Saint-Céré, Midi-Pyrénées 46400

A medieval manor, redesigned in the 18th century, perched upon a plateau in France's Quercy province with a sweeping view of the River Dordogne. The manor stands where lanes cross paths, upon the Gramat plateau, where it enjoys a commanding position with views of the entire Dordogne valley. Indeed, the panoramic vista stretches to the Auvergne hills and the Chteau de Castelnau-Bretenoux. Over time, the hamlet provided the manor with outbuildings, before its population dwindled. Today, the hamlet still includes a little farm, which is in business and produces walnuts. This farm lies beside the property. With its elegant dovecote tower, the property brings together, in a harmonious L-shaped arrangement, a main section and a series of little dwellings, once inhabited by the estate's 40 vineyard workers and artisan coopers. So a self-sufficient life of labour was enjoyed on the site. The protective enclosure formed by the layout of buildings bears witness to the estate's small, hard-working community of yesteryear, at once focused on its own world and open to the world around it. The hamlet was already indicated on the Cassini Map - the first detailed map of France - so we know it existed before 1789. Yet arrow slits low down in the walls and the remains of a spiral staircase suggest that a fortification stood here before, doubtless during the Hundred Years' War. The same family inhabited the manor from 1600 to 1785, as dates engraved here and there tell us. The edifice took on its current form at the start of the 18th century, when there was a drive to make fortresses more comfortable and brighter. Later, in the early 20th century, it was modernised with electricity and upper-middle-class comfort. During the Second World War, the manor, with its hamlet, formed an important site for the French Resistance, for which it served as a prime look-out. The manor was then neglected unjustly. But it was restored at the end of the 20th century and the current owners later created the warm, welcoming atmosphere that it offers today. All around the property, there is a natural backdrop with delightful luxuriance in the summer - this lush decor is the centrepiece of the site, which enjoys absolute privacy, nestled in France's beautiful Quercy province.