An 18th-century chateau with a panoramic sea view, just
15 minutes from the seaside resort of Pléneuf-Val-André
Pléneuf-Val-André, COTES-D'ARMOR brittany 22370 FR

Location

This chateau lies in the heart of the Saint-Brieuc Bay nature reserve in Brittany, where it looks out at the sea, offering a clear view of beautiful scenery that changes colour with the passing of the seasons. The GR 34 hiking trail is just a stone’s throw from the property. And beaches can be easily reached in only five minutes by car or 10 minutes by bicycle. These fine beaches draw both swimmers and water-sports enthusiasts. The road that leads to the property runs through a calm village and heads to the nearby sea. Essential shops and amenities are less than 10 minutes away by car. The nearest high-speed train station is under 20 minutes from the property and Rennes international airport is a little over an hour away.

Description

Once you have left the nearby village and gone beyond fields, groves, meadows and a handful of properties, you reach signposts that direct you to two beaches near the chateau. A lane runs through a wood of various species of trees. On the left, a meadow partly hidden by the foliage offers a view of the sea in the background.

An entrance in a stone wall leads into the property and reveals a majestic chateau. The edifice faces south. It was built in the late 18th century but construction of it was interrupted by the French Revolution. It is remarkably tall. Four bays punctuate its ground floor and first floor. The chateau was originally supposed to be much bigger: the three bays left of the entrance door were first designed as a west wing and three other bays were planned for the other side to create a symmetrical facade centred on a central bay. That is why the edifice now has an unusual appearance with a facade of exposed stonework and asymmetrical slate roofing. On the right-hand side, at a slightly lower level, there is an old caretaker’s house, hidden behind a hedge. It was recently restored. Behind it, a long outbuilding includes a former stable, a barn and a small dwelling. The two structures have the same stonework as the main house, but have roofing of flat tiles, in line with a hierarchical organisation of the materials used for the property. The quoins and window and door surrounds are made of dressed stone.

The whole property enjoys a sweeping view of the English Channel. This spectacular vista is unrivalled.

The chateau

The section originally intended as the west wing is capped with a hipped roof at one end, from which two long roof slopes extend. A remarkable bell-shaped roof crowns the section originally intended as the central bay. Gentler slopes flare out at the bottom of all these roofs. Triangular and arched pediments stand out along the top of the facade. There is a bull’s-eye window in each one. The alternating triangular and curved forms of these pediments draw your gaze and contrast surprisingly with the symmetry of the rectangular cross windows below them. Tall chimney stacks and finials crown these classical roofs that combine zinc with metamorphic rock. Granite, rubble stone and elegant dressed stone reflect the typically Breton character of this charming chateau. Seven large cross windows with surrounds of dressed stone flood the interior with natural light. A flight of front steps leads up to the wooden entrance door, which stands beneath a triangular pediment. On the building's west elevation, two balconies look out at the sea and open countryside.


The ground floor
The entrance, a double door of finely carved wood beneath a glazed fanlight protected by a wrought-iron grate, leads into a grand hallway with a ceiling height of around four metres and a floor of terracotta tiles. From here, a monumental stone staircase winds upwards in a single flight of two quarter turns. It is embellished with square pear balusters. The original doors are made of wood. On the left, there is a bright, spacious, comfortable lounge adorned with a fireplace beneath a wooden trumeau panel that echoes the room’s wood strip flooring and exposed timber beams. Each detail has been meticulously restored, including the fine window frames and cast-iron radiators with floral motifs. Beyond the lounge, there is a kitchen with a floor of terracotta tiles that also features a wooden fireplace. It leads out to a west-facing balcony with a sea view. A small scullery, subtly hidden, completes the kitchen. On the north side, a wrought-iron staircase spirals down to the garden and a greenhouse.

The first floor
The monumental stairs lead up to a vast landing, the walls of which are lined with extensive bookshelves. A wooden door opens into a private lounge with the same characteristics as the lounge on the ground floor – aside from a little door in one of the room's corners that gives access to the second floor via a stairway tower built into the structure. Next to it there is a bedroom, the floor of which is alternately laid with parquet and terracotta tiles. It features a fireplace of finely carved stone, set in white wooden panelling in a plainer style. The bedroom offers a small balcony with a sea view. An adjoining shower room with a lavatory connects to another bedroom, which is a little cosier and has walls of exposed stonework. Herringbone parquet adorns the floors on this level.

The second floor
The stairway tower, built into the carcass and going up to the second floor, is flanked half-way up by a bathroom, with a toilet. It leads to a night-time landing that provides access to four rooms, awaiting completion of their renovation. The two rooms on the sea side have unobstructed views over the bay, through hanging dormer windows, topped with arched pediments.
The garden level
The garden level can be reached via a spiral, granite stairway which is hidden behind the monumental stairway in the entrance hall. An intermediate landing houses a toilet. It goes down to a vast basement which houses utility rooms such as a boiler room, a linen room, a workshop and lastly a cellar with a packed mud floor. Several doors provide access to the garden. The floors are covered with floorings suited to each room and its function. A large, granite fireplace, featuring an old bread oven, takes pride of place in the main room, currently in use as a linen room.

The caretaker’s house

This house also faces south. It stands in line with the chateau. It is built of brick and granite with a winter garden of metal. Two dormers stand on the roof’s south-facing slope and another one stands on its north-facing slope. Inside, the walls are lime-coated but leave the original stonework exposed slightly.


The ground floor
Once you have gone through the dwelling’s entirely glazed winter garden, an entrance door takes you to a lounge with a stove, an open-plan kitchen with a little fireplace, and a shower room with a lavatory. This whole interior is well laid out.

The upstairs
Upstairs, two bedrooms with exposed beams and wood strip flooring complete this self-contained house.

The long outbuilding

This long outbuilding includes two storerooms, a former stable and a small holiday dwelling. The latter has a kitchen, a lounge, a shower room with a lavatory, and a bedroom on a mezzanine floor.

The parklands

The vast grounds are divided into a walled garden, a meadow and a wood. A wrought-iron gate leads into the walled garden, which is dotted with fruit trees and includes a vegetable patch. The extensive meadow could be used for sheep or horses to graze in it. The small wood, a tall wall and the long outbuilding protect the property from any unwanted noise from the road that runs alongside the grounds.

Our opinion

The sea view is this property’s key asset. The horizon changes every hour of every day. The first-class interior restoration works are a subtle blend of the old and the new. The authentic atmosphere combines elegance and power. The potential still waiting to be exploited on the second floor is rare because of its view of the sea, stretching into the distance, like a lighthouse facing the ocean.

1 942 500 €
Fees at the Vendor’s expense


See the fee rates

Reference 262193

Land registry surface area 2 ha 17 a 93 ca
Main building surface area 320 m2
Number of bedrooms 4
Outbuilding surface area 240 m2

French Energy Performance Diagnosis

Consultant

Emmanuel Orjebin +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.

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