Entirely private estate near Montréal du Gers
Overview
A long drive leads up to this property, with cultivated fields on either side and only a glimpse of the property visible through the trees that surround and protect it.
Horses graze peacefully in fenced paddocks, their tails swishing lazily. Once we park and get out of our car, they wander over to say hello and nuzzle our shoulders, looking for a treat. This is ideal horse country, there are large, fenced fields surrounding the house and plenty of space to ride out both on the property and in the surrounding countryside.
It is also intensely private there is a certain kind of peace in knowing that no cars will pass by unless they are specifically coming to the house.
The house
The façade of this house has probably looked much the same for generations. There are tall, wide windows on both sides of the front door, and a pretty, curved dormer window above the door with a protective roof that is quite unusual in the region. Above it, the original bell is still hanging on the roof, which once upon a time would have tolled to call the workers in from the fields, and in fact is still used by the owners to signal to guests that lunch is ready.
Once we enter the front door, we see a long wide corridor typical of a chartreuse, where the original fired-earth square tiles that have been cherished for generations still grace the floor.
This is the core of the house, and most of the rooms on the ground floor are accessible from this hall, which stretches all the way to the door at the far end which accesses the garden.
Immediately on our right when we enter, we find a stunning 40 m² room that is currently in use as a formal dining room, with a magnificent chandelier and an equally magnificent fireplace. There are two large windows and high ceilings which combine to make this room both elegant and luminous.
Beyond the dining room we come to the large, recently renovated kitchen. The focus of the room is the large stone fireplace, that has been fitted with a working insert surrounded by red brick by a previous owner. The current owners have found this fireplace works very well, so they have kept it and use it frequently in the winter months. They loved the red and white tiles on the floor, so they decided to keep them too. The rest of the kitchen is much more modern, with pale wooden fitted units, built-in waist height oven & microwave, and electric induction cooking elements.
Behind the kitchen, there is a one storey annex that houses a back kitchen with white units, a double sink and white tiling. There is also a laundry room and a storage area for firewood.
On the left of the main hall is a spacious library with two arched alcoves, which would have originally been for beds. There is a wooden fireplace here, which is no longer in use, and original tiled flooring. A large double bookcase hides a charming surprise the owner pulls out a book and the whole bookcase swings open to reveal a door to a hidden bedroom. Just like in Narnia, we come out through a wooden wardrobe, that, once closed, is completely innocuous and secret.
This is the first of two bedrooms on the ground floor. It has a beautiful, moulded fireplace surround (the fireplace itself is blocked off), modern wooden flooring and a large window. There is a shower room next door with travertine flooring and an Italian shower.
On the same side of the house, facing the back, there is a large Tv room that once may have been a chapel this room has access to the garden through French doors, and is adjacent to a large living room with an original fireplace.
We have now circled round and are back at the central hallway, where we find a second ground floor bedroom with a private bathroom, also facing the back of the house.
So in addition to all the reception rooms, we have two bedrooms on the ground floor, which many people will find both useful and practical.
Next to this second bedroom, a hallway leads back to the kitchen. It also accesses an office and an additional shower room, both behind the kitchen.
Next to the shower room, there is a staircase leading to the first floor. On the half landing we find a spacious bedroom, and when we continue up the stairs, a wide hallway leads to two further bedrooms.
The first bedroom is spacious and has a private, entirely new shower room.
The second bedroom is really a suite, comprising a bedroom and open living space for a total of 70 m², and there is also a private, equally new shower room.
All this space has been carved out of the attics by the current owners, so that they have plenty of space for visiting family and friends.
As a bonus, there is an additional 170 m² on this level that has yet to be developed. This space is totally clean and in excellent condition, so there is no real need to do anything to it. It could however make a wonderful playroom or private gym or even a home cinema.
The outbuildings
On one side of the main house there is a big red brick & stone outbuilding. There are several rooms inside, as well as huge areas for storage and space to park several cars.
In the first paddock to the left of the house, there is also a large horse barn with ample parking for tractors.
Several small buildings dot the grounds and were variously used to house chickens or pigs, or for storage.
The lake
The heart of this property is to be found down a farm track between the fenced paddocks, and past a first stand of trees, where a magnificent 2 hectare lake is waiting to be discovered. The lake is entirely on the property and retains a stillness and quiet beauty that is increasingly hard to find in the modern world.
Here the horses wander down from the fields to drink in the early morning haze, and turtles sun themselves on logs on the shore. The owners often picnic on the shore or walk the dog along the path that circles the lake, and they have also been known to go for a swim on hot summer days.
There are a variety of fish, and both the lake and the turtles are protected.
The property is sold with the appropriate pisciculture licence.
Here at Bliss
We found the location to be wonderfully private and the grounds are a delight, especially the lake. The house itself is full of charm and we loved the high ceilings and sense of spaciousness.
A lot of people will want to put a pool in, and that is obviously a possibility with the proper permissions, but the owners are happy to swim in the lake!
There is still work to do here, so the next owners will have the possibility to put their own stamp on the property. However, this is a charming and comfortable home which could also generate some income if the next owners choose to exploit the many possibilities it presents.