A chateau from the 17th and 18th centuries,
listed as a regional Historical Monument, on 25-hectare grounds, near the town of Craon
listed as a regional Historical Monument, on 25-hectare grounds, near the town of Craon
Craon,
MAYENNE
pays-de-loire
53400
FR
Location
The property is located in the south of the Mayenne department and the middle of the greater Pays de la Loire region, a few kilometres from the historical towns of Craon, Château-Gontier and Vitré. Known for their rich heritage and dolce vita, these three cities also include all shops and services essential for daily life, while the surrounding countryside, with its rolling wooded landscape crisscrossed by small rivers, is renowned for both hunting and eco-tourism.
In addition, by car, Craon, Vitré and Château-Gontier are 15, 31 and 32 minutes away, respectively, whereas the high-speed rail station in Laval is 40 minutes away and Angers is just a little over an hour away. Lastly, the city of Nantes and its international airport can be reached in just over 1.5 hours.
Description
To the east, a lane provides access, from a B road, to the chateau’s courtyard, surrounded by many outbuildings as well as a small pond. Built around 1710 by one of the oldest families of Mayenne, the rectangular dwelling is built out of lime plaster-coated rubble stone and features four storeys, one of which is the basement level, while its top level is used as an attic.
As for the main façade, facing south, it features a classic exterior with tuffeau stone quoins, stringcourses and cornice, whereas the central forepart, slightly recessed, is topped with an impressive semi-circular pediment. To the north, a 17th-century building abuts the dwelling, while the chateau overlooks an enclosed square-shaped garden to the south, the view of which is extended by a tree-lined lane that provides access to a small gate and bridge.
In addition, to the west there is a vegetable garden as well as a bridal path, also listed as a regional Historical Monument, which is lined with multi-century oaks, whereas the outskirts of the dwelling and its outbuildings are entirely surrounded by trees and farmland, scattered here and there with hedgerows.
As for the main façade, facing south, it features a classic exterior with tuffeau stone quoins, stringcourses and cornice, whereas the central forepart, slightly recessed, is topped with an impressive semi-circular pediment. To the north, a 17th-century building abuts the dwelling, while the chateau overlooks an enclosed square-shaped garden to the south, the view of which is extended by a tree-lined lane that provides access to a small gate and bridge.
In addition, to the west there is a vegetable garden as well as a bridal path, also listed as a regional Historical Monument, which is lined with multi-century oaks, whereas the outskirts of the dwelling and its outbuildings are entirely surrounded by trees and farmland, scattered here and there with hedgerows.
The Chateau
The ground floor
An entrance hall, with a terracotta tile floor, provides access to the stairwell as well as the main living areas on this level. With floor-to-ceiling heights of nearly 4 metres throughout, on one side of the entrance hall is a series of rooms, including a dining room with plaster crown moulding, a sitting room topped with visible ceiling beams, as well as a consecrated chapel crowned with a coffered ceiling, which all feature wood panelled walls as well as square Versailles-style parquet floor panels and wooden or marble fireplaces.
As for the other side of the entrance hall, a room known as “the small sitting room” with a wooden fireplace, wainscoting and a straight-plank hardwood floor, stands next to an adjacent kitchen with a terracotta tile floor and a large fireplace with a granite lintel in which a modern cast-iron wood-burning stove was installed. In addition, most of these rooms face south and communicate, to the north, with smaller rooms located in the chateau’s 17th-century wing, which is also accessible from the entrance hall and stairwell. This wing includes a study and a library, both with fireplaces, a utility room as well as a wooden service staircase, while a lavatory was created in the stairwell.
The upstairs
The formal wooden staircase, safeguarded by a balustrade, opens on to a large landing, which communicates with five bedrooms with primarily straight-plank hardwood floors and non-working tuffeau stone or marble fireplaces: three large ones, two of which have an alcove, a smaller one with a terracotta tile floor and, lastly, the final bedroom, preceded by an antechamber and a study, which abuts a bathroom with a terracotta tile floor.
