Character property pick
Ruth Wood is captivated by a charming terraced home in the heart of a Lot-etGaronne bastide recently added to the official list of France’s most beautiful villages
While renovating this village house a few years ago, the owners discovered a Gothic stone archway hidden behind some wall render on the first floor. Why it was there was a mystery. Perhaps it had once been a connecting doorway to the next-door house so that the occupants could visit their neighbours without catching cold. Maybe it had been salvaged from the street and relocated to the house as an interesting feature. Who knows? That’s the exciting thing about owning a property in Tournon d’Agenais. You’re one in a long line of heritage guardians dating back centuries and there’s no end to the secrets your walls could spill if they could talk.
The beauty of Tournon d’Agenais is certainly no secret – it joined the celebrated ranks of France’s Plus Beaux Villages in 2022. A medieval fortified town – or bastide – it was founded in 1271 by King Philip III and perches on a hilltop with panoramic views over the Lotet-Garonne countryside.
Like other bastides fought over by the French and English during the Hundred Years’ War, the village is laid out in a grid of streets around a central square with handsome stone arcades. This charming three-bedroom house is just a few steps from the square. In fact, you can see the town hall from one of the back windows and the church from a front window, so the property is really at the heart of this characterful community.
On mains drainage and connectable to fibre optic internet, the house is arranged over three floors. The front door opens onto a light and airy salon with a woodburning stove and a couple of steps down into a charming country kitchen with high ceilings, oak beams and an exposed stone feature wall. On the first floor, there are two bedrooms – one with a shower room – plus a family bathroom, separate WC and large landing with storage space and room for an office. A second flight of stairs leads to the attic bedroom, with a rooflight window and access to loft space.
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