneath a miniature wooden bridge to reach the garden pond outside the walled enclosure.
The dovecote
A dovecote adjoins a barn. It has a ground floor and a first floor. This dovecote is a splendid structure with stone quoins with bevelled edges, two platforms with mouldings from which doves can fly away, and a tall three-slope roof underlined with a double-row génoise cornice. Today this dovecote is used as a storehouse for gardening equipment.
The barn
The barn offers a huge floor area. It could serve as a garage or workshop. Behind it, a Zen garden forms a patio. It is dotted with flowers and is centred upon a fountain. A door leads from here to a kitchen garden, which lies outside the walled enclosure.
The garage
The garage has an electric door.
The woodstore
The woodstore is a lean-to, built against the garage. It stands outside the walled enclosure. However, a door leads straight into it from the inner court.
The guesthouse
The guesthouse was in a very poor state when the property was bought in 2021. So its facade was entirely demolished, rebuilt with bricks and given a stone facing. This renovation improved the guesthouse’s insulation considerably. It is a single-storey dwelling with a lounge, a kitchen, a bedroom and a shower room with a lavatory.
The grounds
The walled enclosure is surrounded by two meadows, a parking area, a kitchen garden, an orchard and a grassy landscaped garden dotted with a range of trees, including linden trees, lime trees, crape myrtles, palms, oaks, ashes, maples, magnolia grandiflora trees, hazelnut trees, fig trees, apple trees, pear trees, peach trees and plum trees.
Our opinion
This historical property is small enough to feel cosy, yet grand enough to feel noble. It was masterfully restored in 2016. The remarkable house is now a warmly welcoming haven bathed in natural light. The property is tucked away in a bucolic backdrop with a sweeping view of the beautiful surroundings, though it is not completely isolated. The walled enclosure is a private island among greenery. Here, touches of modern comfort have been added. The outhouses and main dwelling form a coherent aesthetic whole with authentic charm. This gentle fortress with annexes for ramparts offers nooks designed for your well-being. And with the renovation work that transformed this architectural gem, you can settle into this delightful home straight away.
Reference 865586
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 17 a 32 ca |
| Main building surface area | 262 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 2 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 311 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 54.4 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.
