A 12th century castle, remodelled in the 19th century, with 25 ha in the heart of the Loir Valley countryside, north of Tours - ref 102770
A 12th century castle, remodelled in the 19th century, with 25 ha in the heart of the Loir Valley countryside, north of Tours.
200 km from Paris; 50 km north of Tours and south of Le-Mans. Near to a motorway interchange, an aerodrome and two TGV train stations (45 minutes) with excellent links taking less than an hour to Paris, going direct to Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle in 1¾ hours and taking less than 3 hours to Lyon, 4½ hours to Marseille, 2½ hours to Lille-Europe train station for London and 1½ hours to Nantes. All the Loir Valley tourist attractions are nearby. Le-Mans and its old Plantagenet town. 40 km from Le-Mans' 24-hour racing circuit, the Porsche-Experience-Centre driving school and the International Le-Mans-Karting go-cart track. 40 km from the Golf-du-Circuit, set in the middle of the circuit along the mythical Hunaudières straight. Less than 10 km from a little town with all amenities.
This estate is in a wild, wooded setting, with a view over the surrounding countryside. It is reached via two driveways, one reserved for visitors and the other for tradespeople. The first is a long avenue, with woods and meadows on either side. It is barred halfway along by gates, flanked by tall pillars, and is dotted with old streetlamps, lighting the way to the entrance courtyard in front of the castle, with the keep looking on. It precedes the old chapel, the top section of which is now converted into a bedroom, followed by a house that could be used as a caretaker's cottage and, lastly, the castle. Driveways lead from the entrance courtyard to the rear where there are carparks and meadows, delimited by hedges. A pathway gives access to the south-facing, swimming pool area, surrounded by safety fencing and partially enclosed by old walls. A driveway goes down on the west side to the outbuildings, comprising an annexe house and its small outbuildings, a 350 m² building, with an area given over to physical well-being on the ground floor, a barn and its workshop, a building housing five horse loose boxes and a tack room, and another building that could take cars, although it is currently fitted with six horse loose boxes. Meadows beyond the outbuildings could accommodate horses. Woods border the property.
The castleThis L-shaped castle is laid out over four levels, each spanning a surface area of 250 m². The facade, facing the entrance courtyard, features a central, hexagonal, entrance and stairway tower, two round, corner towers and turrets with corbelling. A central projection on the rear facade features three bays. They top the balcony that gives outside access to the large lounge. It is flanked by two square towers, to which are adjoined two round corner towers. Their neo-gothic decor, comprising imitation machicolation and battlements, is concentrated on the dormer pediments and the doors, the first being made of moulded stone and enhanced with coats-of-arms. The roofs, covered with slate, were all redone in the winter of 2020-2021.
The base level
The foundations of these premises date back to the 12th century. A lower, partially vaulted level which can be reached from the outside, comprises kitchens, storerooms, a fruitstore and a staff changing room. Cellars, a linen room and a boiler room complete this level. It also has a double-entry lift that goes up to the first floor.
The ground floor
The main stairway is installed in a vestibule. On one side is a lavatory whilst, on the other, double doors open into the large reception lounge with a bar, which is also equipped for screenings (integrated into the coffered ceilings). It provides access to four adjoining rooms. A vast dining room is followed in one of the towers by a small lounge and a space for a toilet. A pantry and kitchens. A back stairway goes up to the attic space. Decorative features include marble or stone fireplaces, ...
