One look at this turreted house in north-west France and I had to buy it

Born in New Delhi, India, Justin Wescombe has spent most of his life travelling the world, living in Asia, Australia, America and the Middle East. 

In Europe, he has lived in La Celle-Saint-Cloud outside Paris, and in Geneva, where his adult children now live and work. 

Once Justin decided to move from Geneva, it was a matter of deciding where to live next - and a chance encounter led to an unusual property.

“I have always had an affinity for France, particularly the Loire”, says Justin, “so this seemed as good a place to live as any. 

“At first, my house-hunting was broad. I am a complete townie, so the only criteria I have is that I have to be able to walk to get a coffee. 

“I started looking at houses in Nantes, but it quickly became clear that I didn’t want to live in the suburbs of a large town with endless traffic jams. 

“One Saturday morning, fed up with looking at properties, I decided to catch a train to have lunch in Chinon, a town on the River Loire roughly between Angers and Tours.”

However, for no apparent reason, Justin instead got off the train at Saumur. 

“I walked into town to Place Saint-Pierre and found it was market day. I was hooked. 

“Sitting on the terrace of what is now Café de la Ville, I asked the patron if she knew of any houses for sale. She pointed out one just around the corner. 

That was Saturday lunchtime. I viewed the house, checked into a local hotel and started the buying process on the Monday morning.” 

Packed full of history

The property that Justin fell in love with is an elegant stone building that dates from at least the 1400s. 

Town records indicate it was once the greffe de la sénéchaussée, where the day-to-day management of the nearby chateau occurred, and this property once formed part of the thick walls that protected the town and the castle from would-be intruders. 

The iconic Chateau de Saumur stands on a hill overlooking the town and is built from the same white stone, known as tuffeau, which is quarried locally and is characteristic of the area. 

“This property has two turrets”, Justin says, “and a bit of research suggests that these were used as lookout posts for the gates in centuries gone by. 

“There are also two fireplaces in the great hall, which is now the main living space, and these date from the same era as the property, so they are probably over 500 years old.”

Other original features include the vast wooden beams on each level, and beautiful oak doors leading off the staircase. 

“These doors have carved panels that are incredibly detailed, they’re a work of art and you wonder who carved them all those years ago.”

Justin says that living in such a historic property poses endless questions. 

“Whose hands have touched the door that you are opening? Who scratched their initials in the walls and why? What was going on in their lives that meant they had the time to scratch on the walls in the deepest cellar here?

“And another one: what is the space that can be glimpsed through a crack in the wall on the lower floor? Saumur certainly has a lot of underground wine cellars and tunnels but it’s not one of those.” 

Moving with the times

Justin has his own wine cellar or cave, and another underground space used for storage and utilities. 

The main entrance is around the corner from the market square, with a hallway that leads into a self-contained apartment on the ground floor with three bedrooms – useful when Justin’s children come to stay. 

The spiral stone staircase leads up to a spacious grand hall with exposed beams, views on both sides and two grand fireplaces. 

Also on this floor is the kitchen – rather more modern than anything the original occupants could have imagined. 

Another staircase leads up to the top floor, where there are two further bedrooms, a study and a bathroom.

“Just off the staircase by the study, there is a door that opens onto a roof terrace,” says Justin. 

“It’s not a huge space but it is a great bonus for a property right in the centre of town. I’ll be honest, I didn’t even know that I had an outdoor space when I first signed for the house, so that was a pleasant surprise!”

Justin is happy that his spontaneous decision to stop in Saumur led to his finding this historic home, a short walk from the café, pubs, restaurants and weekly market. 

“My French is not the best but it can still take 20 minutes to walk across Place Saint-Pierre as I stop to chat with so many people.

"I have a history of moving around but this is a great spot and, certainly for the time being, it is home.”