A 17th century manor house and its 25 ha estate on the banks of the Mayenne - ref 664577
A 17th century manor house and its 25 ha estate on the banks of the Mayenne.
Situated next to the Mayenne river, but invisible from the towpath, the property is only a 10-minute drive from the historic town of Château-Gontier. The sub-prefecture of Mayenne offers all day-to-day shops and services, a large weekly market and a hospital.
It takes 35 minutes to drive to Laval and 55 minutes to Angers. Both towns have TGV (high speed train) stations providing many daily services to Paris. Nantes and its international airport are 1h30 away.
From a small road leading along the picturesque banks of the river to Château-Gontier, a gate provides access to the stately almost 400 m long driveway of the property, bordered by a double row of tulip trees.
A courtyard and two formal rectangular gardens face the manor house to the south. To the east flows the river Mayenne. To the west, the wooded hillside gently slopes down. To the north, there are a technical building and a garage, farm buildings, a stream, woodlands and ponds. The property is unoverlooked.
The manor houseBuilt in the 17th century according to an L-shaped plan, the manor house has been completely restored in recent years. The south-facing facade of the main dwelling is divided into three bays and spans three levels, one of which is under the roof, with two Tuffeau stone dormer windows. An extension to the east also features three bays and only two levels, one of which is in the roof space, with wooden dormer windows. Finally, set at right angles to the west is another wing with a ground floor and an upper floor under sloping ceilings.
The north facade of the manor house has few openings but a modern structure that is perfectly integrated into the old building. Its large east-facing windows open onto terraces, ponds and a swimming pool. The walls of the entire manor house are of coursed schist masonry with lime bonding. The window frames are of Tuffeau limestone. The lintels of the west wing are of wood. The high roofs are clad with slate. The main building has a four-pitched roof, while the other two sections feature gable roofs. Brick chimney stacks punctuate these roofs.
The ground floor
The central door of the manor house opens onto a hallway providing access to the main staircase, a passageway and two sitting rooms. The walls are of exposed stone, the ceiling features wooden beams and the floor is laid with cabochon-style Burgundy stone tiles. The passageway leads to a cupboard and a lavatory. On one side of the hallway, an extensive sitting/dining room is generously lit by large south-facing windows. Again, the flooring is Burgundy stone tiles with black cabochons and the walls are wood-panelled. An 18th century wooden fireplace stands in the centre of the room. Continuing northwards, the kitchen connects to a dining room. The floor is also of stone and glass doors provide access to a summer lounge. This is paved with slate slabs and features a central fireplace, as well as a swimming pool. In one corner, there is a service entrance and a small utility room. On the other side of the hallway, a second sitting room features straight strip parquet flooring, a Tuffeau stone fireplace, exposed stone walls and a beamed ceiling. A study with similar floor and ceiling follows in a row. Finally, at the eastern end of the manor house, there are a bedroom, a bathroom, a lavatory and a wooden staircase. The floors are tiled.
The first floor
This level comprises five bedrooms, combining modern features and period architecture. Three of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms with toilets and two others share a bathroom and toilet. Two bedrooms have parquet floors, while two others have terracotta-type tiles. Some walls are panelled and there is a 17th century fireplace. At the far east end of the manor house and reached via the ...
