The harsh economic times have hit hard, leaving the cash strapped owner of Courbefy footing a bill they couldn’t afford, the end result being that you could buy yourself a whole village incorporating 19 buildings, tennis courts, a swimming pool and even a town hall. All for the price of a London flat.
The original villagers began to leave in the 1970s when agricultural jobs became more and more sparse. An attempt to turn the little village in to a holiday destination failed to reverse its ailing fortunes and after the owner went bankrupt it found itself up for sale. If a buyer is not found then its defaults to Credit Agricole Bank.
“To see it now is just heartbreaking,” says Robert Mallfont, who lives nearby and remembers the village’s heyday. “To see the neglect, destruction and vandalism.”
So rather than sitting round one boozy night weighing up the merits of pooling together and buying your own pub, why not go one stage further and buy your very own French village.
Photo: YouTube.
