Gascony in the Gers

In a charming riverside village with a school, a listed church, and a well-stocked shop/bar is this  exceptional house with  a tiled swimming pool and mature, landscaped grounds of 5000m².  Within the grounds is a second house in perfect order. The property has been in the ownership of the same family for many years. Several family members are architects and the high quality of the renovation reflects their professional flair and good taste.

The property is conveniently situated, being about an hour from Pau Airport, with its daily flight to London, and about 1 hour, 45 minutes from Bordeaux, Toulouse, the Atlantic Coast, the ski resorts and the Spanish border.

Accommodation: 935m²; second house with 150m² of living space; extensive covered terracing; garage and utility areas.

The house faces south onto an area of lawn and a wide, gravelled entrance drive. The property is entered through tall iron gates set between stone pillars. After crossing the gravelled forecourt the drive passes under a deep archway which leads to the  garaging and rear entrance. The entire grounds are walled so, despite its village setting, the house is secluded. It is very comfortably appointed and has full oil-fired central heating with a separate system for the second house.

Ground Floor

¨     Double, semi-glazed entrance doors open into an attractive hall, 30m², with large open fireplace, dressed stone walls, stone floor, carved beams and recess with polished wood staircase.

¨     To the right of the hall is a bureau, 12m², with window, colour-washed walls and ornamental plaster ceiling.

¨     Cloakroom with wc, basin and mirrored clothes cupboard.

¨     To the left of the hall is the salon, 42m², with ornamental plaster ceiling, two windows and fabric-lined walls.

¨     Archway to the "great hall", 90m²: a spectacular space, currently used as a dining room with French windows opening to the winter terrace, on the left and the summer terrace on the right. There is a second staircase, huge exposed beams, an inset fireplace, a cathedral ceiling and a galleried mezzanine with windows at first floor level.

¨     Kitchen/breakfast room, 32m², fitted with an extensive range of good-quality, cream-painted, Shaker-style units with mosaic-tiled worktops. The equipment includes a built-in open fire for indoor barbecues, two Scholtes 4-burner hobs - one electric and one gas - oven, dishwasher, double sink, extractor and large windows overlooking the summer terrace.

¨     Music Room, 42m², a lovely, light room with three windows and a pair of French windows to the front garden.

¨     Guest Apartment (1) comprising:

      Bedroom (1), 39m², with two windows, French windows, door to dressing room, door 

      to shower room with shower, basin and wc  

      Kitchen, 10m², with basic units, large original cupboard and French windows to              

      winter terrace. This apartment could be extended by including the adjacent music                               

      room.

¨     Guest Apartment (2) comprising:

      Ground floor living room, 21m², with external door, French windows to garden and    

      stairs to galleried landing.     

      From the landing, doors lead to the living room, 20m², the bedroom (8), 17m², and a    .     dressing area opening into a shower room with shower, basin and wc.

¨     Winter garden, 56m², an elegant internal garden with planted area, sitting area, bar, white-painted beams, fully-glazed doors opening towards the swimming pool and two large Velux windows.

¨     Old farm kitchen, 37.5m², with huge open fireplace and sunken seating area - currently used for winter barbeques.

¨     Opening from the farm kitchen are the laundry room and wine cellar.

¨     Other utility rooms serve as changing rooms, boiler house, covered terrace for the pool, pool equipment room and shower room with shower, basin and wc.

¨     The covered terraces are a particularly attractive feature of the ground floor:

¨     Winter terrace, 44m², a west-facing "L"-shaped covered terrace with old terra-cotta tiles, exposed beams and revealed stonework.

¨     Summer terrace, 70m², an east-facing covered terrace with exposed beams, walls on three sides and a door communicating with the kitchen.

First Floor

¨     The most striking feature of the first floor is the galleried mezzanine which overlooks the great hall, providing a very attractive library area, 18m².

¨     Landing/sitting area, 18m² leading to:

¨     Studio, 43m², a bright, light room with 4 windows, two of which face north.

¨     Bedroom, (2), 20m², with 2 windows, door to dressing area and door to bathroom with bath, basin, bidet and wc.

¨     Bedroom (3), 14m², with window and door to bathroom.

¨     Bathroom with bath, wc and twin basins. This bathroom is shared with bedroom (4).

¨     Bedroom (4), 17m², with window and vestibule.

¨     Master suite: Bedroom (5), 35m², with two windows, bed on dais, large dressing room, adjacent sitting area "boudoir" 19m², with window, door to landing and door to large bathroom,13m², with bath, twin basins and separate area for the wc and bidet.

¨     Bedroom (6), 17m², with window.

¨     Bedroom (7), 14m², with window and door to shower room.

¨     Shower room with shower, wc and basin.

¨     Linen room, 8m², with fitted storage units.

¨     Family bathroom with bath, twin basins, bidet and separate wc.

Second Floor

¨     Large landing, 44m²,  with parquet floor, exposed beams and good range of cupboards.

¨     Bedroom (9), 33m² with small window, dormer window, exposed beams and "cabinet toilette" with basin and bidet.

¨     Bedroom (10), 21m², with small window, dormer window and exposed beams.

¨     Bedroom (11), 27m², with small window, dormer window and exposed beams.

¨     Large loft space.

Outside.

¨     Covered archway, 36m², linking the front garden to the rear garden.

¨     Garage, 30m².

¨     Swimming Pool, 11m x 6m.

¨     Lovely grounds, with mature specimen trees, lawns, flowerbeds and orchard. The total extending to 5000m².

Pavillion - Second House.

¨     This is a charming and beautifully converted two-bedroom house. It measures approximately 15m x 5m and comprises:

¨     Central hallway linking the dining room and the salon and opening into the small, well-equipped kitchen. Both downstairs rooms have fireplaces.

¨     An open staircase leads to two pretty bedrooms and a bathroom with a separate wc.