An Exceptional Property in the Heart of One of France's most Beautiful Villages.

Property Description

Summary
Live the dream in the very heart of Monpazier, best-preserved of the medieval bastides and one of France’s ‘Most Beautiful Villages’ – intimate enough to be friendly but with the facilities of a small town. Enjoy all this from a magnificent and spacious house of 381 m2 (4105 sq ft). Formerly the village pharmacy, this delightful home is now fully modernised and ready for immediate enjoyment.
This large, comfortable and well-appointed home, a few steps from Monpazier’s world-famous arcaded square, was created from three medieval properties and now offers luxurious living; boasting extensive accommodation and a 55 m2 (540 sq ft) private walled courtyard plus an integrated garage – a rare combination in a medieval French village.

The property is currently a generous home with ample space for family and visitors but has in the past operated as a successful gîte / chambres d’hôtes and could once more with no alterations. For someone looking for a second home, this is a secure lock-up-and-leave property with minimal maintenance – no need to spend the first two weeks of every visit tidying up or paying for expensive, and not always reliable, gardiennage services.

The property benefits from double glazing and custom plantation shutters to all windows, and recently (2003) renewed electrical, heating and plumbing systems. There is a forced air ventilation (VMC) system to the kitchen, all shower / bathrooms and the guest W.C. The plumbing has been extended into the enormous attic, facilitating the addition of two or three further bedrooms if required. The upstairs bedrooms had reverse cycle air conditioning units installed in 2024. Downstairs does not require air-conditioning.

The house is served by high-speed 600 Mb fibre with wi-fi signal amplifiers and mains water and sewage. There is a modern, very efficient Jøtul wood burner in the salon, supplementing an oil-fired central heating system powered by a modern Diematic boiler with digital controls. Upstairs bedrooms have individually programmable thermostatic valves.

Location
Monpazier is renowned as the best-preserved fortified village (bastide) in France. There has been a weekly market in the square for 700 years and lively programme of events throughout the year, including an annual music festival drawing performers from around the world.
Many sites of international importance are nearby, including Sarlat and Chateaux Biron, Beynac, Milandes and Castelnaud.
Monpazier is a remarkable village and has become the vibrant social hub for the expatriate community of the wider area. Whether your interest lies in reading groups, sports, fitness, dinner parties, singing, wine appreciation, learning pétanque or joining a French language group, you will be made welcome to precisely the extent you desire. Newcomers from overseas are generally surprised to discover the scope of village-owned and operated facilities designed to encourage social interaction – outdoor and indoor sports facilities, all-weather tennis court and two village halls hosting everything from country dancing to Zoomba classes.
In 2024, Monpazier hosted the Equestrian Endurance World Championship featuring dozens of teams from around the world – a testament to the interest in all things equestrian in the vicinity, including regular trotting races in the village-owned hippodrome.
The village shops cater to everyday needs – mini-market, butcher, 2 boulangeries, 2 greengrocers, 2 fine dining restaurants, 5 other restaurants, 5 cafés, wine bar, 2 hotels, a craft brewpub, half-a-dozen artists’ galleries, boutiques and more. Supermarkets in Villeréal and Beaumont are less than a 15 minute drive.
A pharmacy, nurses' station and primary care doctor’s surgery serve the health needs of the village.
Less than an hour’s drive brings you to the Vézère River – ‘The Valley of Mankind’. In this Unesco World Heritage Site visitors may explore numerous decorated prehistoric caves, including Lascaux.
There are several golf clubs in the area, including 18 and 9-hole courses within 25 minutes’ drive. All are open to guests.
There are three Michelin-starred restaurants in the area and excellent vineyards offering tours and tastings.

Access
Bergerac, the nearest major town (40 mins), has a full range of hypermarkets, hardware stores, boutiques, gourmet food stores and galleries.
Bergerac Airport has regular flights to London [BA and Ryanair], Rotterdam and Uk regional airports.
Agen provides access to France’s high-speed TGV train network.
Bordeaux and Toulouse are each about 2 ½ hrs drive.

Interior
GROUND FLOOR
Hallway
The hall was originally divided in two lengthwise, serving two independent houses, as can be seen from the ‘ghost’ door visible on the exterior.
The right-hand wall was the external side wall of the pharmacy – which explains the impressive full-height doors set in the 66 cm (26 in) thick wall (right). Now opening into the kitchen, this was the front door to the private area of the pharmacy.

