Brittany, Côtes-d'Armor, France

A40453DEM22 - Previously used as a main house and two holiday gites for additional income, this beautiful group of buildings offer enormous potential. Clustered around an old Breton courtyard at the heart of an ancient village - but within walking distance of the larger village of Gouarec (a popular spot with tourists and cyclists), which has all local facilities and services, including bars/restaurants, shops, a doctors, indoor swimming pool, as well as a railway museum and cycle and boat hire on the scenic river Blavet and Nantes-Brest canal.

Environment

The current owners have kept the gardens organic, and installed an extensive rainwater collection system which delivers watering directly into the polytunnel, as well as to a garden tap.

The small orchard has a wide variety of fruit trees - figs, apples, pears, plums, cherries and sloes. The gardens also feature a wide variety of native and ornamental trees and shrubs, including an old wisteria, mimosa, magnolias, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, etc...

The central heating and water heating is wood-powered with electric back-up. The water tank is fitted with connections for solar.

The swimming pool is also as environment-friendly as an in-ground concrete pool can be, with fully automatic operation, salt water electrolytic filtration (no added chemicals) and air-source heating - set in a beautiful summer garden.

The surrounding countryside is full of interest. A footpath leads up to the spectacular neolithic monuments - 'allées couvertes' - of the Liscuis - with spectacular views over the Nantes-Brest canal and Daoulas Valley; the path then winds down all the way to the Abbaye de Bon-Repos - and you can return to the house via the Nantes-Brest canal tow path.

The well renowned Lac de Guerlédan - the largest lake in the region, surrounded by forests and footpaths, and with a number of beaches - can be reached by foot in under 2 hours, by cycle in less than half an hour - or 10 minutes by car. The lake offers many dining options, bars, water sports activities, open air swimming, boat and canoe hire and is incredibly popular with locals and tourists alike - a real haven in the heart of beautiful Brittany.

This is a truly stunning property in a privileged and sought after location, a rare opportunity to acquire a part of history.

Main roads are a few minutes away and offer easy access to Rostrenen, Mûr-de-Bretagne, Loudéac and beyond. If you love Brittany, this *is* the place to be.

History

The house is situated in the ancient village of Rosquelfen, best known for the 'Trésor Gaulois' - a pre-Roman treasure haul discovered in 2007. Near to the property, the Chapelle de Rosquelfen - was built in the early 15th century, and parts of the house might be this early, re-using Roman cut stones. These were once the lands of the Abbey de Bon Repos, and the oldest village buildings, including the house and the chapel, were built by the monks between the 15th and 18th centuries. The house and grounds feature many examples of old Breton architecture, such as the use of large upright slabs of slate as walls and boundary markers, and narrow windows carved from single blocks of slate, like the arrow-slots in medieval castles.