An 1860 house, outbuildings and three independent dwellings in a 5 500 m² green setting between Bordeaux and La Rochelle - ref 966976
An 1860 house, outbuildings and three independent dwellings in a 5 500 m² green setting between Bordeaux and La Rochelle.
The property, which has no direct neighbours, is on the outskirts of a small "Midi Atlantique" village with a 12th century Romanesque church and is five minutes from a market town with numerous shops and amenities. The Gironde estuary is 20 minutes away, while Royan and the sea are 30 minutes away. Saintes and its cathedral, Cognac and its eponymous beverage, and the spa town of Jonzac and its casino are 25, 35 and 25 minutes away respectively. Bordeaux is 1 hour's drive away, as is La Rochelle, which can be reached via the A10 motorway, which is nearby, but whose noise cannot be heard from the property.
The property is entered to the north-west of the village, via a gate that reveals the house's beautiful facade on the right, after the adjoining outbuilding which has been into converted accommodation. It faces the parkland to the east, while to the west, the patios of the other houses are set in a wilder, more intimate area. To the right of the entrance gates, on the street side, there are the garage and a barn. A pigsty and an old chicken coop line the lane to the east.
The houseThis 19th century bourgeois residence is typical of the Charente architecture of the period. The main facade faces east onto the parkland and its floors are marked by a banded cornice. Built of ashlar, it has a rectangular floor plan and is three storeys' high. It has a hipped slate roof over a modillion cornice and five windows. The central entrance, in the form of a moulded arcade on capitals, is slightly recessed up to the modillions of the cornice, above which is one of the two dormer windows adorning each roof slope. The blue-grey shutters echo the sky and ocean. To the south, the house is extended by a room under a gable roof, with French windows to the east, south and west. To the north, up to the entrance gate, it is extended by the outbuildings.
The ground floor
In the main entrance, the floor is marked by a cut-out ceramic rose window in shades that match the old wood of the staircase leading to the bedrooms. On either side, doors open onto adjoining rooms, creating a feeling of space that is enhanced by the white walls and beams. On the left, following on from this is a lounge with a fireplace that creates a luminous atmosphere that reflects the Saintonge sky, and which communicates with the next room via two openings framing the fireplace, linked by an open hearth that enables you to enjoy the hearth from both sides. The adjoining room offers pleasant views of nature through a large French window that opens onto a terrace shaded by tall acacias. On the other side of the entrance hall, to the right, there is the kitchen with its original marble fireplace and dining area. Fitted with a La Cornue stove, the room enables you to enjoy the garden from both sides. This is followed by a room that has been converted into a library.
The first floor
This consists of two large, light-filled bedrooms with views over the parkland and the Saintonge countryside, and a shared shower room. The restored parquet floors have retained their original patina.
The second floor
This long under-roof floor, lit by dormer windows with exposed beams, has a surface area of 75 m². The outbuildingsThe three outbuildings adjoining the main residence have been converted to make the most of the original stonework and exposed beams and to optimise space, volumes and light. The roofs are covered with terracotta tiles. They are three intimate, independent homes with evocative names: l'Orangerie, la Roseraie and le Cognac.
The orangery
Situated to the right of the main house, it is 135 m². A small-paned double entrance ...