The attic
Extending lengthwise over the entire building and featuring a floor area of approximately 128 m², this level includes an immense attic with a terracotta tile floor.
The Caretaker's Cottage
Erected in the second half of the 20th century, it is topped with a slate mansard roof, while its ground floor includes a dining room with a marble fireplace, a kitchen, two bedrooms, a furnace room and two pantries. With tile floors throughout, except for the last three rooms, which feature cement flooring, three more bedrooms and a shower room can be found upstairs. Heated with fuel oil and with a floor area of approximately 160 m², this building is functional, but will require some renovations.
The Former Cowsheds
Built at the same time as the chateau, the rectangular edifice, 35 metres long, boasts a floor area of nearly 136 m². With lime-pointed rubble stone exteriors and cobblestone floors, it is crowned with a slate hipped roof and has been divided into three different sections, while, on one side, a weakened gable end will need to be restored.
The Riding School
Recently restored into an event venue, it was originally built in the 19th century out of wood and topped with a slate roof. With a total floor area of 247 m², it has a cement slab floor and is equipped with both electricity and running water.
The Stables
Constructed in the 19th century out of wood, brick and stone, the stables are topped with a slate roof and include four large metal loose boxes. With a beaten earth floor, this edifice boasts a floor area of approximately 76 m², while, in the back, a lean-to storage shed is topped with a corrugated metal roof.
The Dovecote
This building, constructed in the 1960s, contains an older bakehouse in its lower section and is crowned with a slate domed roof.
The Workshop
With a floor area of approximately 127 m², it is divided into two spaces and features a slate roof and both stone and corrugated metal walls.
The Agricultural Storage Building
Located on the northern end of the property, this new building, with a wooden structure, a concrete slab foundation and corrugated metal walls, measures 30 metres long and 20 metres wide. In addition, it houses the estate’s different machines and vehicles and features a floor area of nearly 600 m².
The Former Kennel
Constructed out of red brick and crowned with a slate roof, four doors provide access to a number of small pens, with an average floor area of 7 m², while, in the back, a lean-to woodshed is also topped with a slate roof.
The Former Pigsties
Built out of stone and topped with a slate roof, this edifice is preceded by a small courtyard, while three doors each provide access to an individual pen.
The Grounds
The chateau’s outskirts are divided into several different spaces: to the north and east are courtyards and a number of outbuildings, to the west, the orchard-vegetable garden is planted with many fruit trees, including medlars, apples and pears, while a small wooden structure was once used as the property’s outhouse. Past the latter, a path leads to the “green lane”, 400 metres long and 7 metres wide, listed as a regional Historical Monument and lined with breath-taking multi-century English oaks, whereas, to the south of the chateau, a square 19th-century garden with a well is surrounded by schist walls and shaded by a fig tree and a southern magnolia.
Continuing further south, a meadow features a central row of trees that extends all the way to a wrought-iron gate perched on a small bridge, while, here, the grounds are demarcated on three sides by a network of waterways, which form an H-shaped pattern. With the water for the estate’s moats supplied by a neighbouring stream, it should be noted that over the last few years several thousands trees and shrubs have been planted throughout the estate, helping to reforest the property to a great extent.
Our opinion
In the classical style characteristic of the end of Louis XIV’s reign, this breath-taking, but human-sized chateau, with its many outbuildings and wooded grounds, has preserved most of its essential decorative and architectural details, thereby earning its regional Historical Monument status in 1989.
As for the renovations started several years ago, they have succeeded in insulating the many buildings from both water and wind, while the chateau was also upgraded with modern standards of comfort. However, it should be noted that the renovations will need to be continued in order to completely restore this stately dwelling, nestled within the Mayenne department’s wooded countryside, to its former lustre.
Reference 584386
| Land registry surface area | 25 ha 7 a 50 ca |
| Main building floor area | 631 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 7 |
| Outbuildings floor area | 1375 m² |
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.