Salon
A bright, airy room featuring a dramatic fireplace with a Jøtul wood burner and, in an alcove, the original medieval stone sink. Two sets of double-glazed French doors give access to the courtyard and flood the room with light. Another dramatic full-height door hides a cupboard. Custom bookcases are included. (Despite appearances, these are free-standing and could easily be removed if not required.)

Kitchen
The galley kitchen has granite work surfaces, a walnut breakfast bar with storage, and floor and wall units. Much of the kitchen joinery was built by the local carpenter. A full-height fridge, separate freezer, microwave oven, 5-ring induction Falcon cooker with grill, double oven and filter hood, and a Bosch dishwasher are included, as are the silent three-speed combination ceiling fan and light fitting, and the under-cupboard drop-down Tv.
Because the dining room offers enormous capacity for storage (china, glassware, serving dishes, bulk storage of dry and canned goods, etc., etc.), the kitchen cupboards can be organised more rationally than usual.

Dining Room
Perhaps the most dramatic and romantic dining room to be found anywhere outside a chateau. This room was formerly the village pharmacy and retains the original stunning handmade cabinetry, now enhanced by Led lighting. The current window was the public door, and the salon was the laboratory where powders and potions were made up.
The floor cabinets are all numbered, and in a few cases the pharmacy inventory list is still visible inside the doors.

Bedroom suite 4
A double bedroom with courtyard access and a built-in wardrobe.
Bedroom 4 is currently a guest bedroom and has the advantages of being on the ground floor and enjoying direct access to the courtyard.
The ensuite shower room (door to the left of the bed) has a walk-in shower and a centrally heated towel rail/radiator.
When the property was operated as a gîte, this was the owners’ bedroom suite. Bedroom 1 was offered as accommodation for 2 adults (with the option of 2 children/teenagers in what is now the study), while Bedrooms 2 and 3 were offered as accommodation for a group of 4 – 6 people.

UPPER FLOOR
Bedroom suite 1
A large room, with three multi-door fitted wardrobes and ample space for a dresser and armoires. Reverse cycle air conditioning unit. Stunning original walnut flooring.
Following a 2024 renovation, the ensuite has a new W.C., walk-in shower and heated towel rail.

Bedroom suite 2
This suite is almost exactly the same size as bedroom 1 suite and could just as easily be classified as the master bedroom. Both suites offer enormous clothes storage space, room for a queen-size bed, multiple wardrobes and armoires, and reverse cycle air conditioning units.
The suite is entered through a walk-in closet.

Salon 2 / Bedroom 3
A large L-shaped room which could be combined with Bedroom 2 to provide semi-independent accommodation for guests, teenagers or live-in relatives.
Currently arranged as a lounge with two single beds in the other arm, it affords ample space to sleep four if required. Built-In media storage and wall-mounted Sony smart Tv included. Reverse cycle air conditioning unit.

Study
Formerly a bedroom, this room is currently a very comfortable study with room for a large desk and other furniture.

Laundry
Conveniently located near the main bedrooms, this room has a butler’s sink, extensive built-in linen cupboards and counter space for organising laundry. Having the laundry and linen storage on the same floor as the principal bedrooms reduces enormously the time and effort of carrying bed linen and towels up and down to a conventional utility room.

Attic
The enormous loft - 4 m (>13 ft) height at apex - stretches the full depth of the house and has tapped off hot and cold water and sewage services and offers enough space to permit 3 additional rooms to be created (with appropriate consent). There is currently a large poly-tunnel providing dust-free storage – this will remain.

Other Internal spaces
The garage can hold a full-size Suv and a 2000 litre oil tank and ample storage (including wood storage). Water and electrical supply.

There is a small space for coats, separate boiler room and an understairs guest toilet.

The cellar extends below the salon, kitchen and dining room. Various shelving units and wine racks holding over 300 bottles will remain. There is a capped well that could be reopened.

Exterior
The courtyard was resurfaced in 2020. The patio area closest to the house is in travertine marble and the other half is superbly decked in ipé, an attractive and extremely hard-wearing South American hardwood. There are flower beds to two sides.
Large custom, remotely operated electric canopies shade approximately three-quarters of the courtyard, creating a wonderful space for outside entertaining even in the height of summer.
In the evening, the courtyard is an enchanting venue for dinner, pre-dinner cocktails or simply conversation with a glass of wine.
There is an external water supply and dedicated electrical supply for lighting, outlets and water features, and access to the fridge / freezer with icemaker, and to the cellar.