A Belle Époque Arcachon villa and a 13th-century chapel with their vast outbuildings:
two centuries meeting on a 9-hectare site in the Landes region
two centuries meeting on a 9-hectare site in the Landes region
Saint-Gein,
LANDES
aquitaine
40190
FR
Location
In south-west France, 20 minutes from Mont-de-Marsan and just a few kilometres from a market town with shops and schools, the property is set in a moorland landscape with the snow-capped peaks of the Pyrenees as a backdrop. Punctuated by famous medieval fortified towns and remarkable nature reserves, the Landes d'Armagnac combine forests and farmland. Situated off a major tourist route, 1 hr 30 mins from the ski resorts, 1 hr 15 mins from the ocean, and less than 60 km from the town of Pau and its airport, the villa and its outbuildings are ideally located. The climate is mild, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The reputation of the local gastronomy is well established.
Description
The property is situated on the edge of the village, in parklands enclosed by low walls and dotted with a few trees. It comprises a number of buildings, including two main edifices: In the centre of the parklands, a Belle Époque residence, surrounded by a formerly gravelled esplanade, faces a high wrought iron entrance gate. 50 m to the south of the main residence, there is a 13th century chapel.
There are also two distinct clusters of buildings, made up of numerous outhouses that formerly served agricultural purposes.
The first, to the north, is long and comprises a flat, an orangery, a winery, a dovecote and garages, accessed via a second entrance to the street and its service gate. Around thirty metres further on, the second building, the so-called "small farm", forms a double U shape. Finally, two other modest constructions are set between the main building and its annexes.
The grounds of 9 hectares, in a single lot, are bounded to the south by a local road that forms an angle with a street running northwards along the property and through the village. Meadows and old, untamed woodlands complete the green expanse.
There are also two distinct clusters of buildings, made up of numerous outhouses that formerly served agricultural purposes.
The first, to the north, is long and comprises a flat, an orangery, a winery, a dovecote and garages, accessed via a second entrance to the street and its service gate. Around thirty metres further on, the second building, the so-called "small farm", forms a double U shape. Finally, two other modest constructions are set between the main building and its annexes.
The grounds of 9 hectares, in a single lot, are bounded to the south by a local road that forms an angle with a street running northwards along the property and through the village. Meadows and old, untamed woodlands complete the green expanse.
The villa
Built in 1910 in the style of the seaside residences in vogue at the time in the "Ville d'Hiver" district of Arcachon, the "Villa des Fleurs" is a four-storey house with a raised ground floor and a gable roof of interlocking tiles with broached eaves and front overhang. It features various elements typical of this style, including tall chimney stacks, fine finials and a two-storey loggia with wooden balconies set against the main facade. Built according to a layout where the two main sections stand at right-angles to each other, the villa's facades display a large number of straight or arched windows, with alternating brick and dressed stone surrounds echoing the corner quoins. Delicate friezes of red and white brick adorn the windowsills and highlight the top of the second floor.
The ground floor
A few steps separate the esplanade, once gravelled and now grassed over, from the cement-tiled loggia sheltering the main entrance to the residence. The double-glazed door, with custom-made ironwork bearing the initials of the family who built the house, reveals a cosy Belle Époque decor frozen in time. A spacious hall is illuminated by the living room's small-paned double French windows and the tall windows of the impressive half-landing of the staircase. The double quarter-turn wooden staircase is flanked by a wooden wardrobe with finely carved banisters. The elegant and refined reception room features a fireplace with a marble surround topped by an overmantel mirror. It is bathed in light from a pair of French windows opening onto the loggia. Following on from here are a dining room, also with a fireplace, and a comfortable study with its own entrance from the loggia. The walls and ceilings of all the living rooms are richly decorated with painted imitation wood mouldings. The period wallpaper still reveals a refined decor with Art Nouveau motifs. The floors are of narrow strip hardwood.
The second part of the house, formerly used by the servants, can be accessed via a back door at the end of the ground floor hall. It leads to a servants' staircase, a kitchen and scullery, and a vast country-style dining room with a large fireplace. A door to the north provides direct access to the garden next to the outbuildings. The floor is completed by two consecutive rooms accessed via a discreet service door at the rear of the building.
