A castle and its feudal keep with a 30-hectare estate in the heart of the Cévennes national park, in the south of Lozère - ref 302368
A castle and its feudal keep with a 30-hectare estate in the heart of the Cévennes national park, in the south of Lozère.
In the south of Lozère, with its Mediterranean climate, the property is perched halfway up the eastern slope of one of the many Cévennes valleys, through which a tributary of the Gardon river flows. Nearby, the hiking trails and swimming spots of the Cévennes National Park promise moments of relaxation in unspoilt nature. The site is part of the Mediterranean agro-pastoral cultural landscape of the Causses and Cévennes, recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2011. The nearest amenities, schools and shops are a 15-minute drive away in Sainte-Croix-Vallée-Française, a village popular all year round for its Sunday farmers' market. Further east, 60 km away, the town of Alès has a rail connection to the TGV station in Nîmes, connecting you to Paris in just 3 hours. Nîmes also has an airport with regular flights to London, Brussels, Dublin and Porto.
Formerly the stronghold of the Arnal family, who at the end of the 17th century owned most of the valley and the hamlet of Beaumelle, hence the name Arnal de la Beaumelle, the castle was burnt down in 1702 during the War of the Camisards. When it was rebuilt between 1730 and 1740, it became more residential. The keep still dominates the surrounding buildings and has a wonderful view over the valley. The complex consists of a castle resembling a feudal residence flanked by two towers, as well as a number of outbuildings destined for farming, including cowsheds, a shed for drying chestnuts and the remains of an old castle chapel.
This mainly west-facing hilltop property commands the southern valley.
Fed by two springs, the estate has developed over the last two centuries thanks to livestock activities and terraced crop cultivation on numerous sun-drenched terraces. At the edge of the stream, the property is completed by the ruins of an imposing mill powered by its water.
The castlePerched on the hillside, the castle is built in a rectangular shape with two corner towers. It is built of schist and fitted with 18th and 19th century windows. The roof is made of schist slates and requires complete renovation. All that remains of its defensive past, however, are a few loopholes in the lower part of the corner towers, and its appearance today is more in keeping with the vocabulary of a comfortable noble house in the "Vallée Française".
The ground floor
A perron provides access from the private road in front of the castle to a doorway opening onto a straight flight of stairs leading up to the first floor. The rooms on this level form the foundations of the castle. The stone vaults are used as cellars, workshops and mechanical room. They are poorly lit and only those to the north of the staircase have access doors to the curtain wall at the foot of the keep, between the drying shed and the main section of the castle.
The first floor
This level is accessed either by the straight staircase at the centre of the building, or to the south at the level of a first restanque that has been converted into an ornamental terrace and contains an old baking oven, or from the eastern passageway running along the rocks. Amply lit by several windows offering pleasant views over the valley, the first floor has several rooms designed for living purposes, offering both comfort - with several fireplaces and bathrooms - and quality, thanks to the preservation and reuse of old materials such as the remarkable doors.
The second floor
The top floor is accessed via a contemporary spiral staircase in the north-eastern corner of the kitchen. It is also intended for residential use, even though the refurbishment of several bedrooms has not yet been completed. This level is brightly lit by numerous windows. Above this level, the garrets of ...
