Maison de Maître on parkland

close to Castéra-Verduzan

The owners bought the house because they: “liked the tranquility of the property, the size and layout of the house” and many years later, still feel blessed to have “such friendly neighbours in the village, at a discreet distance away.”

The rooftop is adorned with two red oriental dragons perched on each end of the rooftop and protect the property with their auspicious energy. The handmade dragons are a testament to the lifetime of travel and adventure the owners have lead. They work well, cast from the same red brick as the roof tiles, discreet yet exciting for lovers of Daenerys Targaryen or Game of Thrones!

Besides this one magical note, the property is a traditional Gascon maison de maître, set in mature parkland and woodland, with lawns sweeping down to a small river which flows through the woodland. The gardens are mature and have been planted for year-round vibrancy and interest.

The gardens offer scope for adventure for both children and animals. The owner tells us how their Maine Coon cat “Minty” loved the gardens and would take a running jump onto a floating log, and sail across the river with all the confidence of Indiana Jones. There is certainly place in which to “play” whether one has four legs, or two, and is a nice mixture of the “formal” and the “wild.”

The property has been restored over the years and offers a blank canvas. A spacious family home, ideal as a main residence, or perhaps with a separate chambre d’hôte activity in the downstairs ensuite bedroom.

Although this is a period property, the ambiance here is both modern and practical.

The new home owners can move in immediately, and bring their own taste to bear, if they wish to, on what is a neutral and blank canvas. The kitchen, laundry room and bathrooms have all been refitted relatively recently.

We enter the property into a spacious hallway which gives way to a large double-aspect room on the right-hand side, currently used as a bureau and a library. This room might also work as a downstairs bedroom.

To the left of the hallway is the dining room, which is spacious enough for large formal dinner parties.

At the end of the hallway there is a convenient “private appartment” for family and friends, with a separate downstairs bedroom, a private shower-room and cloakroom.

The salon sits at the heart of the property and is a large vaulted room with sliding glass doors which open up onto a covered terrace overlooking the pool.

The salon is a fine winter room, benefitting from an excellent wood burning stove to chase away the chill.

In the summertime with the sliding doors open wide, the large shaded terrace lets in the breeze and protects the room from direct sunlight, allowing it to stay cool.

The fully fitted kitchen is well appointed with an electric BBQ, and space for a breakfast table. The kitchen is a double aspect room, and opens on to both the salon and dining-room.

The property is designed to be practical, and there is extra space beyond the kitchen in a vast rear kitchen and utility room, a cellar and a large garage/workshop, where the current owner keeps his tractor and has made his workshop.

A wooden staircase leads to the first floor and three large sunny bedrooms overlooking the gardens.

The spacious landing area offers ample room for storage, and overlooks the salon through glass panels inserted between the landing floor and the roof beams, which bring in more natural light.