A 19th-century rural Provence farmhouse to be entirely restored, with 360° views,
on 2 hectares of land in the middle of the Camargue rice fields, away from any disturbance
on 2 hectares of land in the middle of the Camargue rice fields, away from any disturbance
Beaucaire,
GARD
languedoc-roussillon
30300
FR
Location
The Beaucaire plain was already famous for its meadows, vineyards, olive groves and old farms, where traditional farming methods are jealously preserved, but it has also recently become renowned thanks to its rice fields which, to the north of Arles, mark out new frontiers for the Camargue area. It was once pastureland for horses and bulls. It is well preserved thanks to its location on an alluvial plain, which makes it both very fertile and exempt from property development.
This wild agricultural area, where organic, responsible or traditional farms are booming, is just 15 minutes from Nîmes, with its high-speed TGV railway station and Nîmes-Garons airport, 20 minutes from Arles TGV station, 40 minutes from Avignon TGV station and 1 hour and 15 minutes from the Marseille-Provence and Montpellier-Méditerranée international airports, respectively to the east and west.
Description
This 19th-century limestone rural Provence farmhouse is typical of the Camargue countryside, inasmuch as it is built in the middle of an immense expanse of rice fields as well as cropped meadows, with part of it devoted to living space and another part dedicated to farming. Both are combined in the same building, with the slight difference in height denoting the different uses. A former stable boy’s lodgings are located at a right angle to the farmhouse.
Away from the main building and the enclosed barns, an open-sided, metal-structured hangar built in the 1950s marks the limit of the property towards the rice fields.
It can be kept (for agricultural use only) or demolished. Lastly, a small building used as a garage is adjacent to the main building.
The farmhouse, which is sold with approximately 2 hectares of land and whose two main façades face north and south, can be reached via a passing road, a tarmac access road that leads into the farm’s entrance courtyard, or by dirt tracks through the rice fields leading to the rear of the farmhouse.
The almost 2 hectares belonging to the property are delimited by ditches, which are called ‘roubines’ locally, by the access road on the side of the farm courtyard and by the natural vegetation for the rest. As per tradition in the Camargue, there are no fences on the estate, which is delimited only by vegetation acting primarily as windbreaks.
The perfectly isolated location of this farmhouse, which bears the name of a martyred saint, means it stands in a totally undisturbed location and boasts 360° views over a radius of 100 km of the Provence landscape. The panorama stretches as far as the Alpilles Mountains and Mont Ventoux, which is 150 km away yet is still clearly visible from the edge of the rice fields when the Mistral is blowing.
A timeless aspect accentuated by its uniqueness is bestowed by all of the above on the site, which is cloaked in silence and protected from the many winds that blow through Provence thanks its long-standing location.
Away from the main building and the enclosed barns, an open-sided, metal-structured hangar built in the 1950s marks the limit of the property towards the rice fields.
It can be kept (for agricultural use only) or demolished. Lastly, a small building used as a garage is adjacent to the main building.
The farmhouse, which is sold with approximately 2 hectares of land and whose two main façades face north and south, can be reached via a passing road, a tarmac access road that leads into the farm’s entrance courtyard, or by dirt tracks through the rice fields leading to the rear of the farmhouse.
The almost 2 hectares belonging to the property are delimited by ditches, which are called ‘roubines’ locally, by the access road on the side of the farm courtyard and by the natural vegetation for the rest. As per tradition in the Camargue, there are no fences on the estate, which is delimited only by vegetation acting primarily as windbreaks.
The perfectly isolated location of this farmhouse, which bears the name of a martyred saint, means it stands in a totally undisturbed location and boasts 360° views over a radius of 100 km of the Provence landscape. The panorama stretches as far as the Alpilles Mountains and Mont Ventoux, which is 150 km away yet is still clearly visible from the edge of the rice fields when the Mistral is blowing.
A timeless aspect accentuated by its uniqueness is bestowed by all of the above on the site, which is cloaked in silence and protected from the many winds that blow through Provence thanks its long-standing location.
