Beschrijving:  

Situated in the heart of the charming and vibrant market town of Champagne-Mouton, this impressive Maison de Maître (masters house) is a rare opportunity to acquire a substantial and characterful period property, with extensive stone outbuildings, a private walled courtyard and a generous garden. Rich in history and architectural detail, the property combines grandeur, versatility and an enviable central location in the Charente. This grand home offers great versatility as it can either be a large family home, or as a chambre d'hôtes/gîte, creative studios, workshops or potentially as commercial premises, subject to the necessary permissions. The house benefits from two independent entrances: one from the main street and the other from the private courtyard. The principal entrance opens into a tiled reception hall, immediately setting the tone with a magnificent Napoleon III cantilever staircase, adorned with crystal and bronze finials. Throughout the house, the original Napoleon III double doors further enhance the refined historic character. A beautifully appointed, newly installed bespoke kitchen featuring solid wood, hand-crafted grey cabinetry. The kitchen is centred around a prestigious Lacanche double range cooker, complemented by granite and wooden worktops, a substantial central island and an impressive larder. Located beyond the kitchen, a spacious room currently used as an office, which was formerly the village haberdashery. On the other side of the grand hallway is a truly magnificent reception room, with a dining room at one end, flooded with natural light and ideal for entertaining on a large scale. Located off the sitting room, with French doors opening directly onto the courtyard, along with an additional room above, is a second fitted kitchen. In addition, there is a vaulted, historic cellar offering excellent storage or wine-tasting potential. On the first floor there is five spacious bedrooms (one currently used as a study) with beautiful oak floors, high ceilings giving a great sense of space and there is plenty of storage. Off the hallway there is a modern bathroom/wc, a shower room/wc, offering flexible family or guest accommodation. On the second floor there is vast, unconverted insulated attic spaces comprising currently comprised of three rooms presenting exceptional potential to create further living accommodation, studios or a master suite, subject to planning approval. A standout feature of the property is the rare and impressive arched entrance, accessed via large wooden double gates with a separate pedestrian gate. This leads into a substantial walled courtyard enclosed by the main house and a range of original stone outbuildings. The outbuildings are predominantly two-storey barns, currently used as workshops and already equipped with power and lighting, two garages and there is a charming stone building used as a garden room with great views of the garden, perfect for summer entertaining. These buildings offer immense scope for conversion into gîtes, studios, event spaces or professional premises. Beyond the courtyard lies a walled and private garden which is beautifully planted with mature fruit trees, numerous established bushes/plants, there is a well and a gate at the end providing access to the village square. The property is ideally positioned in the centre of Champagne-Mouton, the property faces an historic château and is within walking distance of local shops, cafés, a bar/restaurant and a twice-weekly market. The town benefits from a school, a leisure centre and a lively community and the larger town of Ruffec is only 20 minutes away which has a train station which connects to Paris/the UK. The larger cities of Limoges (with an airport), Poitiers and Angouleme are all within approximately an hour's drive. A rare and elegant property offering scale, character and exceptional versatility in one of the Charente's most appealing village settings.