A restored 17th-century manor house with two hectares of tree-dotted grounds in a
commanding position in France’s Anjou province, 15 minutes from Sablé-sur-Sarthe
commanding position in France’s Anjou province, 15 minutes from Sablé-sur-Sarthe
Sablé-sur-Sarthe,
SARTHE
pays-de-loire
72300
FR
Location
The property lies where France’s Anjou and Maine provinces meet, in the country’s beautiful Sarthe department in the Pays de la Loire region. Hedge-lined meadows hide quaint villages here in the mild climate of the Loire Valley. The city of Le Mans is 40 kilometres from the property and the cities of Angers and Laval are both 65 kilometres away. Paris lies 250 kilometres from the property. The A11 motorway is nearby, as is a high-speed train station in the town of Sablé-sur-Sarthe, which is only 15 minutes away. From this station, you can get to Paris in one hour and to Angers in 30 minutes by rail. Less than five kilometres away from the property, there are several villages offering shops and amenities.
Description
The property stands on the edge of a calm village through which three rivers flow. It lies in a commanding position upon an old feudal motte from the 14th century. The edifice has undergone various changes over the course of its long history, having been a law court and a boarding school for girls. It now has touches of modern comfort, yet it has preserved its 17th-century spirit. Tall hedges edge the grounds, giving the property absolute privacy. Hornbeams hide a parking space in the entrance area. A driveway lined with age-old linden trees leads up to the edifice, which is also given shade. On each side of the main drive, there are gardens dotted with trees, shrubs and different clusters of plants. The views of the valley and stream-edged meadow lower down are delightful and unrivalled. A retaining wall runs along the property’s western edge and encloses, behind the house, on the north side, a swimming pool area, which is hidden behind hedges. The dwelling has been restored masterfully over the course of the past ten years. This manor house, which has been given the ‘Fondation du Patrimoine’ label for its distinctive qualities in built heritage, is rectangular in shape with two pavilions, which contain bathrooms, protruding from its southern elevation. It is made of rubble stone, which is coated with rendering. Its window and door surrounds are made of exposed tuffeau stone. The house offers a floor area of around 400m². It has a basement, a ground floor, a first floor and a second floor. Restored dormers stand upon its slate roofs. Five bays with large windows punctuate the southern elevation. In the northern elevation, the windows are arranged in the same way, making the interior a dual-aspect space with natural light flooding in from both sides. The window frames have been renovated in an old style with oak and single glazing and the original window catches reused.
The manor house
The ground floor
From the hallway, a broad staircase with timber steps and an elegant, finely crafted wrought-iron balustrade leads upstairs. Further back, a door leads to stairs that take you down to the cellar. Two large lounges lie on either side of the hallway. This lounges are bright and, together, they offer a reception space with a total floor area of over 100m². One of them has wooden panelling and faces west with tall windows that look out at the grounds. This room could also be a ground-floor bedroom. Indeed, a shower room and lavatory could be created in the small adjoining tower. The other lounge has lime-coated walls, a French-style beamed ceiling and a monumental fireplace with an open hearth. All the floors are adorned with old terracotta tiles. Beyond, in a single-storey brick section that connects to the main section at a right angle, there is a fitted kitchen with a scullery and a boiler room. From the kitchen, doors lead out onto terraces on the west and north sides.
The first floor
The stairs lead up to a spacious landing area that connects on both sides, via old doors, to two suites that are each made up of two bedrooms, a shower room and a lavatory. At the back, there is a long corridor that is like a gallery. It has north-facing windows. This corridor leads to a flight of stairs that takes you up to the second floor.
Second level
When the house used to host people, there were nine bedrooms up here, each fitted with a tap. A long corridor connects to six bedrooms here today. These bedrooms were entirely restored in 2023. Three others still need to be restored. There is a bathroom and lavatory at each end of the corridor. Some of the bedrooms have dormer windows. Others have skylights.
The basement
You can reach the cellars from inside the dwelling, behind the stairs in the hallway. There is an exit near the swimming pool.
The grounds
The current owners wanted to make this property a peaceful, harmonious haven. The grounds cover a little more than two hectares and are dotted with many trees, including sequoias, hornbeams and linden trees. More than 50 of these trees were planted in recent past years to give the property absolute privacy. Old climbing roses, solanum and jasmine climb up the southern elevation. The utilities networks have been put underground. In a lower section, a meadow extends south-west around the old feudal motte. A stream flows alongside it. A swimming pool is set in a large terrace. This pool is 12 metres long and 4 metres wide. It is treated with active oxygen and is geothermal-heated.
Our opinion
Time stands still in this elegant house secretly tucked away in the countryside. Fragrant jasmine and climbing roses embellish the tuffeau-stone elevations of this splendid dwelling. The property’s location is ideal: it lies only 1 hour and 30 minutes from Paris. It is the perfect family home, offering comfortable rooms and cosy spaces where each person can enjoy their privacy. The building has been masterfully restored. And the sublime beauty of its lush grounds is another precious asset. Old outhouses and some neighbouring land could be acquired as extras to extend this delightful property, which is already vast.
820 000 €
Negotiation fees included
780 952 € Fees excluded
5%
TTC at the expense of the purchaser
Reference 432538
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 1 a 29 ca |
| Main building surface area | 400.50 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 10 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 34.20 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.
