Azay-le-Rideau, Centre-Val de Loire 37190

A 17th & 18th century manor house, outbuildings and parkland, set in almost 2 hectares of land near Azay-le-Rideau, in Touraine. At the end of the village, a lane winds through the countryside to the property entrance. A wrought-iron gate, supported by two tufa stone pillars, opens onto a driveway that crosses the parkland in front of the residence and leads on to the outbuildings. Originally a simple hunting lodge, the dwelling was probably built in the 17th century, then extended in the 18th century and later. It is in an asymmetrical shape and is oriented east-west. The main west-facing faade features tufa-framed windows with cornices under the roof and a stringcourse over a tower wing. The carved wooden entrance door on the central section is off-centre. To the east, French windows lead from a grass terrace into the house. The slate roofs are adorned with zinc finials. The central double body, with a single storey under the eaves, is topped by a small square tower and flanked to the north by a rectangular tower lodge, also two storeys' high under the eaves, and a single-storey building to the south. The rendered stone faades, with tufa stone quoins, have various sized windows, with small or large panes and tufa stone surrounds. The slate roofs have triangular pediment dormers in the central section. The interiors still have some of the old features, such as parquet flooring and tufa stone fireplaces in the reception rooms. The six bedrooms are spread over the three floors of the house. Extensive wooded parkland surrounds the manor house, covering almost 2 hectares, with terraces, gardens and undergrowth. There are also rock cellars, a swimming pool in need of renovation and three outbuildings on the estate.