A 19th-century manor with over six hectares of grounds and a horse-riding centre as an optional extra, in France's Périgord region - ref 731470
A 19th-century manor with over six hectares of grounds and a horse-riding centre as an optional extra, in France's Périgord region.
In the west of France's Périgord region, in the heart of the historical Aquitaine province, the beautiful valley of the River Isle separates the forests of the Double and Landais natural areas. This lush landscape with great natural wealth is vast and varied. It is made up of forests, meadows, farmland, vineyards, lakes and streams. The spectacular local region is dotted with several emblematic sites and villages that illustrate its rich past and long story, which reaches back a thousand years. These places include Saint-Émilion, Castillon-la-Bataille, Saint-Aulaye, Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, the Château de Montaigne, Échourgnac Abbey and Vauclaire Charterhouse. Local history is also marked by a tradition of glassmaking. To the east, the A89 motorway takes you to the city of Périgueux in around 30 minutes and to the city of Bordeaux, with its high-speed train station and international airport, in around 1 hour and 30 minutes. You can also reach the city of Bergerac with its airport in less than 40 minutes.
The manor towers on a wooded plateau that opens up slightly towards the south. The edifice stretches up to the treetops that surround it. It stands in a commanding position in a meadow that slopes gently down to the property's entrance. From there, a driveway snakes up from a road on which heavy goods vehicles are forbidden. In a second clearing there is a swimming pool set in a terrace made of exotic wood. Vehicles can be parked in the shade of trees. On these grassy, well-maintained grounds where roe deer find refuge, there is neither asphalt nor gravel. At the edge of the estate, there is a paddock. Via a path beneath trees and a few stone steps, you can reach an adjoining property, available for sale as an optional extra. It includes a noble country house, a studio apartment, large outbuildings, a garden, a well filled with water all year round, a stable and a horse-riding area.
The manorThe manor was built in 1891 in a Renaissance Revival Tudor style. It stands upon a semibasement. It is made up of two rectangular sections that join each other at a right angle. The gabled slate roofs of these two sections are punctuated with dormers with sculpted triangular pediments that mirror the manor's gable ends with their stone ridge tiles. The chimney stacks, which face the former driveway, bear monumental metal initials: those of the original owner. Three straight flights of steps, followed by a terrace, lead to the house. Another flight of steps leads down to the semibasement. The doors and windows are set in surrounds of dressed stone. There are stone-mullioned windows. The main door stands beneath a Renaissance-inspired ogee-arch lintel. The south-facing gable end features a bay window with two stone mullions. A terrace lies upon this bay window.
The first level
The dual-aspect entrance hall is spacious. It connects to the different reception rooms. There is a dining room with a French-style beamed ceiling and chevron parquet. A bay window bathes the room in natural light. A hidden door that is flush with wall surface leads to a flight of backstairs. There is a billiard room with floral-patterned cement tiles, a wooden fireplace adorned with ceramic tiles painted with fleurs-de-lys motifs, walls decorated with historical fabric wallpaper depicting parrots, and a remarkable coffered ceiling. French windows lead out onto a northern terrace. Five windows fill the lounge with natural light. The lounge's majestic fireplace, made of Saint-Astier stone, mirrors that in the dining room through its antique-inspired style. One fireplace represents flames and a dragon. The other one symbolises abundance through an ear of wheat.
The second level
The main staircase ...
