An 18th century village house and its patio
in the midst of a biosphere reserve between Avignon and Nîmes
in the midst of a biosphere reserve between Avignon and Nîmes
Uzès,
GARD
languedoc-roussillon
30700
FR
Location
Facing the Pont-du-Gard aqueduct, in a village founded by the Romans in a basin surrounded by hills and scrubland, then reconstructed in 1441, now reached via a long roadway through vines and olive groves, directly off exit 23 of the A9 motorway. A location from which it takes advantage without suffering any disadvantages. The distinctive geography of the nearby Gardon Gorges, which blend in with a large biodiversity of scrubland, farming plains and holm oak forests, protects it efficiently from any audible nuisances.
25 minutes from Avignon and Nîmes TGV train stations as well as Nîmes-Garons airport, the village is reached via a network of local roads, linking the neighbouring market towns. Uzès is its holiday resort, the Pont-du-Gard its garden.
Description
Built around 1750 in the shade of the southern wing of the impressive parish church, on the very site that was once the priest’s garden, this house is now in the historic centre of a quiet Occitan village, with about 1,000 inhabitants. Enclosed by sufficient lush vegetation to temper the stone surroundings of the village centre, this house spans two levels, topped with attic space which could be converted. It has two different entrances: one on the south side, isolated by its own patio off a little-used pedestrian street; and the other, with a semi-circular arch, opening east on to a no-through side road that leads to the church.
The southern facade overlooking the patio was constructed from a harmonious mixture of shellstone and an ochre-coloured stone from Vers quarries, the very same that were used by the Romans for the construction of the neighbouring Pont-du-Gard; its facing reflects regular, plain, rectangular stone laid with staggered pointing. The shellstone on the northern facade, which borders the church, is bonded in a more rustic manner and covered with a yellow ochre-coloured rendering.
The shady patio is planted with miscellaneous local, fragrant species such as jasmine, honeysuckle and saritea. As the hours pass, light and shade fight over the changing colours of this small area, once a modest courtyard and now a little, lush village garden, its plants pleasantly climbing the four walls protecting the house.
The southern facade overlooking the patio was constructed from a harmonious mixture of shellstone and an ochre-coloured stone from Vers quarries, the very same that were used by the Romans for the construction of the neighbouring Pont-du-Gard; its facing reflects regular, plain, rectangular stone laid with staggered pointing. The shellstone on the northern facade, which borders the church, is bonded in a more rustic manner and covered with a yellow ochre-coloured rendering.
The shady patio is planted with miscellaneous local, fragrant species such as jasmine, honeysuckle and saritea. As the hours pass, light and shade fight over the changing colours of this small area, once a modest courtyard and now a little, lush village garden, its plants pleasantly climbing the four walls protecting the house.
The house
The wide openings on the ground and first floors of this house enable residents to take full advantage of the sun and the moon. The patio is a compulsory stopping place, prior to crossing the threshold, closed by a door with a fan-shaped fanlight, filled with multi-coloured panes.
Traditional in style, this well-maintained house still has its Roman tile roof, its Vers stone walls, its terracotta and other old floor tiles as well as its ceilings featuring exposed beams. Some floor coverings have been replaced and modernised on the first and second levels.
The ground floor
On one side of a vestibule, with medieval-style, glazed floor tiles, a living room with quadripartite Vers stone vaults gives pride of place to a stone fireplace; on the other side, a bedroom, opening on to the patio, is followed in a staggered manner by a fitted kitchen, with its back kitchen, opening independently on to a no-through road, and a dining room that looks out at the apse of the church. All the floors are tiled, with the exception of that in the bedroom, adjoining a shower room and a toilet, where linoleum has been laid.
The first floor
A stone stairway with wooden nosing, constructed on a pre-existing spiral stairway structure, provides access to a bright landing, opening into a corridor leading to four bedrooms and two bathrooms, with tiled floors.
The attic
A second, stone stairway much older than the previous one, judging by the curved traces of wear born by the steps, goes up to the attic space which could be converted. Comprising an attic and a hayloft, opening via a basic dormer on to the patio, from where hay was transferred for the winter, the attic space has been left in its original condition, bearing invaluable witness to both the customs of the inhabitants and the materials or coverings used at this time, in this case, wide strip wooden flooring and used Roman floor tiles, turned over and bonded using lint made of old frayed cloths covered with lime.
Our opinion
Recently meticulously and tastefully transformed for a bed & breakfast activity, this modest, convivial house offers all the tranquil serenity sought after by hikers at the end of a day spent walking or cycling through the countryside surrounding the Pont-du-Gard, taking a dip in the Gardon or canoeing down the sometimes fast-flowing river. Any kind of hotel and catering activity would be welcome given that the many touring cyclists often seek somewhere to stay and/or eat as night falls.
But a family could also wish to take refuge here, a good distance from the town, to possibly work from home or quite simply enjoy the peace and quiet of a countryside that has been hospitable for more than 2,000 years, amidst the vines and olive trees in an ultra-protected area.
415 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense
Reference 283303
| Land registry surface area | 196 m2 |
| Main building surface area | 220 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 6 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 80 m2 |
Aucune procédure en cours menée sur le fondement des articles 29-1 A et 29-1 de la loi n°65-557 du 10 juillet 1965 et de l’article L.615-6 du CCH
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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.