The first floor
Served by the double flight of wide wooden steps of the impressive staircase, a corridor running from one end of the floor to the other leads to the south-facing loggia and four bedrooms, each featuring a fireplace with a carved marble surround. Two of the bedrooms have each their own private bathroom and lavatory, with claw-foot bathtubs, original taps and earthenware basins that have come back into fashion today. Above the study, a bedroom opens onto the loggia. The last of these four bedrooms, spacious and lit by two windows, connects via a discreet door with the staff quarters. Finally, two smaller bedrooms, a lavatory, a closet and a small maid's room complete the floor. The entire level has solid oak flooring.
The attic
With an exceptional ceiling height, once reserved for the household staff, this level provides an additional living space above the other two storeys. Accessed via the back staircase, the floor is lit by roof windows and dormers. Two connecting rooms of almost 90 m² provide unrestricted space in the centre of the building. There are also four bedrooms with sloping ceilings, each with a view over the parklands through tall, narrow windows. Two storage spaces nestling under the lowest parts of the roofs have been created to optimise the available space.
The basement
The semi-underground level of the building takes up a large part of the floor area. With its conveniently high ceilings, it houses a number of technical areas, including the old boiler, which now needs replacing, and other storage areas. A wine cellar would fit in perfectly down here.
The chapel
The former chapel of Notre-Dame is the second church in the village and has been secularised since the French Revolution. Built in the 13th century and later used as a wine storehouse, the long edifice is now under threat, although its roof has since been patched up. Characteristic of the ogival style, it features high, slender vaults supported by half-columns embedded in the walls.
The chapel has one single aisle. Separated from the rest of the nave by a triumphal arch, the sanctuary has a back with canted sides and is crowned by a plastered brick vault supported by seven pointed arches. A figurative ornament decorates the central keystone. The stone ribs with their prismatic mouldings are of great finesse. The choir is lit by three tall, narrow windows. The one in the centre is the widest, with geminated lancets. Three other high windows provide the essential light for the building. Finally, a small staircase leads to an old oak gallery set between the two walls.
There is also a single-storey stone outbuilding abutting the south side of the chapel.
The "small farm"
The main section of the farm buildings, once dedicated to the farming activities on the estate, comprises a central body flanked by two wings set at right angles to each other, forming two U-shapes. The various parts are arranged around small courtyards, one of which is protected by awnings on the facades that surround it. These areas include a two-storey dwelling formerly used by farm workers, a barn with a tobacco drying shed under the roof, as well as aviaries, a henhouse and other stables. A separate building, open on one side, completes the complex. The many aligned arched, windows are enhanced by brick surrounds reminiscent of the corner quoins of the villa. Although time has left its mark on these buildings now needing some renovation work, particularly the roofs, they appear to be relatively sound from a structural point of view.
The outbuildings: a flat, an orangery, a garage, a winery
Mainly elongated and rectangular in shape, they form several attached buildings. With one or two storeys and gable or hip roofs, the various outbuildings are rather disparate in appearance. However, the white rendering, brick surrounds and burgundy colour of the shutters and wooden gates help to harmonise the ensemble. The detached wing formed by these buildings extends from the secondary entrance of the property to the north to the garden that separates it from the small farm to the south. A gravel driveway runs alongside and serves the various entrances of the complex, which includes a winery with a striking roof structure, a gateway topped by a dovecote, a caretaker's flat, garages and an orangery with arched windows opening onto the garden.
Our opinion
The contrast between the different architectural eras that define the property's two main buildings is striking. Between the small 13th-century Gothic chapel and the early 20th-century villa, both of which have remained virtually in their original state, the stylistic spectrum, which also includes numerous outbuildings, is vast and varied. Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of the estate will find the property to be a sort of playground, in which seven centuries of history are illustrated by a variety of buildings in happy and surprising combinations. The many facets of the estate will live up to even the most ambitious plans and are just waiting for a renewed sense of purpose and some renovation work to bring them to the fore. The property already boasts undeniable architectural treasures and is ideally located to suit a wide range of professional activities.
Reference 327328
| Land registry surface area | 9 ha 1 a 93 ca |
| Main building surface area | 550 m2 |
| Number of bedrooms | 10 |
| Outbuilding surface area | 800 m2 |
| including refurbished area | 80 m2 |
Share
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.
