Sainte-Croix-Volvestre, Midi-Pyrénées 09230

A manor house, outbuildings and swimming pool in a luminous clearing surrounded by 10 hectares of royal forest, 50 minutes from Toulouse. Invisible from the road, you discover the house when you turn a bend in a woodland path. It is sheltered behind a green wall of Scots pines, limes, ancient oaks, ferns and peaceful clearings. As if set down inside a bubble of greenery, it forms a discreet, almost secret unit with its outbuildings, swimming pool, pond and driveways, enveloped in more than 10 hectares of landscaped parkland and ancient forest. Most of the buildings have stone walls, some of which are rendered, and gable roofs with interlocking tiles. The three-storey residence, with almost 650 m of living space, was probably built at the end of the 19th century and has been patiently restored after a period of neglect. Each stage of the work was guided by meticulous restoration of the original features: the old fireplaces, the oak or chestnut parquet flooring, the moulded ceilings, the stone window and door frames and the floors have been preserved or restored, with respect for the building. All of the utilities have been renewed: drainage, rainwater, pipes, electricity and heating. The main roof has been remodelled, and the roof of the annexe has been refitted. A stone pond and a fountain form a peaceful focal point around the house. The swimming pool is set nearby in a landscaped clearing, like a natural extension of the house, not far from a natural pool fed by a spring. There is also a well adjacent to the outbuildings, which still contains water. The overall effect is one of harmonious sobriety, typical of country manor houses, where practicality meets elegance. The top floor of the house, which is preserved in its original state and insulated under the rafters, offers huge conversion potential.