A manor house, outbuildings and swimming pool in a luminous clearing surrounded by 10 hectares of royal forest, 50 minutes from Toulouse - ref 941880
A manor house, outbuildings and swimming pool in a luminous clearing surrounded by 10 hectares of royal forest, 50 minutes from Toulouse.
In the heart of the Ariège Pyrenees Regional Nature Park, in the former royal forest of Volvestre, the property is situated on the border between Haute-Garonne and Ariège. The Pyrenean foothills is a region with a strong natural and historical identity. The small road leading to the property quickly disappears into the foliage, and the discreet entrance guarantees tranquillity without feeling isolated. The nearest shops, schools and services are just 10 minutes away. Boussens train station, with connections to Toulouse and Foix, is 13 km away, while Toulouse-Blagnac airport is less than 1 hour away via the Lèze valley. Nearby, the medieval town of Montesquieu-Volvestre is bustling with markets, market halls and little studios. Further south, the foothills of the Pyrenees open up to paths, streams and some of the most unspoilt countryside in Occitanie.
Invisible from the road, you discover the house when you turn a bend in a woodland path. It is sheltered behind a green wall of Scots pines, limes, ancient oaks, ferns and peaceful clearings. As if set down inside a bubble of greenery, it forms a discreet, almost secret unit with its outbuildings, swimming pool, pond and driveways, enveloped in more than 10 hectares of landscaped parkland and ancient forest. Most of the buildings have stone walls, some of which are rendered, and gable roofs with interlocking tiles. The three-storey residence, with almost 650 m² of living space, was probably built at the end of the 19th century and has been patiently restored after a period of neglect. Each stage of the work was guided by meticulous restoration of the original features: the old fireplaces, the oak or chestnut parquet flooring, the moulded ceilings, the stone window and door frames and the floors have been preserved or restored, with respect for the building. All of the utilities have been renewed: drainage, rainwater, pipes, electricity and heating. The main roof has been remodelled, and the roof of the annexe has been refitted. A stone pond and a fountain form a peaceful focal point around the house. The swimming pool is set nearby in a landscaped clearing, like a natural extension of the house, not far from a natural pool fed by a spring. There is also a well adjacent to the outbuildings, which still contains water. The overall effect is one of harmonious sobriety, typical of country manor houses, where practicality meets elegance. The top floor of the house, which is preserved in its original state and insulated under the rafters, offers huge conversion potential.
The houseIt has three floors, as well as a cellar. This sober, well-balanced residence is typical of 19th century holiday residences. The main façade, which faces north-east, opens wide onto the parkland and forest. A slight central projection, topped by a pediment, highlights the building's symmetry, emphasised by the ashlar quoins, and lends the building a noble air. The windows are fitted with shutters with bars and slats painted a greyish blue, in harmony with the light-coloured rendering of the walls. Some of the ground floor windows are protected by old-fashioned wrought iron grilles, with cross motifs or simple bars, which reinforce the domestic character of the house while highlighting its period features. On this side, the house is extended by a stone terrace, flanked by a double flight of steps, underlined by a balustrade with classical stone balusters. The south-west façade, which is more restrained but just as carefully designed, retains the same rigour in the window arrangement. The interlocking red tile gable roof contributes to the overall sobriety, without breaking up the harmony with the surrounding landscape. Finally, a small building, ...
