Property with Park, Lake & Woodlandclose to Lectoure
Tranquil Haven of Four Hectares
This lovely Gascon maison de maître is a typical of the style of property so often sought after by buyers and yet increasingly hard to find so close to Lectoure and is set a small haven of tranquillity. This is more than just a house. It is a private world; a ‘domaine.’ Or as the current owners have always referred to it: ‘un petit paradis.’
The property is surrounded by its own land and gardens to each side, and with neighbours far from view, this heightens the sensation of being harboured in ‘another world.’ Whole days can pass by without the sound of another car and only the sound of birds and frogs in the pond at the bottom of the park. We found on visiting the property that it’s very easy to want to stay all day! Indeed, to visit you will need a long afternoon to explore the gardens and woodland to the full!
All measurements are approximate
- Lectoure
The house is accessed down a long private track and is set in over four hectares of grounds, comprising a lovely walled rose-garden, a park with hundreds of different shrubs and trees carefully planted over the last thirty years by the currents owners’ son (a Forestier) a small lake with a natural spring and a separate plot of woodland. The house is flanked by an ancient stone pine which has sat beside the property for at least a hundred years and towers majestically above the gardens. The walled rose garden is lined with nut, almond trees, fig cherry and peach trees to name just a few. A clever watering system which pumps directly from the water source ensures that the garden remains fresh and in flower even during the hottest months.
The entrance hall is a typical long 29m² Gascon corridor, which runs from front to back door. These spacious corridors were used to house the long tables where the farm workers would share their harvest meals and celebrations. The property has a second corridor which bisects the house in the opposite direction, adding charm and light to the typical Gascon home.
The layout to the property is pleasing with the main rooms set out to each side of the main corridor, comprising: three bedrooms and a bathroom.
The two separate hallways give the property a spacious and light feel.
The kitchen is cosily equipped with a wood burning range for cooking, and opens out onto a covered terrace for outdoor eating, with fireplace.
The sitting room has a fireplace with a hand-crafted wood-burner and a doorway to the rear gardens.
Each bedroom is equipped with an impressive wood-burner, as the property does not have full central heating. Logs for the fire are sourced from the property’s own woodland.
Some buyers will find scope to modernise the property, and yet in comparison to other properties which are sold as ‘renovation projects’ it should be noted that this property is clean and homely, and cosy and although without any modern conveniences has been decorated throughout with good taste and style. Although it would clearly benefit from double-glazed windows and full central heating, the current decoration by an artist and a sculptor, is in perfect keeping with the style of the property.
The walls are lime-washed with terracotta, lending a faintly Italian air to the property. The doors are painted in a pleasing contemporary blue or green. There is nothing to prevent a buyer moving into this property immediately and changing things little by little over the years, as compared to some old Gascon farmhouses which feel unfriendly or are plain uninhabitable. The bathroom is fully fitted with a bath and shower. The house has a cost-effective hot water system with solar panels, enabling free hot water for the current owner in the summer months.
The main rooms offer approximately 206m² living accommodation on the ground floor, as well as an adjacent terrace area of approximately 62m².
The upstairs to the property has not been renovated. Here there is a large loft space with stone windows all around. It is possible to envisage the creation of further bedrooms here (subject to checking load bearing weight).
Outside, there is a handy workshop tucked behind the covered barn terrace and a greenhouse for potting up those veggies.
To whom may this property appeal?
This is a property for lovers of nature, wildlife and gardening. The current owner maintains the land and woods himself with a tractor.
For lovers of trees, a special plot of land between the house and the woodland is of note, as it has been planted up with dozens of ornamental trees.
The views from the property are stunning, as the private parkland sweeps down to meet local farming field, and woodland.
Here at Bliss
Here at Bliss we particularly loved the faintly Italian air exuded by the property as we sat in the rose gardens and enjoyed a cup of tea, contemplating the beautiful stone pine.
Of note – there isn’t a building on the horizon to spoil the view!
More images…
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