A stately 18th-century property with outbuildings, a swimming pool and landscaped grounds, in a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of Tours -
A stately 18th-century property with outbuildings, a swimming pool and landscaped grounds, in a residential neighbourhood on the outskirts of Tours.
On the border of the Loire Valley, listed as a Unesco World Heritage Site thanks to the breadth of its cultural landscapes, for centuries, the Touraine region has built its reputation on its stately chateaus, impressive gardens, renowned vineyards and gastronomy-based traditions. On the southern bank of the Cher River, the town in which the property is located enjoys a pleasant living environment, within immediate proximity to Tours, the historic centre and train station of which is only 5 kilometres away. With all essential shops and services for daily life in addition to schools, it was once a prosperous winemaking city, the hillsides of which have gradually given way to sought-after residential neighbourhoods. Here, life passes gently, like the nearby river, far from the agitation of Parisian life, but yet only 55 minutes from the capital via high-speed rail.
Nestled within a residential neighbourhood in a town along the banks of the Cher, the dwelling is situated on carefully maintained landscaped grounds of nearly 4,500 m², planted with plenty of trees and flowers, which includes a large covered patio, swimming pool, greenhouse and two outbuildings. From the street, the property is accessible via a wrought-iron gate supported by two stone pillars, which opens onto a gravel drive that runs alongside part of the grounds and one of the dwelling's wings, in the direction of the two outbuildings used for vehicle parking. As for the U-shaped, two-storey dwelling, composed of an 18th-century central building framed by two wings, it surrounds, in the back, a grassy courtyard, scattered with pruned box trees, and accessible via an opening flanked by two tuffeau stone pillars on either side, which are then extended by low stone walls. With tall rectangular, small-paned windows, the house's tuffeau stone exteriors are topped by a slate gable roof, which is, in turn, crowned by gable dormer windows, whereas its eastern wing includes a large picture window, in the same style, as well as several additional rectangular windows. Last, but not least, the dwelling's interior has been well conserved with hardwood floors, fireplaces, wood panelling and tuffeau stone walls, while the eastern wing's gable end has been converted into a garage, the plaster-coated rubble stone exterior of which is accessible via wooden double doors.
The Dwelling
The ground floor
In the western wing, a glass door opens onto an entrance hall with original terracotta tile floors. This room provides access, on one side, to an immense dual-aspect gallery with hardwood floors and an exposed beam ceiling, illuminated by a number of large windows facing the courtyard and, on the other, to a bedroom with hardwood floors, a shower room, a lavatory, a wardrobe as well as a small corridor towards the central building. Via wide ancient doors, the gallery also provides access, in succession, to an initial living room, a kitchen, a laundry room and an adjacent formal drawing room.
The latter, immense and sunny, faces east, west and south via four windows, and is organised around its centrepiece: a tuffeau stone fireplace. With oak Chantilly-pattern hardwood floors, its exposed beam ceiling, painted white, accentuates the room's overall height, while the adjacent kitchen, topped with crown moulding, has original octagonal terracotta tile floors as well as a wood-burning stove. From here, double glass doors provide direct access to the cobblestone courtyard and garden, whereas, the neighbouring living room, with hardwood floors and a moulded cornice, contains a door that opens onto a study, designed to resemble a small den.
Opposite the entrance hall, a small corridor with tuffeau stone walls leads to ...
