HouseChartres (28)

A 16th-century dwelling with a storied history and its outbuildings on 3,000-m² grounds, one hour from Paris near Chartres. Around the bend of a small road that intersects with an old no-through road and facing the massive tower of a spectacular medieval fortified farm, a wrought-iron gate stands between ancient walls. Immediately to the left once past the gate, a wooden door leads to a garden, also enclosed by walls, and the annexe building. Opposite, is the main house, which could have once been a fortified manor house, dependent on the nearby seigniorial farm and in all likelihood surrounded by moats. In any case, its architectural features allude to the protective purpose it once played for its inhabitants.
According to the more or less defensive needs of their occupants, there was a wide variety in the types of fortified manor houses, which, like this one, were often built near a fortress with the appearance of a traditional village house.
Large dressed stones form thick walls, while the house’s windows are placed in an asymmetrical manner – one of the charming features of the late Middle Ages – and are framed by ashlar limestone surrounds like those found throughout the Loire Valley and elsewhere. In addition, there is a large barn to the right with an adjacent shed, while a rounded door in a wall covered with climbing plants leads to the field in the back and its apple trees.