The History 

We don’t know how long the house has stood where she is but we believe that she was part of the fortified farm, reclaimed in the 1600s, that is now the Malvoisine Stables.  At one time she was in the estate of the Duc du Dampierre but has had many families within her walls since then.  We bought her in 2001 and started bringing her back to her former glory.

In the Autumn of 2001 she had a new electricity system, the plumbing and heating was upgraded and we installed a comprehensive drainage system which is connected to the commune’s local “Station Assainissement”.  She became a warm, dry, cosy house;  toasty in the winter months partly due to the improved heating system but also because of the large wood burning stove we put into the dining room and the huge open fireplace in the main salon.  In the summer though, because the walls are so thick, and the windows so large, the house remains cool and comfortable.

The House 

The house has 360m² of habitable space.  On the ground floor you will find a study, a large salon with 2 sets of doors leading to different aspects of the grounds, a huge arched window at the back and an open fireplace which is the heart of the room.  There is also a small reception room and a dining room, both with walls and a vaulted roof of mellow local stones.  A study room looks out to the front of the house while a good sized kitchen/diner looks out onto the back garden and comes with a ‘cave/pantry’ and a boiler/utility room.  A downstairs WC is situated near the main staircase leading to the 1st floor.

Here you will find a suite of 3 rooms: a large master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and a large dressing room.  Adjoining this is a smaller 3 room suite, again comprised of a double bedroom, bathroom and small dressing area.  This second suite can also be accessed by a second small stairway from the main entrance.  You will also find here a very large attic which has the same m² of space as the large salon.   A ‘walk-in’ linen cupboard is situated next to the main staircase which takes you up to the 2nd floor.

On this floor you will find 3 bedrooms, one of which opens onto the bathroom that services this floor.  2 of them are very good sized doubles and the third, middle one, is a little smaller but will still take a double bed.

The Grounds

The house comes with 7.89 hectares (20 acres) of land and the grounds include a large walled garden to the front and rear, a small lake, an open paddock, woods and two large fields to the back and side of the house.  Next to the house there are nine stable boxes, workshops and other outbuildings offering storage for a tractor mower and garden tools.

The whole property is in a conservation area and the land has been designated as being for Agricultural purposes, so development of the land for habitation will not be possible. That does mean, however, that the landscape will be unspoiled, the Sanglier will continue to play in the forest and trees will remain where they have stood for many decades.

The Renovation

A sympathetic and beautiful renovation was undertaken to upgrade the infrastructure and décor to the most modern standards so that a family can move in without worry about what needs to be done.  Any house is a ‘work in progress’ as your plans and needs evolve and so there will remain plenty of scope to alter and enhance the house to suit your personal taste. But all the main infrastructure has been completed.  This upgrade included:

• Modernisation and renovation of all the bathrooms
• An upgrade to the heating system where it was needed
• The demolition and rebuilding of the kitchen to include 2 sets of double doors opening out on to the back garden.
• A new roof and renovation to the stables and outbuildings
• Unification of the décor throughout.
• The rebuilding of the Gable End wall including a new solid foundation.

The building work took more than a year and was temporarily interrupted because of Covid-19.  There are some finishing touches still to be done but she is ready to welcome a family to share her summer sunshine or her cozyness during winter.

We hope this is you.

Price: €1,495,000