House with poolLectoure (32)

This property is truly a rural haven. There is little to be gleaned from the discreet outside gates, and the long 200m private lane, that leads us from the busy outside world to the calm tranquillity of this property.
At the bottom of the private avenue, a beautiful golden coloured 18th century manor house in stone sits against a leafy backdrop. Further afield, we glimpse the converted barns, where later we will discover the enclosed pool, the gym and an artist’s atelier.
Be prepared! This visit could easily take up a whole afternoon. Before we visit the vast stone 18th century manor house and its converted outbuildings, let’s not forget we have just a little shy of 17 hectares of woodland and pasture in which to wander. As we stroll far from the property itself, avoiding the occasional amourous lama on our pathway, pursued by a drove of rescue donkeys and a string of ponies, we take time out to discover three sizeable lakes, all of which have irrigation permits.
One could easily slip into the role of gentle(wo)man farmer, rescue animals, buy a lot of creatures, and know they have enough outdoor space and pasture on which to thrive. Did we mention the three rescue dogs who show us around the estate? (One of whom is sulking because he doesn’t like his new “brother.” )
There is a delicacy in France which is almost worth its weight in gold: the infamous truffle, so regaled in South-West France. The current owner has been two busy with her livestock and restoring the property to worry too much about digging these up. We are assured there are years of stock, waiting, under ground; to delight the finest of palates. A delicacy in high demand, sought after by the finest restaurants in the country, or plucked from rich Gascon soil to grace the owner’s table.
The Property
The property is spacious and imposing, with an elegant central hallway, a grand staircase, and rooms which are all generous in size, with high ceilings and tall (double-glazed) windows. This is pure 18th century luxury.
The property has been restored over time by both the current and previous owners and many original features have been preserved, such as the exposed stone walls, oak beams and floors; for example the old terra-cotta floor tiles in the entrance hall.
The property is a comfortable residence throughout the year, with a geo-thermal heating system, and a pre-existing back-up oil central heating system. This is a house that is designed for the comfort of modern-day living.
There are five separate entrances to the main property, and with a vast amount of living space, one can easily imagine several different generations of the same family living here, or the development of a tourist activity.
If one were to open one’s doors to the public, it is easy to imagine how appealing this bucolic retreat would be, and how if one wanted and how for a multitude of different activities, it is a rare joy to have a constant water supply. The current owner tells us there are 25.000 m3 of water (a figure not verified by the agency) and as such, one could turn to farming, breed horses or other livestock – not forgetting the lucrative business of truffles hunting in yhe ground beneath those hundreds of oak trees !
More surprisingly still, the property is entirely fenced. Perfect for animal lovers.
This is a rare find, in a crazy modern world. It is very tempting to close the gates, and to live a self-sufficient life here. One can grown crops, water them, have chickens…. there is a tamed wildness to this property. One feels further away from civilization than one actually is, with the bustling market town of Lectoure right on the doorstep, and the bus to Agen, and the fast TGV train to Bordeaux, Paris and Toulouse. Or the international airport of Blagnac a little over an hour’s drive away
At the request of the owner, who values her privacy, photographs of the inside of the property are limited.
In french :
Fear not, there is nothing untoward in the house, only the desire for complete privacy which somehow goes hand in hand with the personality of anyone who would choose to live in such a peaceful haven in the first place.
All visits are organised solely via the agency.
The Property in brief
Main House
Ground floor entrance - 15m2. Stone floors and oak beams with majestic stone staircase to the first floor.
Cloakroom/ WC
Study18 m² (terra cotta tiled floor)
Entrance hall 12 m² (tiled floor and oak ceiling beams) with oak door leading to the garden terrace
Dining-room 31m² half-opening to the kitchen
Kitchen 25 m² fully-equipped. (dishwasher, micro-wave, American-style fridge, fitted wall oven, pizza oven, access to the terrace.
2nd Rear Kitchen 20m² : laundry room (fitted with multiple storage cupboards & 10 kilos washing-machine & dryer)
Technical room
Reception room : 30,5m² (with fireplace fitted with an insert). Access to the adjacent converted barn.
First floor
Landing
Parental suite
Bathroom 15m² with Japanese infra-red sauna
Separate WC : 2m²
Dressing room : 8m²
Bedroom 1 : 25 m²
Bedroom2 : 24 m² (with ensuite bathroom & WC)
Bedroom 3 : 18 m² .
Ensuite bathroom with WC
Access to the loft/attic via a wooden trap door
Adjacent Converted Barn (internal and external access)
Reception room /barn conversion: 110m² (with small recess area which could be converted to a bathroom)
First Floor - loft
Vast bedroom, with study and games area : 110m²
Outbuildings
Barn (heated) with indoor pool. Sliding doors, to hot-house and access to an external wooden terrace area.
Hot house/veranda: 65m² with remote controlled opening roof
Boiler room (with oil tanks and geo thermal heating station)
Outbuilding : 200m² divided into 3 separate zones.
Artists Atelier accessed by an external staircase, sitting above the aforementioned outbuilding : 120m²
Carport 64m² for 3 vehiclees .
Woodshed
On a technical note !
The grounds are entirely fenced around the property
Electric gates to the property – recently installed system operated by remote control
Internal remote controlled electric gate (new system) with speaker
Indoor heated pool (heated by the geothermal heat system)
Sliding doors around entire pool area that can be pulled back to “open” the pool up in summer
Foliage wall
Geothermal and oil central heating (large sized tanks)
Automated roof for the greenhouse
Double glazed windows throughout
Shutters on all windows
Open fireplace in the downstairs reception room (heating also lower level of the barn)
Pizza oven (potentially convertible to a fireplace with an insert woodburner)
Solar panels - 36 units, not yet installed. (to be confirmed if and where with the new owner).
This number of panels could give the property complete autonomy
Mains water
Irrigation system in the private lakes
Taps in most rooms
Water troughs for animals
Hundreds of truffle oaks
Infra red Japnese sauna
Mosquito nets on the bedroom windows
3 lakes plus a water source
Fibre optics
TV points in most rooms