A 15th-century country house with annexe dwellings and outbuildings
in 2.3 hectares of grounds with vines, nestled in France’s Anjou area
in 2.3 hectares of grounds with vines, nestled in France’s Anjou area
Angers,
MAINE-ET-LOIRE
pays-de-loire
49000
FR
Location
The property stands on the edge of an old hamlet where several medieval houses remain and tokens of life from bygone days have been preserved. A town with essential shops and amenities lies five minutes away by car. The city of Angers is 30 minutes away. From its high-speed train station you can reach Paris in 1 hour and 30 minutes. The banks of the River Loire are 20 minutes from the property. The Loire Valley is dotted with quaint villages and listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Local vineyards produce the famous Anjou and Coteaux-du-Layon wines and give this beautiful corner of France its charm and character.
Description
Just outside the hamlet, a long tree-lined lane leads from a road to an arched carriage entrance that takes you into the property. This entrance has kept a trace of the coat of arms of former owners.
Beyond this archway there is a vast courtyard. The grand country house and a storage building stand around it. A barn and the first annexe dwelling lie on the opposite side of this court. The other annexe dwelling lies on another side of the court. Behind the house, there is another storage building, an old bread oven and a cellar. You can also enter the courtyard from the road via an entrance gate next to the first annexe dwelling.
The grounds extend all around this central court and the different buildings.
Beyond this archway there is a vast courtyard. The grand country house and a storage building stand around it. A barn and the first annexe dwelling lie on the opposite side of this court. The other annexe dwelling lies on another side of the court. Behind the house, there is another storage building, an old bread oven and a cellar. You can also enter the courtyard from the road via an entrance gate next to the first annexe dwelling.
The grounds extend all around this central court and the different buildings.
The grand country house
This edifice built with rubble stone dates back to the 15th century. It has two floors. The top one is built into the roof space. A lower section, built later, extends the house. A gable slate roof crowns the building. Two stone-mullioned windows stand out in the facade. A stone-mullioned wall dormer also features on the front side of the house’s oldest section.
The ground floor
A front flight of stone steps leads up to the entrance door. The hallway leads to a kitchen and dining area on one side and to a corridor on the other. This corridor connects to a utility and boiler room and to a lounge. Beyond this lounge there is a bedroom with its own en-suite shower room and lavatory. In both of the main rooms, an imposing 15th-century fireplace of grison stone takes up much space on one wall. French-style beamed ceilings adorn the rooms – the lounge has wooden boards between its exposed ceiling beams. In the kitchen and dining area, an old stone sink and a former warming oven can still be seen. A stone staircase leads upstairs from the hallway, which has a floor of terracotta tiles. There is a lavatory underneath these stairs. The hallway, the lounge, and the kitchen and dining area all lead straight outside into the garden behind the house.
The first floor
The landing connects to a vast first-floor lounge on one side and to a hallway on the other. The latter takes you to a lavatory, a bathroom, a bedroom and a storeroom. Beyond the lounge there is a bedroom with its own en-suite shower room and lavatory. Exposed beams run across the ceiling in every room. There are cupboards in the bedrooms. In the lounge, a large grison-stone fireplace stands out on one wall. In this same wall you can also see the remains of an old doorway. The latter would have led to a tower – or perhaps a lavatory – that no longer exists.
The first annexe dwelling
The first annexe dwelling is made of rubble stone and rendered with lime. It is crowned with a tiled roof. On the building’s west side, a boiler room and fuel store have been made inside two small rooms that each have a floor area of around 10m².
The ground floor
The entrance door takes you straight into a lounge and dining area, which includes an open-plan kitchen. The lounge connects to a bedroom and the dining area connects to a shower room with a lavatory. Wood strip flooring extends across the interior and the ceilings feature exposed beams with wooden boards between them. An old trough runs along the north wall of the two rooms.
The second annexe dwelling
The second annexe dwelling has two floors. The top one is built into the roof space. It has a tiled roof like the other annexe dwelling. A space with three closed sides and one entirely open side lies on the dwelling’s south side. It offers a floor area of around 18m². A lean-to with a floor area of around 11m² adjoins the building’s north side. This lean-to houses a boiler room and fuel store. It may have once been a chapel.
The ground floor
The entrance hall leads to a lounge and dining area on one side and to a bedroom and a shower room with a lavatory on the other side. In the lounge, a cathedral ceiling showcases exposed beams and one wall bears the traces of a former fireplace. A staircase of timber and metal leads from the entrance hall up to the first floor in the roof space.
The first floor
A mezzanine landing looks down at the lounge. A corridor leads from this landing to a bedroom and to a shower room with a lavatory.
The outbuildings
The outbuildings include an undivided barn with a floor area of around 200m² and a slate roof, a former bread oven and two storage buildings, one of which is used to store fuel for the grand country house. The storage buildings are covered with tiles across a total area of around 40m². A cellar completes this series of outbuildings.
The grounds
In front of the country house, the vast courtyard offers a lush central lawn where a few trees grow. Behind the main dwelling, there is a tree-dotted garden that edges the driveway and, beyond it, meadows. These meadows are fenced off and include shelters for horses that graze there. There is a well, which can be used to water the garden. And rainwater is collected in a pond dug out behind the second annexe dwelling, beyond the central court. Five rows of vines complete this outdoor space.
Our opinion
This authentic country house from the 15th century has been remarkably well preserved. It is nestled near the renowned Loire Valley and the famous vineyards of the fine Coteaux-du-Layon wines. Here, vines symbolise local life. They grow around the grounds, even climbing up the old stone walls of the splendid country house, in which many original architectural features can still be admired. This delightful dwelling is ready to be lived in straight away, though some refurbishing could breathe new life into its interior. The annexe dwellings could easily be used to comfortably host family, friends and travellers. And the property’s pastures offer the perfect home for horses.
882 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 136678
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 3 a |
| Main building surface area | 254 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 400 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 200 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.
