on an 18-hectare wooded hillside dominating the Isle Valley on the outskirts of Périgueux
Location
In the midst of the Périgord region with its “1,001 castles”, just a stone’s throw from Périgueux, a town of art and history, renowned for its famous colourful, fragrant markets.
An ideal starting point when visiting the mecca of cultural and great outdoor tourism, and following a gastronomical tour of the land of good restaurants. Here, local products abound such as Périgueux’s famous pâté with truffles, farm chickens, chestnuts, wild mushrooms such as ceps, walnuts and strawberries, with flavours continuously renewed throughout the year, as well as apples, peaches and all the other fruits grown on the hillside.
Sarlat, Lascaux and Les-Eyzies are less than 80 km away; the area around Bergerac with its “bastides” or fortified towns is less than 50 km away; Brantôme, on the edge of the Périgord-Limousin National Regional Park, is 30 km away. Whether by train or via the A89 motorway, Bordeaux is but 1¼ hours away. Nearby, a market town set out around its impressive bell-tower, bearing witness to a rich past, has all shops and amenities.
Description
This castle was built in the 16th century on old wine storehouses and then raised a level in the 19th century so that staff could be accommodated on site. Now perfectly restored with great attention paid to its authenticity, flanked by its two impressive round towers, it exudes a proud bearing. By its sides, a house and a barn in need of restoration provide a surface area of approx. 300 m² to be developed. The buildings are bordered by a wide terrace, protected by stone baluster railings, which dominates a second terrace, taken up by a vegetable garden, and a secondary road leading to Périgueux, passing by on a lower level.
The castle
This castle is accessed via a double-sided, straight stairway, the steps of which form a porch at the top. The entrance door is flanked by two pilasters topped with capitals, engraved with 1550 and 1857, the castle’s two construction dates. Above, two balconies enhance the two floors of the main residence.
Apart from the second floor, converted in a more contemporary style but with the same level of home comfort as the rest, the interiors abound with period furniture and decor including tables, dressers, monumental fireplaces, French ceilings, herringbone pattern parquet flooring, panelling and old wallcoverings as well as mosaic floors.
The ground floor
The reception rooms are a masterpiece of refinement. They begin with a central vestibule, the floor of which is covered with mosaic tiles, adorned with geometric motifs. The walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling panelling. Two passageways covered with wooden panels open a long, transverse perspective, ending with two monumental fireplaces, a refined one in the lounge and a Renaissance style one, sculpted with capitals, motifs and coats-of-arms, in the dining room. The first room is a vast, bright lounge, with an outstanding French ceiling, the joists of which are covered with strips of highly wrought leather, representing fleur-de-lis. Carved cherubs are at the ends of each main beam. Panelling looks down on to herringbone parquet flooring. A passageway through a wooden, gothic archway leads to a small study in the tower and to the outside. The dining room captivates visitors courtesy of its floor-to-ceiling finishing touches. Even the cast iron radiator, hidden by a built-in cupboard, is decorated. The furniture has been beautifully selected and arranged.
A concealed door opens into a bedroom, the ceiling of which is composed of raised, square, white panels. Two windows with 18th century indoor shutters illuminate the room which includes a shower room in the tower.
The vestibule also provides access to the stairwell behind a semi-circular arched mirror door and a corridor, paved with terracotta tiles, that leads to the outside. The walls of the little lounge are made of lime-pointed dressed stone and quarry stone blocks; the floor is paved with stone and a wide fireplace takes pride of place. The fully fitted kitchen has a crossed ribbed ceiling and an outstanding packed mud floor, featuring motifs.
The first floor
This level, intended for sleeping purposes, has four bedrooms, three of which have bathrooms and toilets; the last has a shower room and toilet. There is also a billiards’ room as well as a dressing room, the walls of which are lined with painted panelling.
The floors are covered with wide strip, oak wood parquet flooring and all the indoor shutters date from the 18th century.
The second floor
This floor has been restored in a more contemporary style, with sprung parquet flooring as well as exposed stone and beams, and a great deal of attention was paid to the level of its home comforts. Although still in position, fireplaces have been concealed. Double glazing and an electric heating system have been installed.
The cellar
Previously used as a wine storehouse, the cellars can be reached via a vaulted passageway concealed under the porch.
The outbuildings
Two outbuildings stand near to the castle: a caretaker’s cottage undergoing restoration works and a barn awaiting renovation where it would be possible to add a floor.
Our opinion
This castle has been perfectly restored and is sold with all of its period furniture. This is a rare opportunity for those wishing to move straight in and take advantage of modern-day home comforts in an authentic setting, steeped in history. The secondary road below is quickly forgotten once across the threshold as the background noise disappears, giving way to a source of wonder at the rich interior decor. Everyday life resembles that of a large house courtesy of the harmonious sizes of the rooms, whilst the large bedroom on the ground floor, with its en-suite bathroom, could prove extremely useful. The 5 horse loose boxes and the trails through the woods will delight horse-riders and golfers will have but a 10-minute journey before taking up their clubs.
Reference 514519
Land registry surface area | 18 ha 33 a 48 ca |
Main building surface area | 766.0 m2 |
Number of bedrooms | 6 |
Outbuilding surface area | 240 m2 |
including refurbished area | 150 m2 |
NB: The above information is not only the result of our visit to the property; it is also based on information provided by the current owner. It is by no means comprehensive or strictly accurate especially where surface areas and construction dates are concerned. We cannot, therefore, be held liable for any misrepresentation.