A fully renovated manor with a heated swimming pool
and garden, 2.5 hours from Paris, near Valençay
and garden, 2.5 hours from Paris, near Valençay
Bouges-le-Château,
INDRE
center-val-de-loire
36110
FR
Location
In the Indre department and the greater Centre-Val-de-Loire region, the property is located along the main route leading towards the various chateaus scattered throughout the Berry countryside, not far from the city of Valençay, while, protected from wind by the adjacent woods, the estate is firmly anchored to this rolling countryside, dotted with small farms with flat tile roofs. As for the Vierzon train station, with direct trains to Paris, it is 35 minutes away, whereas essential shops for daily life are only a couple of minutes away by automobile.
Description
A poplar-lined drive leads to the manor, which is, in turn, surrounded by fields and woods, while, dating from the 16th century, it features a silhouette typical of dwellings in the Berry region. With three floors under a tall flat tile roof, on one side, a square tower with a hipped roof was recently added and designed to blend in seamlessly with the rest of the dwelling, whereas, on the opposite corner, a round tower with a pepperpot roof dates back to the manor’s construction.
As for the conservatory, it connects the main dwelling with a lower perpendicular wing, while the dwelling’s main façade, overlooking the courtyard, is cadenced by a number of small-paned windows. With a five-sided bay window preceding the central front door, the dwelling, currently operated as a bed-and-breakfast, has been meticulously renovated, whereas the nearby swimming pool comes with a pool house, featuring a kitchen and living room, as well as a summer dining room. Lastly, the grounds, of approximately 1.3 hectares, provide stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
As for the conservatory, it connects the main dwelling with a lower perpendicular wing, while the dwelling’s main façade, overlooking the courtyard, is cadenced by a number of small-paned windows. With a five-sided bay window preceding the central front door, the dwelling, currently operated as a bed-and-breakfast, has been meticulously renovated, whereas the nearby swimming pool comes with a pool house, featuring a kitchen and living room, as well as a summer dining room. Lastly, the grounds, of approximately 1.3 hectares, provide stunning views of the surrounding countryside.
The Manor House
The ground floor
Accessible via the central front door, which is preceded by a five-sided bay window, a hallway provides direct access to the perpendicular wing, while the rest of this floor includes a cellar, reserves and a utility room. As for the square tower, it contains a bedroom, with travertine floors and visible ceiling beams, which communicates directly with the courtyard as well as a shower room.
The first floor
From the entryway, a wooden staircase ascends to a landing that communicates with three guest bedrooms and their private bathrooms, as well as a suite featuring two connecting bedrooms.
The second floor
Accessible via the staircase, it includes an additional bedroom as well as a shower room in the round tower, while an insulated and convertible attic extends over the rest of this level.
The Perpendicular Wing
Designed to match the dwelling with its plaster-coated exteriors, stone quoins, flat tile gable roof and hipped dormers, this perpendicular wing, facing the courtyard, features two floors, one of which is under the eaves, as well as understated, large-paned windows.
The ground floor
On one side, a large dual-aspect drawing room opens directly on to the courtyard and garden, while, this room, with terracotta tile floors and visible ceiling beams, comes with a Charente stone fireplace, decorated with sculpted patterns and framed on either side by two solid wood bookshelves. From here, a step separates the drawing room from the contemporary kitchen, redone in 2024, with beige cupboards, a wide central island, white ceiling beams and a Godin wood-burning stove nestled within a stone fireplace.
The kitchen also provides access, via a door, to a hallway that communicates with the dwelling’s entryway, as well as the staircase to the guestrooms, while another door gives on to the conservatory, which links this wing to the main dwelling. Facing south and west, this room, with a terracotta tile floor and glass double doors providing direct access to a stone patio, is used as a dining room for guests and family members, whereas its low exterior walls are topped with small-paned windows, in the same style as the five-sided bay window entrance.
The upstairs
Between the kitchen and living room, a contemporary wood and metal staircase, leads to the floor under the eaves, while a landing with a wardrobe provides access to a study, a bathroom and a bedroom with whitewashed beams and painted floorboards.
The Swimming Pool
Preceded by an opus incertum stone patio, which skirts the dwelling’s exterior and provides access to a decorative arch as well as a stone staircase, the 6 x 12-metre swimming pool, sheltered from view by pruned hedges, is surrounded by an exposed aggregate concrete deck and comes with an electric cover.
The Pool House and Open-Air Covered Structure
Enclosed on all sides and punctuated with windows, the pool house is crowned with a flat tile gable roof and is used as a summer pavilion with a kitchen and a living room. With a lavatory in the back, a white lacquered wooden staircase provides access to the mezzanine, while, on one side, an open-air covered structure, with a flat tile roof and a flagstone floor, was built to resemble a traditional cart shed and includes a dining room table next to the swimming pool.
The Garden Pavilion and Garage
Set slightly apart, the pavilion, topped with a hipped roof and encased in glass windows in the style of a workshop, is used to store the garden’s tools and furniture, while, at one end of the drive, facing the gravel courtyard, a double, indoor garage is topped with a flat tile hipped roof and abuts a woodshed.
The Grounds
The property’s gate opens on to a drive, lined with black poplars, while, on one side, a large swath of lawn features a natural spring, a pond and a stream. On the other side, two donkeys graze peacefully in a field shaded by alders, whereas meticulously landscaped gardens can be found around the dwelling and swimming pool.
As for the different patches of lawn, they are skirted by cobblestone or flagstone paths, while low pruned hedges and beds of agapanthus, planted directly in the ground, define the garden’s various spaces. In addition, two hornbeam hedges frame either side of a grassy lane, which provides access to a gate, whereas the property, with approximately 1.3 hectares, enjoys enchanting views of the surrounding countryside.
Our opinion
After having some time spent living in the States, the property’s current owners carried out a meticulous renovation of this manor and its outbuildings, while some of the additions – the bay window, swimming pool and layout of the exterior spaces – are not only a subtle nod to their time spent on the American East Coast, but also blend in seamlessly with the property’s characteristic regional architecture.
As for the dwelling’s flat tile roofs, fireplaces, spacious dimensions and original materials, they provide plenty of authenticity for this meticulous composition, currently focussed on comfort and hospitality, whereas the carefully maintained grounds extend this feeling of balance and serenity throughout the entire property, currently operated as a bed-and-breakfast, but which could easily become a luxurious family dwelling facing the verdant countryside of the Berry region.
Reference 493606
| Land registry surface area | 1 ha 33 a 22 ca |
| Main building floor area | 360 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 8 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 60 m² |
French Energy Performance Diagnosis
Information on the risks to which this property is exposed is available on the website: www.georisques.gouv.fr
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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.
