Draw up a wish list for your dream house in France: panoramic views, a garden leading down to the river, a house professionally modernised but in keeping with the spirit of the original, friendly neighbours (at a respectable distance), a bathroom for every bedroom (almost!) This property ticks all these boxes. Add in a sun-trap terrasse from which to admire the landscape, a series of water features, a waterfall leading into the Charente (navigable) and the largest walnut tree I have seen. The house would make a fantastic family home, or an upmarket chambre d’hôte or country hotel.
The wide hallway doubles up as an office. It has an attractive tiled floor and a fireplace with a unique history. To the left is a vast living room with fireplace and French windows out to the terrasse. The attractive breakfast room leads directly into a traditional French ‘working’ kitchen with access to the boiler room and to outside. There is a handy WC on this ground floor. A tiled staircase leads up to a bright landing with large bull’s eye windows (see inset). There is a shower room, WC, four double bedrooms (two en-suite and two sharing an en-suite). A fifth bedroom is currently used as a library.
The house is built into the foot of the hillside, with the formal lawns opposite, leading down to the river. There is a section of woodland behind and above which also belongs, from which vantage point the views are spectacular. Despite the sensation that one is in splendid isolation, the pretty market town of Ruffec is less than five minutes’ drive away, providing a choice of bars, restaurants, hypermarkets, retail parks, open-air markets, hospital and TGV rail service to Paris.© |
Papillon
Properties