LOCATION (ASTLES lN THE SOUTH-WEST

L r e a •olrIf youve long-held a dream of being king of your very own castle, France could be theperfect place to begin searching for your dream château, says Peter Elias

One of the great things about property inFrance is that, generally speaking, youcan potentially afford something you

could only dream of in the UK, whether that bea maison de maître, a maison de vigneron, amanoir or a full-on château.

If you are looking for a really historieproperty at a reasonable priee, Château de laCressonnière is a luxurious 14th-century castlenestling in the heart of rural Vendée. It isevocative of a bygone era and provides theideal opportunity to escape the rat race butwithout forsaking any of the modernconveniences we have all come to regardas necessary.

While the history of la Cressonnière can betraced back to 1360, the first castle on the sitewas probably erected at the end of the 14thcentury by the Cresson family. The site lentitself to the construction of such an edifiee dueto its proximity to the old routes linking northto south, and east to west, as well as theplentiful source of clean water. Much of the

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château's current size, layout and architecturalstructure can be attributed to René Bastard dela Cressonnière.

The château building was originally startedin the 14th century and then substantiallyupdated in the 16th century, being finished in1566. The structure, which is representative ofhis personality, evokes feelings of both forceand elegance, balance, severity, pure beautyand austerity. "Vertu extainct le vice" (Virtuequells vice), is beautifully engraved in the titleblock stone over the gateway arch, and ensuresthat no one who crosses the château'sthreshold could ignore the owner's deeplyethical views.

TUMBLING DOWNUnfortunately, one of the subsequent ownerswas convicted of murdering the royalprosecutor of Fontenay-le-Comte, and aPoitiers court passed sentence that hisproperties be demolished. ln accordance withthe verdictpart ofla Cressonnière was

The imposing entrance taChâteau de la Cressonnière

destroyed in the late 16th century.There was further damage to the property,

when, in January 1794, it was torched by thecolonnes infernales, the 12 columns of theRepublican forces led by the infamous GeneralTurreau during the Revolution. The finalaristocratie owner of la Cressonnière died ofpoverty in the Montreuil-Bellay prisons in the19th century, and thereafter the property wassold as a national estate.

Today, the Château de la Cressonnière,whieh has a €895,000 priee tag, is aluxuriously restored 14th-century building,within easily managed, recently landscapedgardens of 6,393m2 with an in-groundswimming pool. This stunning property oozescharacter, with magnificent stone spiralstaircases and superb arched entrance, but itmaintains a truly homely feel despite itshistorie links.

The main château renovation is completeand includes a large family bedroom with afantastie original oak ceiling and en suite.

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There are three other double bedrooms, eachwith a bathroom, located in the towers, plus awonderful guard's room with large fireplace,fabulous flooring and many character features.One tower has a stone spiral staircase and theother is wooden with large seating areas (1.5mthick stone walls at the base tapering to O.9mat top of the towers).

There is a new high-quality bespoke oakkitchen with black granite worktops and top-notch fittings including glass hob, cooker,extractor, Franke taps and sink, washer/dryer,dishwasher and large stainless steel-frontedfridge/freezer.

The château has been completely re-roofedwith new ti/es. It also has new oil-fired centralheating with new radiatars in each room(thermostatically controlled from within thechâteau). ln addition, there is an outside toiletand vaulted stone wine cellar under one tower.

Outside, there is a large barn, measuringapproximately 30m x lOm long, of doubleheight with superb oak trusses. This has been

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completely re-roofed with new tiles andtidied up for use, with new oak entrancedoors and gallery area. Previously, it houseda museum, and it still contains the history ofthe château and has also been used for indoorarchery practice.

Also in the courtyard are the old stables, inwhich a maison d'amis is currently underconstruction. Of a similar size to the otherbarn, this has been completely re-roofed andtiled, with new drainage added. This buildingis split into three parts, with the centralbuilding used as accommodation (could be agîte) while on the right-hand side there is agames room and on the left, the pool room/changing area.

The grounds of the château have been newlylandscaped with symmetrieal pathways laidwith white stone chips and wooden borders tathe lawns and trees. There us also a dry moatwith a weIl fed by a natural spring, and grassedlawns and a mix of mature trees. A new in-ground, concrete-lined, heated pool is situated

in the inner château grounds and is 12m longby 4m wide with pale Indian stone surroundand enclosed by fence and planting.

