3 houses in 1 - 18th Century Estate, plus 15 acres of private grounds & woodland

Stunning Country Estate, 3 houses all newly renovated to an extremely high standard in an exceptional setting. 6 hectares of private grounds & panoramic views. Located in the popular chateau town of Le Grand-Lucé, just 20 mins south of the cosmopolitan city of Le Mans.

This large property consists of 3 separate houses set around a large courtyard:  barn convertion, fermette & cottage. Ideal accommodation for extended families & friends or gite rentals. Also with workshop & garages, landscaped gardens & terraces with panoramic views of the countryside. Unusually surrounded by nearly 15 acres of uninterrupted private grounds plus half acre of woodland.  The property has been restored and converted to offer very high specification accommodation: The Barn, the Cottage & the Fermette.

Ideal extended accommodation for families & friends, plus the option of gite rentals (website, advertising & bookings for 2009). This property is ready to move straight into. A romantic & authentically French property in a rare idyllic setting. The property is only accessed by the long tarmac driveway, with no neighbours, the property is extraordinarily quite and secluded yet only 2km from the town, and 20 mins from the city of Le Mans and it''s world famous racetrack.

There is an enormous central courtyard with a workshop & garages providing ample parking. Whilst the grounds which completely surround you incorporate landscaped gardens, rockeries, elevated terraces (making the most of the outstanding views), lawns, fields, orchards & woods.

The Accommodation includes:

• 3 houses, UNUSUALLY each with FULL individual permission to be exploited as main residences, 12 months of the year.


• The Barn is the principle residence, newly converted with an open-plan design, 3 bedrooms & high specification. Enormous light-filled spaces, gallery entrance & dining area with original exposed oak beams, wood-burner and a modern fully equipped walnut & granite kitchen with range. Master en-suite bedroom has pation doors and full planning permission for a large 1st floor wooden veranda with roof.


• The cottage has been entirely newly renovated. Spacious lounge with ancient fireplace and log burner. Fully fitted & equipped kitchen  and dining area with a barn-door leading outside. Shower room. Upstairs is large open-plan mezzanine bedroom, exposed beams in excess of 300 years old, large enough to accommodate 2 single beds. There is a spacious double bedroom, with a latch door. Wooden Floors. (Gite, sleeps 4)


• Fermette:  Country oak kitchen with solid oak staircase. Lounge with a fireplace & wood burner patio doors to the terrace, dining area also with patio doors leading to the terrace, original exposed beams & tomette floor tiles. Downstairs cloak room, bathroom & double bedroom. The attic has been converted to a large family room (2 singles and 1 double bed) plus a mezzanine bedroom for a single bed with a door & balcony, exposed beams. (Gite, sleeps 7)

Possibility for further development:  Approval to construct a further house with its own private driveway & separate entrance. Also approval for campsite and/or chalets and leisure complex.

All new septic tanks have been fitted to each property (Fosse Toutes Eaux 3000 litre + 4000 litre).

Services: All restoration/conversion work has been undertaken by experienced  building/engineer professionals & completed to an extremely high specification.

The running costs of the estate are low. All houses are double glazed, ultra-insulated, heated very efficiently by A-rated log-fires (easily sustained by the woodland). There are also centrally heated via ultra-efficient oil-filled radiators fitted in the cottage and barn & an integral blown-air heating system in the Fermette. Hot water is provided via electric water heaters. There is no gas supply or tank required on the property. The site is fed by a 3 phase electricity supply which has all been newly re-wired to each property & to the workshop/garages. Runnings costs are approximately 2000 Euros per year. Tax Fonciere & Tax Habitation are currently 900 Euros per year.

Greenhouse & raised bed veg plot. Well stocked fruit orchard containing some 15 apple trees, 6 pear trees, peach, plums,sloe, cherry, walnut  & chestnut trees.

There is a wine cellar, winter pond & efficient well water supply. An underground watering system has been installed to take the well water to the flower beds and various points around the courtyard and gardens. Also as a former vineyard, there is an original vaulted tuffa wine cave which tunnels into the hillside on the property, requiring some restoration but still containing wine and oak barrels. Elevated rear terraces have been built to make the most of the awe inspiring 360 degree views.

Plenty of room for the construction of a pool, stables etc. Ideal equestrian.

Location:

The property is very centrally located only 2km from the main town of Le Grand-Lucé, with supermarkets, banks, bars, Restaurants, bread shops, butcher, schools, château and weekly market. Access the main D304 from the bottom of the drive which takes you directly to the A28 motorway or the city centre of Le Mans. Very well situated for easy commuting, only 15 Mins from Le Mans /Race Trace /City Centre/ Train station. 10 Mins from Junction 24 A28 motorway & 54 mins TGV from Paris/ Eurostar. 40 mins drive to Tours Airport & Caen is only 2 hours by car.

Please contact alice@barrell.net for any further information or, telephone 0033 243 793 806