A 16th-century manor house surrounded by moats,
and its 22-hectare estate, in the Berry countryside
and its 22-hectare estate, in the Berry countryside
Argenton-sur-Creuse,
INDRE
center-val-de-loire
36200
FR
Location
This property is located in a rural setting far from any hustle and bustle, thirty minutes by car from Argenton-sur-Creuse in the south of the Indre area, in the Centre-Val de Loire region. The village is situated on the edge of the Brenne regional natural park and is surrounded by lakes, meadows and woods. Essential everyday shops can be found in a neighbouring village, while the town of Le Blanc around 30 minutes away possesses all other necessary services. Further north, Chateauroux, which is the local administrative hub, can be reached in a little more than one hour. Trains from its station take 2 hours 20 minutes to reach Paris.
Description
From a small country road, a private drive leads to the property, which stands away from any neighbours in the vicinity. The residence gradually looms into view in the midst of meadows and old trees, including a hundred-year-old cedar. The two-storey, 16th-century manor house topped by an attic level is made of rendered stone, with quoins plus window and door surrounds made of barite stone quarried locally. The edifice is flanked by two towers and is topped by a steeply sloped roof made of flat tiles on the main section and slate for the hipped roof of the square tower. The other two-level, circular tower is topped by a conical slate roof. Many of the windows and doors are fitted with painted hinged shutters. To the south as well as the west of the manor, four outbuildings with simple volumes and gabled roofs made of tiles are a reminder of the estate’s former farming activity. Two of them have been transformed into a house and a holiday cottage, while the two others are used for storage or as a workshop. All the manor’s buildings are surrounded by moats, some of which are still filled with water. The estate spreads out over approximately 22 uninterrupted hectares, mainly made up of meadows, an almost 6-hectare wood and a pond.
The manor
The ground floor
An entrance via the tower leads to a lounge, dining room and a utility room. The dining room in turn leads into a games room, while the lounge leads to a kitchen dominated by a monumental stone fireplace. The two reception rooms boast English bond parquet flooring, wainscotting and marble fireplaces beneath a French-style beamed ceiling. The games room is paved with terracotta tiles and slate taco tiling, while there are exposed beams on the ceiling. All the rooms on the ground floor boast French windows that open onto the manor’s various patios. The circular tower houses a wooden spiral staircase.
The first floor
The landing, followed by a hallway, leads to five bedrooms, one of which is in the north tower, as well as two shower rooms with walk-in showers and lavatories. All the bedrooms boast wood stripped flooring, French-style beamed ceilings and marble fireplaces standing against their walls. The ceiling height is in the region of 3.70 metres throughout this level.
The second floor
A landing leads to a vast dormitory with exposed beams. It is followed by a bedroom bathed in light with a view over the grounds, next to a shower room.
The basement
Beneath the manor, the premises are vaulted and could be ideal for storage space or use as a wine cellar.
The outbuildings
The cowshed
In addition to buildings previously used for livestock, there is a garage and two woodstores.
Le gîte
The cottage
It is located opposite the cowshed and possesses parking space for vehicles. The cottage includes a lounge, shower room, kitchen, separate lavatory and two bedrooms. Next to it, an open-sided barn is topped by a roof made of locally produced tiles.
The stable
It is situated on the other side of the water-filled moats. This building includes a room referred to as ‘the bakery’, with two working bread ovens, a storeroom, a workshop and stables including two boxes and two stalls. A covered area with a wooden roof frame extends from the edifice.
The caretaker’s house
This longhouse is located opposite the stables. On the ground floor, there is a living room with kitchen and lounge areas, next to a bedroom and a shower room. On the second floor, there is a dormitory, two further bedrooms and a second shower room. A covered area next to the building looks out onto a meadow.
The estate
Vast meadows set out around the buildings form the majority of the landscape and offer wide-ranging views of the surrounding countryside. The wood, situated opposite the residence, can be reached via a bridle path. A large, around 6,680-m² pond stretches out at its edge. Lastly, a tennis court has been installed in the main meadow belonging to the property.
Our opinion
This authentic, 16th-century, stately manor surrounded by outbuildings and an approximately 22-hectare estate, is situated at the gateway to the Brenne regional natural park and a short distance from Chateauroux. Thanks to its two imposing towers, the residence boasts charm and character. The interiors require redecoration but have retained many remarkable architectural features, in addition to the ample volumes bathed in light. On the whole, the edifice has been carefully maintained and the estate is of substantial size, made up of peaceful meadows, woodland and a pond. A tourist accommodation project would be ideally suited to this area, whose qualities still remain to be discovered.
Exclusive sale
880 000 €
Including negotiation fees
830 189 € Excluding negotiation fees
6%
incl. VAT to be paid by the buyer
Reference 994876
| Land registry surface area | 21 ha 96 a 88 ca |
| Main building floor area | 600 m² |
| Number of bedrooms | 5 |
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.
