An original hillside house from the late 19th century,
looking down at a river in France’s Creuse department
Crozant, CREUSE limousin 23160 FR

Location

The village lies in the north of France’s Creuse department, beside the border with the country’s Indre department. This charming village offers a few amenities for everyday needs. The nearest town is Éguzon-Chantôme, which is 11 kilometres away. From a train station in Argenton-sur-Creuse, 30 minutes away, you can get to Paris and Toulouse by rail. The French capital is 3 hours and 30 minutes away by car. And the cities of Clermont-Ferrand and Limoges are 2 hours and 1 hour away respectively.

Description

The house lies at the edge of the village. It is surrounded by its garden, which is mostly wooded and slopes down to the river. The dwelling forms a unique viewpoint that looks out over the River Creuse valley and at the ruins of Crozant castle. It was built at the end of the 19th century, beside the country lane that leads down from the village. The building was designed in a long, tall shape that follows the hillside.

The house

The house has two basement levels, which include cellars, workshops, a boiler room and a garage. It has two floors for everyday life. These two floors include five bedrooms. Lastly, it has a top floor that is currently used as storage space but could be converted. Several raised wooden walkways run along three sides of the building. They include a hanging corridor, a conservatory and terraces.


The ground floor
From the entrance hall, a timber staircase leads upstairs and down to the lower floors. A dining room lies on one side of the hallway. Its ceiling is decorated and a tall fireplace made of wood stands beneath a trumeau panel that features a painting. A broad glazed door leads straight out onto a balcony terrace that faces east and looks out over the valley. Next, there is a first bedroom and an old lavatory. On the other side of the hallway, there is a kitchen with a door that leads outside. The room takes you to an extensive lounge with a dining area. The lounge connects to a long conservatory, which extends the dining room’s balcony terrace and similarly faces east. The lounge features a magnificent fireplace that is finely crafted. French windows lead out onto a terrace at one end of the house and take you to the garden, which looks out at the ruins of Crozant castle.

The first floor
The first floor has four bedrooms. Their windows look out at the valley. Each bedroom has wood strip flooring. Most of them have kept their old fireplaces. This level is completed with two shower rooms, one bathroom and a separate lavatory. The rooms are linked together by a hanging wooden walkway that runs along the western elevation.

The second floor
A small quarter-turn staircase leads up to the second floor. Up here, there are three rooms that have not been converted. They are currently used as storerooms. One of these rooms was originally an artist’s studio. It offers a spectacular view of the valley, the meanders of the River Creuse, the castle ruins and, straight ahead, the wooded hills of France’s Indre department.

The garden

The long garden is mostly wooded. It slopes down to the river, which serves as a border between France’s Creuse and Indre departments. A country road runs alongside the river. From the parking area, there are several ways into the garden. And there are two wooden gates. Storerooms have been made beneath the village road.

Our opinion

This property is a rare gem: an unrivalled viewpoint with a 19th-century spirit, perched upon a spectacular valley where the famous painter Claude Monet set up his easel. This delightful hillside home, adorned with an abundance of wisteria, looks down at a majestic river that snakes through undulating landscape. The dwelling has kept the elegance and charm of a simple holiday home, which it was originally built as. Occupants here have successively strived to preserve the memory of this haven’s designer, whose artist’s soul can still be appreciated in the layout and shape of this unique edifice. The property requires some renovation and needs to comply with certain norms. But once that work is done, this splendid balcony upon the River Creuse valley would be an ideal second home for a family, a perfect gite or an idyllic refuge for an artist in search of inspiration from nature.

Exclusive sale

330 000 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 168995

Land registry surface area 6366 m2
Main building surface area 243.63 m2
Number of bedrooms 5


Aucune procédure en cours menée sur le fondement des articles 29-1 A et 29-1 de la loi n°65-557 du 10 juillet 1965 et de l’article L.615-6 du CCH

French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant

Guy de Montgailhard +33 1 42 84 80 85

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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.