Traditional Rustic Farmhouse

Description

Traditional Family Farmhouse in the Tarn with private Pool

This traditional farmhouse is charming and spacious and is set in beautiful countryside.

The house itself is rustic and comfortable, and is equipped to cater for your every need. The garden overlooks farmland and has spectacular views over rolling countryside with the Pyrenees in the distance. The swimming pool is in a secluded position, nestling in the side of the hill, surrounded by a tiled sun terrace with loungers. There is a patio in an elevated position overlooking the pool which enjoys some shade, and is an ideal refreshments area. Mature trees to the front and side of the house also provide a cool, shady haven to escape the heat at midday.
Ground Floor
•Entrance hall - with large sweeping galleried oak staircase.
•Bedroom 4 - Double bed, wardrobe, built in cupboard, chairs, traditional red stone floor, window overlooking front garden.
•Dining room - Traditional red stone floor, inglenook fireplace, large farmhouse table and chairs (seating 14), two leather armchairs and a 3 seater leather sofa, sideboard and crockery cupboard. Colour TV with English and French satellite, DVD, hi-fi system, window overlooking front garden.
•Kitchen - Tiled floor, double sink and draining board, large American-style fridge/freezer , dishwasher, microwave, cooker, washing machine, filter coffee machine, and a large range of kitchen equipment and utensils, window to rear.
•Shower room - With shower, hand basin and toilet, window to rear.

First Floor
•Large landing - with table and chairs, window overlooking front garden.
•Bedroom 1 - with double bed and 2 single beds, cot, wardrobe, chest of drawers. This is a very spacious room and features a red stone floor, window overlooking front garden.
•Bedroom 2 - with double bed, bunk beds, wardrobe and dressing table. This room is situated on the corner of the house, with a double aspect, making it a light and airy room, parquet flooring, windows overlooking front garden and open countryside.
•Bedroom 3 - with double bed, bunk beds, wardrobe. Situated at the rear of the house, this is a cosy room with traditional French parquet flooring, window to rear.
•Bathroom - bath with shower rail, hand basin, toilet, bidet, built-in wardrobe. This is a spacious room that is en suite to the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms.

This property does not provide bath and pool towels, but cotton sheets, duvets and pillows are provided.

Pets are welcome but there is a supplement of £50 for the duration of your stay.

The Garden

Measuring about half-an-acre, bordered by open fields, various shrubs and mature trees, giving shade on hot summer days.
•Swimming Pool - The 12m x 6m pool wholly exclusive use and south facing overlooks breath-taking views. There is also a babies' paddling pool and a solar-heated shower, sun loungers, table and chairs with parasol. There is excellent lighting round the pool for midnight swim enthusiasts! The pool is for the use of guests only and is fully maintained throughout the season (May to mid October). The pool area and pool terraces is entirely fenced off with entrance gates with double action locks.
•Patio - This overlooks the pool and features a round stone built table and seating with cushions.
•BBQs - There is a gas barbecue and also a traditional charcoal stone barbecue.
•Garden Furniture - There are several garden tables, chairs and parasols.
•Bicycles - Keen cyclists are advised to take their own.
•Barn - open plan. This is a detached building and it is used for storing summer furniture and firewood etc.

Sunbeds, parasols. Gas BBQ as well as Charcoal BBQ with dining area overlooking the Pool.
At Les Passets, you're in the perfect position for peace and quiet, but all the amenities, market towns, historical bastides (fortified towns) and a bustling nightlife are only a drive away. The nearest village of Briatexte, about 5 minutes drive or a 15 minute cycle ride, you will find a supermarket Casino which will cater for your basic provisions and is open on Sunday, bakeries, Chemist, cafe, doctor, post office and dentist can be found. It also has medieval couvert area where art exhibitions, concerts and local festival gatherings are held throughout the year.

To find one of the super-duper French supermarkets, you need to drive just another 5 minutes on the road to Graulhet, where there's a LeClerc and a SuperU.

Places to Visit

Lavaur is the nearest town, about 5 miles away, where you'll find a large Intermarche and Super U supermarkets, but you'll enjoy visiting the local shops for all the local specialties. There's an excellent poissonnerie (fishmongers) called Neptune where you can pick up today's catch for the barbecue as well as butchers, bakers, delicatessen and many boutiques, and don't miss market day on Saturday morning where you can mingle with the locals, practice your French, absorb the colours, smells and atmosphere, and find some excellent bargains. Lavaur also has a magnificent cathedral which features the red brickwork that's very traditionnal of the Tarn region. Along with many street cafes, there are a selection of good restaurants. Two of our favourites are the Pizzeria Calcio, which is ideal for an inexpensive family night out, and outside Lavaur Le Colvert - first class food and service with outside shaded terrace, and very reasonably priced. There's also a tourist office in Lavaur. Gaillac, on the river Tarn is 15 minutes away with twice weekly market, lovely boutiques, cafes and restaurants with terraces in the shade under the trees, a cinema, wine museum and many historical places of interest.

You'll enjoy visiting the many nearby towns and villages. A must trip is to Albi, about 30 minutes drive, the capital city of the Tarn region with its famous Romanesque cathedral overlooking the river Tarn. The birthplace of Toulouse-Lautrec, here you will find in a museum dedicated to the artist the world's largest collection of the artist's work. Walking along it's pretty cobbled streets, you'll soon discover this is a shopper's paradise and a gourmet's delight.

If it is bastides you are interested in, Lautrec, Castelnau de Montmiral, Puycelci, Bruniquel and Cordes to name but a few, are on the doorstep. A little further afield, Cahors, Castres, and Carcassonne are steeped in history and have picture postcard settings. We've spent many enjoyable evenings here, sitting at pavement cafes, watching the world go by.

Last but not least make sure you have time to visit Toulouse, the Capital of French rugby and capital of the region (Occitania) it is less than an hour away. Cosmopolitan and enthusiastic the " Ville Rose" joyously mixes heritage and lifestyle, great cultural events and festival pleasures. Toulouse is an absolute must for everyone. At once both modern and proud of the legacy of its past, open and radiant, you are bound to be seduced by the incomparable Toulousain lifestyle, coupled with the wealth of its cultural heritage. Your stay in Toulouse will certainly be a time of great pleasure. Toulouse is a city to satisfy the taste of every enthusiast of the arts. Classical concerts, lyrical art, jazz, variety and electro-acoustic music. Of all the French provincial cities, Toulouse has one of the most intensely cultural calendars. In Toulouse, gastronomy is part of the lifestyle. Eating well is of the utmost importance. Toulouse is as lively by night as by day. Nearby Spain has passed on its taste for long festive evenings. Great encounters, concerts, and festivals or simply a desire to enjoy, any excuse will do to get together and have fun with all the city's night-time pleasures.

From the Garonne to the Canal du Midi, and from Saint Sernin Cathedral to the Cité de l'espace, the many different faces of Toulouse invite visitors to come on a journey of discovery. For the Art enthusiast there are numerous churches, museums and galleries, and may be navigate on the Garonne river or the canals.

Cycling: Bikes may be hired locally. The terrain is undulating with some steep hills, at the top of many of which is a fortified village with a bar and café.

Canoeing, Kayaking: Canoeing on the River Tarn at Ambialet [a 45-minute drive] is excellent, just tricky enough for those with experience but safe enough for children