A former 13th-century hospice with outbuildings, on 5-hectare grounds,
five minutes from a famous spa town, in the north of the Gers department
five minutes from a famous spa town, in the north of the Gers department
Lectoure,
GERS
midi-pyrenees
32700
FR
Location
Located in the Gers department’s “Little Tuscany” region, surrounded by rolling countryside, the property is seven kilometres from Lectoure, a spa town with a rich historical heritage as well as all essential services and amenities for daily life, while a renowned green market takes place every Friday morning.
A stop on the Way of St. James, the town enjoys a mild climate, renowned gastronomy and a number of cultural events, whereas Agen, 35 kilometres away, provides rail service to Paris in three hours and ten minutes via high-speed rail. In addition, the Toulouse and Bordeaux airports are 100 and 160 kilometres away, respectively, whereas the Atlantic Ocean and Pyrenees ski slopes are both less than 150 kilometres away.
Description
From the B road, a gravel lane, 800 metres long, leads to the property, surrounded by fields and perched on the top of a hill. Sheltered from view, the dwelling faces a small valley, at the bottom of which the Esquère stream meanders its way around the estate’s outbuildings, which, together, form an architectural complex once surrounded by an enclosure wall.
A municipal hospice in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was inhabited by Bishop Martin Gutteria de Pampelune’s family as of 1450, before the main dwelling’s floor area was doubled in the late 16th century and a staircase tower was added in the 17th century. As for its exteriors, featuring different types of stonework and a number of windows, which bear witness to these successive stages of construction and modifications, they are cadenced by several breath-taking geminated cross-windows, as well as arrow slits and murder holes, which have all been carefully preserved.
As for the main dwelling, using the rock of the hillside as its foundation, it has two storeys topped by a non-convertible attic level and constructed over a cellar hollowed out under the dwelling’s central and oldest section. Crowned with a barrel tile gable roof over the main part of the dwelling and a flat tile roof for the tower, it exudes plenty of charm, while a patio with a swimming pool is buttressed by a tall stone wall to the south.
With two storeys under a roof considerably lower than the main dwelling, an initial oblong outbuilding, once used as a sheepfold, extends to the east, whereas a second outbuilding, located at a right angle, creates a U-shaped configuration around the courtyard with the main dwelling.
In addition, an immense open-air covered structure abuts the eastern side of this outbuilding, whereas, directly opposite and closing off the courtyard to the south, a single-storey outbuilding, once used to house the farm’s animals, has suffered from fire damage to its roof, and, lastly, a natural spring, situated below the courtyard and surrounded by stones, flows into a small pond.
A municipal hospice in the 13th and 14th centuries, it was inhabited by Bishop Martin Gutteria de Pampelune’s family as of 1450, before the main dwelling’s floor area was doubled in the late 16th century and a staircase tower was added in the 17th century. As for its exteriors, featuring different types of stonework and a number of windows, which bear witness to these successive stages of construction and modifications, they are cadenced by several breath-taking geminated cross-windows, as well as arrow slits and murder holes, which have all been carefully preserved.
As for the main dwelling, using the rock of the hillside as its foundation, it has two storeys topped by a non-convertible attic level and constructed over a cellar hollowed out under the dwelling’s central and oldest section. Crowned with a barrel tile gable roof over the main part of the dwelling and a flat tile roof for the tower, it exudes plenty of charm, while a patio with a swimming pool is buttressed by a tall stone wall to the south.
With two storeys under a roof considerably lower than the main dwelling, an initial oblong outbuilding, once used as a sheepfold, extends to the east, whereas a second outbuilding, located at a right angle, creates a U-shaped configuration around the courtyard with the main dwelling.
In addition, an immense open-air covered structure abuts the eastern side of this outbuilding, whereas, directly opposite and closing off the courtyard to the south, a single-storey outbuilding, once used to house the farm’s animals, has suffered from fire damage to its roof, and, lastly, a natural spring, situated below the courtyard and surrounded by stones, flows into a small pond.
The Dwelling
With a floor area of nearly 400 m², it features four massive main rooms on each level. As for the 17th-century staircase tower, it was once a dovecote and includes an entryway, with a beautifully-crafted stone floor and straight staircase, which provides access to the garden level and the upstairs floor, as well as the unconverted and non-insulated attic, while the dwelling still contains a number of original materials and details in each room, such as its terracotta tile floors, fireplaces, pointed stone walls, floor-to-ceiling heights of more than three metres, as well as massive ceiling beams.
