An old hunting lodge, set in a wonderful garden surrounded by forest, in the Landes-Girondines region - ref 765369
An old hunting lodge, set in a wonderful garden surrounded by forest, in the Landes-Girondines region.
3 hours door-to-door from Paris via TGV train, 1½ hours from the beaches on the Atlantic coast and Arcachon Bay, an hour from Bordeaux and 2½ hours from the Pyrenean ski slopes.
Casteljaloux, a renowned spa town 7 km away, has a golf course, a casino and a large leisure park. Barely 7 minutes from small as well as large shops, a post office, health centres and the other amenities of a little provincial town, including its large market.
Where the borders of three French departments meet, there where deciduous forests alternate with the pine trees in the typical central section of the Landes-de-Gascogne Regional Natural Park, the landscape takes on a secret character, far away from everything.
Here, the lack of relief makes it possible to go for long bike rides along the forest trails.
Preceded by two other houses, set back at a distance, the whole creates an island within the surrounding forest.
Once the remote-controlled gates are open, visitors are able to appreciate a view of the garden. With its wealth of flowers, it is harmoniously laid out around the large house whose origins date back to the 16th century.
It was once a convent, prior to being converted into a hunting lodge and it is said that Henri IV stayed here during his many jaunts into the region, but that is possibly a legend.
As for the dwelling, with characteristic architecture thanks to its timber framing and wide gallery, it stands proudly in the middle of its garden, crisscrossed by well-tended paths.
The houseAbandoned after the war, this house was given a new lease on life by a first set of restoration works during the early 1970's.
Then, between 2010 and 2020, the current owners installed all modern-day home comforts whilst respectfully preserving the timeless character of the premises.
Spanning two levels, it features a particularly original decor: the upstairs is surrounded by a wide gallery, totally made of wood, accessible via a recently constructed, exterior staircase, providing independent access to all the bedrooms on this level.
The ground floor
A small, bright, west-facing entrance hall provides access to an adjoining lounge-dining room, illuminated via large French window, facing south. This reception room has two stone fireplaces. One houses a closed-hearth fire with a heat recuperation system and, the other, a wood-burning storage heater. The floor is paved with Gironde terracotta tiles and the ceiling features exposed, painted beams. A toilet, with a wash-hand basin, and a wardrobe are next to the entrance hall.
A kitchen, adjoining the dining room, has quartz worksurfaces and recent built-in units. A small back kitchen completes the storage space. Opening on to a tiled terrace, set at right angles, a covered summer eating area ideally faces north. The beams of its old half-timbering have been left standing, ensuring perfect ventilation on summer evenings. Some utility rooms, in another section of the ground floor communicating with the dining room, include a laundry room, with large cupboards, a closed and tiled cellar, a vast storeroom and, lastly, a boiler room, housing the controls for the solar panels and the new central heating system.
The upstairs
A wooden stairway goes up from the dining room to the first floor. A landing provides access to a vast, south-facing bedroom, the floor of which was recently replaced with solid oak hardwood, with its own shower room and toilet, as well as a very large dressing room. A door in the corner opens on to the large, wooden gallery that runs alongside the east and north facades of the house.
Also opening on to the landing, a bathroom, with a shower, two wash-hand basins and a 2-person bath, has a small terrace. Two large cupboards and a separate ...