The farmhouse
Were it not for its roof of half-round tiles, underpinned by a double Génoise corbel, keeping rain out of the building, as well as several shutters protecting what little remains of the doors and windows in what were the living quarters, this could be considered as a ruin.
This 19th century farmhouse with 252 m² of living space adjoining the barns was successively occupied by couples of tenant farmers from its origins until recent times. It is a striking example of rural life’s harsh conditions in the past, with its beaten earth floors, wide stripped wooden flooring, no sanitary facilities, animal troughs as sinks and makeshift fireplaces. However, its architecture is still typical of some aspects of farm dwellings, with exposed beams and joists on the ceilings, a solid roof frame, the sundial carved into the stone on the south façade and the bullseye windows distinguishing the lodgings from the barns.
A room set at a right angle from the other buildings with a hipped roof was added to the rear of the farm, at its southeast tip, at the end of the 19th century. Today, it is the only habitable part of the buildings. Lastly, a separate, enclosed and roofed building used as a garage boasts additional convertible space of approximately 56 m² to the southwest of the main building.
The ground floor
The ground floor, with a concrete screed that is in an advanced state of disrepair, whitewashed walls and ceilings with exposed beams and joists, is split into three large rooms on either side of the entrance, which includes a flight of stairs leading upstairs. The living room, with north and south facing windows, has a very Spartan fireplace set against the wall between the house and the stables. On the other side of the entrance, there are the remains of a small kitchen to the north and a dining room with a large window to the south, as well as a lavatory, which is out of service, under the staircase. A utility room and workshop which can be reached from the outside complete the former living quarters, as well as a room built at a right angle to the sheep barn.
The upstairs
Around the staircase, there are four very basic rooms used as bedrooms, separated by a storage cupboard and a hallway. Each of the bedrooms has a window with a wooden shutter. A room with no windows, most likely used as loft space, completes the living space, which needs to be entirely restored.
The stables and sheep barn
Landowners in all rural cultures have always preferred architecture that provide careful shelter from the elements for the precious assets that are livestock and cereal crops. In Camargue, this gave rise to barns and stables that are bigger, higher and better ventilated than elsewhere, though very few examples remain. However, this farmhouse is one of them. In fact, it could be said that more care was taken to build shelter for animals and crops than for people. The wood and stone used are the same quality as in the living space, as are the decorative features: the stables have arched windows, bullseye windows and quoins as well as cornices in stone.
The almost 306 m² of floor-space, which is still used for farming, is ideal for all kinds of projects and dreams.
The garden-level floor
The ground floor is made up of a stable and a sheep barn, both of which stand below an imposing oak roof frame, with beaten earth floors, dressed stone walls, arched windows and bullseye windows.
The upstairs
The second level is solely made up of a hay loft above the stables, since the sheep barn does not have a second storey.
The land
The distinctive feature of this property is its location in the middle of a large agricultural domain whose size is reminiscent of the great estates in bygone days. Indeed, the Beaucaire plain still boasts some fine examples of such properties. The challenge that this locality faced was to avoid the temptation of intensive farming and to prefer focusing on production quality. As a result, rice labelled “Riz de Camargue” benefits from a PGI (protected geographical indication), which is a guarantee of its quality.
The 2 uninterrupted hectares of land around the farmhouse can nonetheless be used for other crops than rice. They could also become a private ornamental garden or grounds, to be created with respect for local natural species.
Our opinion
Against all odds, the part of Camargue made famous by the film White Mane is still a land of dreams. At the gateway to such an area, this property boasts a number of its jealously guarded characteristics.
In this land of possibilities, the entire set of buildings needs to be restored, from floors to ceilings, including window frames. This means it has almost limitless potential: as a second home in the middle of nowhere, a haven of tranquillity for inveterate remote workers, or a restaurant in the middle of a field, to name but a few options, with each project being equally possible. What is important will be the desire to accomplish it and the means required, for everything remains to be done. That said, the base in place from which such a project can emerge already contains so much that an ambitious undertaking can become a genuine pleasure.
Reference 957300
| Land registry surface area | 2 ha 6 a 14 ca |
| Main building surface area | 252 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 4 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 363 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.
