EXPERT
€297,460
CHARM IN CREUSE Northwest of Guéret, close to the source of the Anglin, the origins of Azerables date back to the 11th century. Just outside the village, this beautiful three-bedroom character property is sited to capture stunning views over the local countryside. Two of the bedrooms, including the principal suite, are on the ground floor, along with the kitchen and dining room. Upstairs is the amazing vaulted-ceilinged and timbered living space and another bedroom with separate access outside. There’s also a one-bedroom gîte, potential to add more in various outbuildings and a solar-heated swimming pool. The property is just under 13km from La Souterraine with TGV connections and all amenities.
Lac de Vassivière, France’s largest leisure lake, is in southern Creuse
two) offering seasonal flowers. I bought a blooming Pierre de Ronsard rose somewhere in the Creuse one midwinter’s day – it was actually snowing. Named after a 16th-century poet (and no, I don’t know his work), from spring onwards it’s covered in luscious scented teacup-sized pink blooms, which always reminds me of that cold magical day in Creuse. Roses in the snow!
GORGE-OUS LANDSCAPE Travelling south you can see the River Creuse cutting its way through splendid tortuous gorges, which inspired Monet to lead the Impressionists to paint here. The heavily wooded Millevache plateau covers much of the Creuse and Corrèze. Naively, years ago I’d wondered if there were a thousand cattle grazing here, however, the name derives from the springs and freshwater lakes that abound in the area. Lac de Vassivière in the
southern Creuse stretches into Corrèze, and is one of the largest artificial lakes in France, encompassing more than a thousand hectares of water. It’s a mecca for boating; with everything from canoeing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding to more leisurely trips on flat-bottomed
boats called gabarres; you can drink in the beauty of the upper reaches of the Dordogne valley in the Corrèze. Gorgeous landscapes catch
your breath, as do the pretty towns. More than a few have been awarded official Plus Beaux Villages status.
STONEMASONS TO GO The Creuse has played an important part in building the fabric of France. Using local stone, artisans honed their expertise building local churches and cathedrals and, when seeking work, were ready to travel wherever their skills were needed. After the Napoleonic wars, Creuse menfolk set off each spring on an annual migration, walking to work in France’s great cities, taking their dialect, customs and food with them before returning in November. Such was their expertise they became famed throughout France and these skills are still required – notably in rebuilding Notre-Dame Cathedral. The architecture draws on
locally sourced golden or grey stone. One glorious exception, famous throughout France, is Collonges-la-Rouge, a medieval village known for its red sandstone buildings – it’s like a fairytale. They say location is
€246,100
TRADITIONAL FARMHOUSE The Millevaches Regional Park is the area for lovers of nature and sport with walking, cycling and horse-riding trails. There’s cross- country skiing in winter and the most amazing views – you can see as far as Cantal and Mont-Dore, where you can ski! Set in a quiet hamlet close to St-Setiers, this stone farmhouse comes with over 16 acres of forest, meadow, grazing and heathland. Traditional stone and wood features have been retained, with generous living spaces, four spacious bedrooms and gîte potential in the outbuildings. It has charm, space and bags of opportunity.
everything and Collonges first prospered in the Middle Ages as the ideal stop on the trade route between Lyon and Bordeaux – ‘Build it and they will come’. With narrow winding streets, half-timbered houses, medieval towers, tiled roofs, mullioned windows, carved wooden doors and – of course – red sandstone walls, you will want to visit more than once. Another famous town
in Corrèze is Beaulieu-sur- Dordogne. It really says it all in the name, sited in a wooded
valley on the banks of the upper Dordogne river, it’s beautiful – not least when it hosts the strawberry festival, which takes place on the second weekend of May each year.
STEP BACK IN TIME A walk through the old town’s cobbled streets, huddled around the old Romanesque- style Benedictine abbey, which dates back to the 12th century, really takes you back in time. And when you stand across the river and see the reflections of
4 FRENCH PROPERTY NEWS:March/April 2025 39
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