Montrichard, Centre-Val de Loire 41400

A carefully restored mansion with converted outbuildings, 2 hours 30 minutes from Paris, in walled grounds with a swimming pool and vineyard views. In a winemaking village, this property is naturally surrounded by vines. A long surrounding wall runs along a small street, protecting the property from the gazes of rare passers-by. Set back slightly from the road behind a large lay-by, two ashlar pillars topped with slate tiles frame a wrought iron gate. The recently renovated mansion stands at the rear of the courtyard. The seigniory was originally under the Archbishopric of Tour's jurisdiction and the building was erected in the 17h century by an equerry of Louis Xiv. One of his descendants, also a king's equerry and commissary of ordnance, transformed the mansion in 1728 to give it its current appearance. With its classical architecture, the building presents great uniformity. It is made up of the central main section, flanked by two large pavilions at either side that are the same height as the main part but slightly protruding on both the front and rear faades, which are rendered as well as framed by stone quoins. All the windows are fitted with painted louvred shutters. The main faade faces east, while the rear faade and veranda face west. Both the central main section and each pavilion have a slightly raised ground floor, topped by a square first floor under an attic level with high ceilings below slate roofs. The main faade has five vertical rows of regularly sized, large paned windows, with two either side of the central row. The few steps of the stoop lead to a glazed entrance door adorned with ironwork. The lintel above the door is graced with an elegant, sculpted frieze. Both the pavilions on each side have only one vertical row of openings on the main faade but have two on each side elevation. Three stone, arched dormers in the roof, with pediments and oculus windows, top this faade above the entrance door and each of the pavilions. All the openings have been renovated, now boasting wooden framed double-glazed windows.A small, round tower on one side and a small rectangular outbuilding on the other can be found on either side of the long gate separating the street from the courtyard. Next to the small outbuilding, there is another with a garage and a workshop. To the side of the mansion, between a flower garden and an orchard, a large outbuilding has been converted into two large, comfortable and inter-connected holiday lets. To the rear of the garden, at the foot of the local church, the swimming pool and pool-house can be found in a secure enclosure. Lower down behind the holiday cottages, the orchard is spread over two terraces, while at the bottom of the grounds there is a vegetable garden and a well. Lastly, to the southwest of the mansion, the tree-lined grounds made up of mainly cedars slopes gently away from the edifice. Beyond the surrounding wall, there are long ranging views of the neighbouring grounds.