The château will be minimum maintenance -or as low as it can be for a building of this type- and is now fully renovated, with on/y themaison d'amis to be internally finished.

Close to the property are the delightfulvillages of Vouvant (Plus Beaux Village status),Fontenay-le-Comte and La Chataigneraie.The château is ideally located to facilitate daytrips to beautiful Île de Ré and historie LaRochelle, while the spectacular theme park ofPuy du Fou is also within easy travel distance(30 minutes).

This charming property is an ideal base fromwhieh to explore medieval villages, beautifulmarket towns, vineyards and the sandy whitebeaches of Western France. The forested areaaround the Mervent and the rolling bocagecountryside offers many attractions, rangingfrom gentle hiking trails, to watersports, andexhilarating aerial activities.

November 2012 French Property News 85

The 'manoir' ha? been mericufously restored, wirh fresh render and a new French siate roof

ESTATEFurther south, in the department of Corrèze,there is a 15th-century manor house in anelevated position, floodlit by night andcompletely and meticulously restored, whichalso has an asking priee of €895,OOO.

The property has a brand-new French slateroof and guttering, plus gleaming cream renderand 15 revitalised mullioned Gothie granitewindows and doors. It is surrounded by 2.3hectares of garden and parkland, yet is withinwalking distance of the nearby town.

The manor house was originally a chatelleine- an ancient fortified stronghold - and theoriginal walls and turret in front of the lawnterrace are still in existence. Evidence of thebuilding date back ta 1445, and it is likely thata dwelling existed here in Roman times."

The owner of a chatelleine was himself calledthe châtelain or the seigneur, the lord of themanor. lnterestingly, it is in fact the domainewhich holds the title, and with it an allegianceto the monarch, so if you fancy a ritle as well asa property, this one is for you.

The eight-bed manoir is entered through acarved granite Gothic-arched entrance andoriginal heavy oak door with artisanal ironwork. The three-storey galleried oak andchestnut stairway dominates the hallway, withvintage white and red marble flooring andstained glass window. The current owners havecreated a successful B&Bbusiness, and therooms are beautifully appointed.

Locally, Tulle (the home of French PresidentFrançois Hollande), has undergone a hugeregeneration project including a beautifulpiazza in front of the cathedral.

The property is ideally placed to thrive as aB&Bbusiness, with its location close to the two-main-road axis of the area, with the A20autoroute going north/south to Paris andToulouse, while the A89 goes west/Eastbetween Bordeaux and Clermont-Ferrand.Jacques Chirac, the ex-President of France, wasalso a resident of this beautiful departrnent inthe south of the Limousin.

86 French Property News November 2012

USTADD EROver in Dordogne, we come to a watermill,which is always a highly sought-after propertytype. This one was built on the base of a 13th-century fort, and comprises the main house,maison d'amis, caretaker's house, pigeonnierand two barns. The superb water featuresinclude the mill race and a private lake, stockedwith fish.

Sitting in around three hectares of grounds,the property was once the forge used to makecannon for Louis XIV.This property has beensubject ta careful restaration using high-qualitymaterials and fittings, and it benefits fromdouble-glazing, video surveillance, oil-firedcentral heating and reversible air-conditioning.

This is a lovely property in the most beautifuland peaceful of settings with just the sound ofwater ta break the silence, while convenientlyclose to the small medieval village of Beaumont-du-Périgord, with all amenities.

Beaumont is a bastide town founded in 1272by Edward I of England. ln common with thegeneral plan for such towns, it was built on the

The garden door leads to pretty grounds

grid pattern. Today it is an attractive town,lively and active, while not too touristy,

This property would make a great holidaycomplex, and there is already a 12x6m poolwith a terrace and barbecue area. Available for€966,OOO, this again is a property with a superbhistory as weil as that extra something special,with the excellent water sources that surroundthe esta te. This no doubt is why the site wascarefully selected by Louis XIV.

Each of these three properties has a detailedhistorical background, and they represent agreat opportunity to own a piece of history.The strength of the pound means thar aproperty costing €900,OOOhas reduced incost to a UKbuyer by around f90,OOO duringthe last 12 months; a drop of more thanIl %, making such fantastic propertiesmore affordable to those who previouslycould only dream .•

Peter Elias, Allez-Français

www.allez-francais. cam

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