A 19th century residence set in landscaped grounds
with a swimming pool, near Nantes, south of the Loire
Nantes, LOIRE-ATLANTIQUE pays-de-loire 44000 FR

Location

The property is situated about ten kilometres south of Nantes, its TGV train station and its airport, in a hamlet on the edge of a town with all shops and services. The tourist routes of the Nantes vineyards are nearby, and the centre of Nantes can be reached within 20 minutes. It takes less than an hour to drive to the nearest beaches on the Atlantic coast.

Description

Having left the town, the property comes into view along a small road leading to a hamlet belonging to the municipality. Two tuffeau pillars topped with decorative flames support an iron gate revealing the residence’s high slate roof and dormer windows. A wooden wicket next to the gate provides a pedestrian access. Two outbuildings, both independent from the house, contain garages and other facilities. The complex is built around a gravel courtyard with a lawn in its centre and embellished with lime trees. To the rear, extensive, fully walled parklands with a covered swimming pool extend gently down to the local road.

The residence

Dating back to around 1815, it was probably built on the foundations of a former estate involved in the production and shipping of vinegar on the nearby Goulaine river.
The rectangular mansion is of coursed rubble masonry and has a granite base. It is topped by a high slate roof with four pitches, adorned with two zinc finials. The facades are finished with a Loire sand render; the window and door frames, corner quoins, cornices and dormer windows are of dressed tuffeau stone. The chimney stacks are brick and tuffeau stone. A frieze and a dentilled cornice run along the four sides of the building.
Facing south, the courtyard elevation has three bays of identical width. A canopy topped by a stone frieze protects the entrance door in the centre. The roof has three high tuffeau dormers with a triangular pediment featuring a marine motif. The parkland façade is designed in the same style. As the terrain is slightly sloping, the central French doors open onto a perron with two flights of steps and a wrought iron banister, providing access to the garden from the ground floor sitting rooms.
The residence comprises a basement level, a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor in the converted attic space. The ground floor is double-pile, the upper floors have an additional central corridor.


The basement
A small cellar has been fitted out underneath the kitchen. It houses the technical devices of the house and of the swimming pool, including the boiler and the heat pump.
The ground floor
The entrance door opens into a central hallway with a modern tiled floor that leads on one side to the staircase to the upper floors and on the other to the kitchen. Opposite, two doors open onto the sitting room and the connected dining room. These reception rooms overlook the parklands to the rear and have preserved their original architectural features: straight strip oak parquet, wainscoting, marble fireplaces and overmantel. The windows and glass doors are fitted with internal wooden shutters. The floor of the fitted kitchen is laid with contemporary tiles. It comprises a separate dining area. A door to the outside provides a useful back entrance. A lavatory with a large cupboard completes this level.
Separated from the hallway by a glass door, the staircase leading to the upper floors is carpeted throughout and has iron balusters with an oak handrail.
The first floor
The landing on the first floor features large bookshelves receiving light from a window on the courtyard side. A corridor leads on one side to a first bedroom with a marble fireplace and laminate parquet, coupled with an alcove housing a study. On the other side, the corridor serves a study with fireplace and a large bathroom with marble flooring, bathtub, separate shower and double washbasin. A master bedroom with solid parquet floor is located at the end of the corridor; it is lit by two windows overlooking the park and the side of the house. The landing also serves a small laundry room and a lavatory.
There is central heating in all the rooms on the first floor. Each window is fitted with internal wooden shutters, one has also an external roller shutter.
The second floor
Identical in layout to the first floor, this level comprises a landing and a corridor leading to the four bedrooms in the roofspace, two on the courtyard side, two on the park side, as well as a bathroom. The bedroom floors are laid with floating parquet or carpeted, and the windows are fitted with interior wooden shutters. One bedroom is centrally heated, the others are equipped with electric convectors. A room used as a storage loft completes this level.

The outbuildings

Dating from before the main residence, they probably go back to the 18th century. Located on the roadside, they form the perimeter of the property. Most are of coursed schist or granite rubble masonry and have Roman tile roofs.


The stables
Located in the courtyard, just beyond the gate, they are now used as a garage for parking a car. Continuing through, a second part of the former stables is used to store firewood. The coursed schist masonry walls and the old roofing framework are in a very good state of repair, as are the two stable buildings.
The barn
This is accessed via the courtyard. The first room originally housed a wine press. It has been converted into a kitchen with a separate lavatory. This room connects to the former barn, which has an impressive floor area and ceiling height. Elegant coursed schist masonry walls and a partly panelled roof frame reveal four trusses in an excellent state of preservation. The insulated and furnished barn links to a covered patio facing the street and open to local residents.
The pavilion
Along the courtyard, in the extension of the former wine press, a small hexagonal lodge is known as "Porterie” (gatehouse). The small two-level tuffeau stone building has a six-sided slate roof topped by a weathervane. The downstairs room has a functional fireplace and the upstairs features a beautiful roof frame. The lodge is insulated and could be converted into an additional dwelling.
The outbuilding
Set back from the Porterie, this former drying shed marks the boundary of the property along the road. It contains a large garage with access from the street, providing space for two vehicles. A workshop has been set up in an adjoining room.
There is a summer kitchen with a barbecue and a fireplace sheltered by a canopy. In front of the drying shed, a well provides water for irrigating the garden in summer.

The grounds

The grounds cover just over 3,000 m² in front of and behind the mansion. They are totally enclosed by walls. At the entrance to the property, a lawn with a gravel driveway offers a view of the mansion. Two rows of lime trees on either side of the house evoke the landscaped garden to the rear. The park features numerous tree species, including twelve lime trees, a century-old chestnut tree, two hornbeams, palms and banana trees, as well as an oleaceous tree that is quite exceptional in terms of its size and the shape of its trunk. A cleverly designed footpath across the lush vegetation offers enchanting vistas of the residence.

The swimming pool

Set back from the house and surrounded by greenery, the large swimming pool (11 x 5.5 m) was built in 1998. A permanent wood-frame cover with sliding glass doors was added in 2008. The pool is heated by a heat pump. The decking is of light-coloured stone slabs. A small utility room with a toilet adjoins the pool house.

Our opinion

A classical-style residence with pure lines and perfectly aligned facades topped with elegant, high dormer windows. The tuffeau stone forms a harmonious contrast with the large, centuries-old trees in the garden, which has been thoughtfully and lovingly laid out by its successive inhabitants. The interior is bright, spacious and offers modern facilities that enhance the sensation of well-being. A short drive from Nantes, this timeless and warm property is ideal for a family looking for space and a life in the great outdoors.

Exclusive sale

1 390 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 421454

Land registry surface area 3740 m2
Main building surface area 330 m2
Number of bedrooms 7
Outbuilding surface area 200 m2
including refurbished area 20 m2

French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant

Bruno Tavernier +33 1 42 84 80 85

contact

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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.

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