The House
and Garden
An elegant but friendly house in a hill-top village, sleeping 12/14 in 8 bedrooms, with a secluded garden, pool and view.
This elegant but friendly 18th century stone house stands near the church in the peaceful heart of a medieval Gascon hill-top village on the pilgrim route to Compostella. Opposite the front door is the late medieval Halle (now only used for the occasional village fete), while the principal rooms are at the rear with views south. The house has been carefully restored (winning French prizes) and retains its original features and charm.
- Large well-equipped kitchen with utility room off
- Charming booked-lined drawing-room with open fire for winter months
- Dining-room with terracotta floor seating 14-plus
- Small sitting-room with TV
- DVD and games
- Large hall
- En–suite double bedroom
- Separate ground floor WC
No steps throughout the ground floor, including the bedroom and its bathroom, making this particularly suitable for the elderly, though watch out for the uneven terracotta-tiled kitchen floor!
The kitchen has 2 ovens: one electric, the other gas; fridge, dishwasher, microwave, toaster, food-processor; and is equipped for cooking for large groups as well as small; cutlery/plates intended to cater for 20 people. The long kitchen table is for informal eating or food preparation. In the utility room next door there’s a large fridge/freezer, washing machine, ironing facilities, and drying area. The rental price includes, in addition to readying the house before your arrival, a 3 hour visit by our cleaner during the week (additional time by private arrangement)
First Floor:
- 4 large double bedrooms (2 en suite)
- 1 single bedroom
- Another bathroom
- 2 further WCs.
- The Master bedroom and its bathroom are particularly large.
Top Floor:
- 2 bedrooms (1 with a double bed, the other 2 singles)
- Shower room and W.C.
Around the House
The house is in the historic centre of the village, near the church and opposite the old Halle, but it’s very private, with a high wall round the garden making it safe for small children as well as secluded. Being a hill-top village the house and upper garden have views southwards over rolling country. The terrace with its arbour of wisteria gives shade at lunchtime, and it’s a delightful spot in the evening as the sun sets or for evening meals.
Below the upper garden (the house is on the line of the old bastide wall) steps in attractive local Lectoure stone lead down to the pool, which is treated with salt and measures 10 metres x 5 metres. The pool area, also in Lectoure stone, gets the sun most of the day. It can be shut off for safety.
There are further sitting areas round the pool, beneath olive trees, and under a tiled roof beside the pool, providing protection from the sun in the daytime and a candlelit corner for late night swimmers. In addition to the upper garden and pool area below the house, across a small lane there’s another garden with grass and fruit trees for sitting out, eating, children playing etc. And according to season it has very good cherries, green and black figs, and other fruit.
The house has its own garage alongside, and parking is also permitted anywhere in the village. The garage contains BBQ equipment, and a supply of wood for the open fires in the house during winter.