In Saintonge, a late 19th century chateau with outbuildings and park covering 30 ha, crossed by a tree-lined river - ref 466669
In Saintonge, a late 19th century chateau with outbuildings and park covering 30 ha, crossed by a tree-lined river.
In the south-west of France, in the wonderfully bright Saintonge province, the property is located between Saint-Jean-d'Angély and Cognac, a region with a rich cultural heritage and numerous vineyards, classified as "Fins Bois" for its Cognac crus. The estate lies on the outskirts of a village with a few hundred inhabitants living in typical stone houses with low-pitched roofs clad with terracotta monk and nun tiles.
25 minutes from the A10 Paris-Bordeaux motorway and less than an hour from Angoulême and its TGV train service - linking Paris in 2 hours -, the 30 hectare estate is 5 minutes from a market town with all amenities.
A few houses past the village church square, the large gate opens up to the setting sun, to the west of the estate. While the southern facade of the chateau can be made out in the distance, a house and its outbuildings, known as "the farm", are immediately to the right. Follow a vast barn, formerly a stable, and some workshops and garages. The driveway to the chateau is bordered with large trees. To the left of the main building, a small dwelling is set back from the master residence. In front of the latter, a basin with a fountain stretches along an alley for about 200 m, which leads to the main entrance gate to the south.
To the east of the chateau, a very old, circular moat separates the park with its large trees, some of which bear fruit, from the estate's meadows. A bridge crosses the eastern pastures up to the river that meanders through the estate from north to south.
The chateauThe main residence, with a plan in the form of a rectangle, faces north-south and sits slightly above the ground level. It has a hipped slate Mansard roof with four sloping sides, becoming steeper halfway down, with a decreased curve towards the gutter. The south-facing facade is entirely dressed limestone - known as "coquillère" (shellstone), typical of the mid-Atlantic region - and has French windows with small panes. The frontage is punctuated by a triangular pediment in the centre, itself framed by dormers with carved wings. Between the pilasters, two French windows open onto the first floor balcony. On the ground floor, the two main entrances of the facade are separated by a concave niche. The other three sides of the building only show the window frames, the coursed rubble masonry walls being rendered in the traditional way.
The ground floor
The main entrance, with its bright white stone floor, serves the rooms on this level. At the back lies the stone staircase with its wrought iron banister. On either side of the doors, the surrounds and panels are delicately painted. To the right, the large sitting room, with its elegantly veined white marble fireplace and overmantel mirror, also has a door on the east side. The ceiling is moulded and the rose, lying proud and immobile like a stalactite, awaits its chandelier. To the left, a door opens onto a living room entirely adorned with 18th century geometric oak panelling, featuring cupboards on the north side and a French window facing south. Through a corridor, a second opening provides access to a toilet and the kitchen. The carved inset Charente style fireplace also dates from the 18th century. Further on, a small drawing room forms the south-west corner, with a door opening into the kitchen. The latter offers an exit on the west side. It has a Terracotta tiled floor and an inset fireplace. The wooden frames and floors appear to be in very good condition. Access to the staircase is via the kitchen corridor or the main entrance hallway.
The first floor
The stone staircase with its ornate wrought iron banister leads to a landing serving five bedrooms in a row, one of which has an alcove, as well as a shower ...