The garden-level floor
Facing the courtyard, an eat-in kitchen, of approximately 30 m², comes with a wood-burning stove and a fireplace topped with a wooden lintel, while extending on from here is a room, currently used as a library, with a fireplace and a wood-burning stove, which communicates with the courtyard via a heavy arched wooden door.
From the kitchen, a narrow corridor leads to a bathroom, a lavatory and a bedroom, whereas a living room, with a large arrow slit facing a fireplace with a mantel clad in small flat bricks, rounds out the rooms on this floor.
In addition to the entrance to the kitchen, located under the porch between the dwelling and the former sheepfold, the library is accessible via the staircase tower, which contains the dwelling’s main entrance.
The upstairs
With terracotta floor tiles and timber-framed interior walls throughout this level, a long dual-aspect hallway separates this floor into two sections and provides access, on one side, to four rooms, square-like in shape, each with a floor area of approximately 40 m² and floor-to-ceiling heights of more than three metres, including one that has been restored and converted into a study.
In addition, a room facing northwest comes with a water mains inlet connected to both the dwelling’s heating system and plumbing, making it possible to create a second shower room on this level, whereas a lavatory was created in the dwelling’s former latrines. Although this floor is equipped with radiators, its electricity will still need to be reviewed or installed, as will the lavatory, joinery, insulation as well as its finishing work.
The Former Sheepfold
With a floor area of nearly 340 m², it is located to the east of the main dwelling at a right angle. In all likelihood featuring the same height as the main dwelling at one point in time, since the 19th century this building has had two storeys topped with oak wooden rafters resembling an inverted boat’s hull, while, upstairs, a window opens up underneath an adjacent covered open-air structure.
In addition, former service quarters, facing the courtyard, round out this outbuilding’s spaces, whereas considerable renovations will be required in this building, currently used as a workshop and for storage.
The cowshed
This area is used for storing a variety of equipment and includes a convertible attic.
The Southern Outbuilding
With a floor area of approximately 100 m² and oblong in shape, it closes off the courtyard to the south, while the one-storey edifice is topped with a barrel tile roof, supported by a poplar wood framework, which suffered from fire damage over one third of its surface. Made up of several “stalls”, once used to house the farm’s animals, it is divided into two separate sections, the second of which provides vehicular parking and storage for the estate’s maintenance tools, whereas former ruins abut the outbuilding in the back.
The Agricultural Storage Building
Located to the east and directly opposite the property’s drive, it has a floor area of approximately 120 m², is open on three sides and topped with a barrel tile roof supported by a wooden structure.
The Covered Open-Air Structure
Facing the dwelling with a floor area of 53 m² and abutting the agricultural storage building, it creates, along with the rest of the buildings, a U-shaped composition around the courtyard.
The Grounds, Natural Spring and Swimming Pool
The estate’s different buildings are surrounded by grounds of more than five hectares, featuring an initial flat grassy area, followed by land that gradually descends towards the valley, which provides access, negotiated by the current owner, all the way down to the stream. In addition, a former swimming pool, in need of a restoration, is located on an upper patio supported by a retaining wall extending on from the dwelling’s staircase tower, whereas a natural spring and a pond create a lovely pastoral scene below the outbuildings.
Our opinion
This stunning bucolic tableau is the perfect setting for this complex of charming, human-sized buildings, both authentic and elegant, the latter of which make it possible to enjoy the peace and quiet of the surrounding countryside as well as the picturesque village of Lectoure, whose overall cachet is only heightened by this dwelling, even if it is located a few kilometres outside of town.
As for the estate, it exudes the feeling of a multi-century home and has preserved a large number of remarkable architectural details and materials, while it also offers the prospect, thanks to its proximity to the nearby charming village, which attracts many tourists each year, of significant rental income, once its outbuildings have been thoroughly renovated and restored.
Reference 400714
| Land registry surface area | 5 ha 5 a |
| Main building floor area | 400 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 610 m² |
| including refurbished area | 170 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
Share
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.
