Marzelle 5 Bedroom Farmhouse (AT002034)

Restored stone farmhouse with spacious accommodation, wonderful views and one acre of grass.

 

Marzelle farmhouse is on high ground above the town of Duras. There are extensive south-facing views over rolling rural countryside. 

 

We have owned the property for over 25 years. It is not held as an investment but as our holiday home, which we let when not needed by the family. The house has been substantially restored over the time of our ownership, and is constructed with stone walls and a tiled roof. There is mains water and electricity whilst cooking and central heating are by propane gas, as is usual in rural France, as is the drainage by septic tank.

 

The property faces south and there is an extensive terrace which contains the 36 ft heated swimming pool. The heating is by a heat exchanger, which has been installed in the last few years to extend the season. On one side of the terrace there is a stone wall, which together with the pigeonnier provide a wonderful private suntrap. The pool has roman steps at one end for easy access for both the young and old. There is a stone barbecue built into the terrace and a boule court.

On the ground floor there is a central entrance hall and a sitting room with stone fireplace. There is a large farmhouse kitchen which a few years ago was totally modernised by the inclusion of pine cupboards and worktops made locally in Duras. It has a large farmhouse table which will easily accommodate 10 people. There is a gas oven and hobs together with ceramic hobs, a microwave oven and dishwasher. To the rear of the kitchen there is a small storage area with a secondary staircase. Behind that is a large utility room, having a shower cubicle, wc, washbasin and sink, together with a washing machine and clothes airer. It also has a door to the rear garden and washing line. The remainder of the ground floor is occupied by a large bedroom and a small bathroom adjoining with a bath with shower, washbasin and wc. This is particularly useful for those who find stairs difficult to negotiate. In fact the property is particularly wheelchair friendly.

 

At first floor level there are 4 double bedrooms and a bathroom with bath and shower, washbasin and wc. It is useful to know the bedroom configuration which provides considerable flexibility. There is a double bedroom on the ground floor adjoining a small bathroom.  This bedroom has 2 single beds which can be put together to make a 5 ft 6 in double. At first floor level the main bedroom similarly has 2 single beds which can be made into a 6 ft double. In the other 3 bedrooms there is a 5 ft double bed, a 4ft 6 in double bed and 2 single beds that do not join together. 

 

In-house entertainment is provided by a television which receives limited satellite programmes from UK as well as French channels.  There is a dvd player and a radio which plays cds and tapes. A substantial barn is an extension to the house itself in which there is a table tennis table purchased a couple of years ago. 

 

The location
About 2 miles away to the south is the 15th century village of Duras with its lovely old château full of history, particularly at the time of the French Revolution. It is well worth a visit. Duras also provides very convenient shopping with a sizeable supermarket on the outskirts, where all daily needs are catered for. There are lots of shops including butchers and bakers in Duras itself. Monday is market day. A wider range of shops is located in Ste-Foy-la-Grande 10 miles north. This is a medieval town on the Dordogne river, providing a Saturday market of great interest. The town of Marmande is some 15 miles to the south on the Garonne River, and there are a great many interesting places to visit in the region. These include the upper reaches of the Dordogne east of Bergerac, the Route des Abbés, and the Route des Bastides.

 

There is good French regional cooking in Duras itself. The Hostelerie des Ducs being at the top end of the scale and Don Camillo at the other end of the scale but of particularly good value and ideal for children.

 

As to recreational facilities, there is the Lac de Catelgaillard, a man-made recreational lake about a mile away to the east, and a thriving tennis club at St Servin, just beyond the lake. Some 15 minutes drive to the north is the lovely Château des Vigiers (see last photo) with its recently constructed 18-hole golf course, designed by Donald Steele, and to which has been added in the last year or so a further 9 holes. It is rapidly gaining an international reputation as a Château Golf Club but you do not have to play golf to enjoy its culinary facilities, which include a gourmet restaurant and a very good golf club restaurant called Le Chais.

 

The whole area is famous for its wines, particularly Bordeaux and St Emilion. More locally the appellations of Duras and Bergerac have emerged very strongly in the last few years, and the Appellations Bordeaux Controllé region ends only about 5 miles to the west of this property. There are plenty of local wine-makers who are happy to provide tastings but the Co-op at Berticot on the way into Duras exports its Duras wines all over the world. We even found some in a restaurant in Vancouver. 

 

Marzelle Farmhouse is well but not extravagantly furnished and caters for 8 people, with plenty of cutlery, crockery, glasses and kitchen utensils, but guests are expected to provide their own linen. Although we say the property caters for 8 to 10, it is large enough to accommodate more people and the first floor of the pigeonnier has often been used as a further bedroom. It is in fact suitable for parties of 2 or more.

 

Access to the property and to the region in general has been improved considerably by the recent expansion of the airport at Bergerac, which is some 50km away. Bordeaux Airport is some 100km away, but readily accessible from autoroutes. The nearest ferry port is St Malo just over 500km away.

 

Brochure available

Winter - Closed October to April.