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The large residence of Monte au Lever in
« Les Grangettes » in the department of Doubs

Gîte de Monte au Lever - © Cyberiance 

This splendid house was built in 1910 by Louis Neyron (1856-1917), a French manufacturer from Lyon who founded the famous Rasurel hosiery in 1882.

At that time, it was one of the first holiday house in the Haut-Doubs.

It is situated in a 5 hectares park , on top of a hill, built against the forest, surrounded by pasture lands dominating the lake St Point below. There are 3 buildings, a large house, a smaller one and an outbuilding.

 

The architecture, the decoration as well as the furniture were designed by a famous French artist: Auguste Morisot » (1857-1951) who was also a teacher at the Fine -Arts Academy of Lyon.

This quiet and peaceful hermitage was built in the authentic and traditional style of the regional farms known as « Comtoise farms » and at dawn it captures the beauty of the first sunbeams.

Some characteristics of the « Art Nouveau » (as well as the Arts and Crafts Movement) were added in the decoration. The architect used lots of sculptured stones coming from the old Cistercian abbey of « Mont Ste Marie » (1199-1789) in the nearby village of Labergement Ste Marie.

Intérieur du gîte de Monte Au Lever - © Cyberiance The earthwork, the stonework and the framework were made by the « Comtois » people from the place; whereas the woodwork, the cabinet work and the metalwork were made by people from Lyon.

 

During the 3 months summer holidays, Mr Neyron's widow (1870-1962), for 50 years before she died, used to gather there all her family; her 4 children with their husbands, her 18 grandchildren and her numerous great grand-children as well as nephews and grand-nephews, all coming from Pontarlier, Lyon and Paris.

 

In 1970, the eldest of her grand-children, Blandine Pouzet (1914-1981) with her husband Robert Gindre (1906-1995) took possession of the estate of « Monte au Lever ». To help financing the project, they parcelled out and sold a part of the estate which was called « Champ de Veloutin »; they kept 2 hectares.

Blandine's sister and they bought the small house, now used as a secondary house by her children.

Le gîte de Monte au Lever, autre côté - © Cyberiance

Mr and Mrs Gindre kept the large house with its outbuilding. They restored the roof, set up central heating and bathrooms.

The eldest of the 5 sons, Rémi Geindre and his wife became their successors in 2003. As soon as July 2004, they decided to stay there permanently. During the winter of 2007/2008 they replaced the old oil-fired central heating by a wood-fire one, located in the outbuilding. They also created the lodging at the extreme end of the house.

 

In 2003, the whole main house and its outbuilding (both inside and outside) , the facades and the roof of the small house were registered as « Historical Monument ».

Since July 2008, the estate of « Monte au Lever » is opened to people with guided visits.But visitors have no access to the lodging as well as its private terrace ( it is not part of the visit).

Gîte de Monte au Lever
Catherine et Rémi GINDRE
3 chemin de Monte au Lever
25160 Les Grangettes

Tél. +33(0)6 86 89 23 12
cat.gindre_null@_nullfree_null.fr