Country property

Location, Location, Location… and This Time We Mean It

Estate agents have been saying it for decades, but in this case, wow. Truly, wow.

Set in the most glorious countryside imaginable, with not a close neighbour in sight, this very special stone farmhouse dates from the 1700s and has been lovingly restored by its current owners. It is now presented in immaculate condition, with nothing left to do but unpack and pour yourself something chilled.

The House

Five bedrooms and four bathrooms (all of them practical, all of them spotless) mean everyone gets their own space, and nobody queues on the landing.

• Kitchen: modern and fully fitted with integral appliances, a beamed ceiling and a door opening straight onto the garden. Perfect for carrying the morning coffee outside.
• Sitting room: a log burning stove and French doors, for cosy winter evenings and long summer ones.
• Snug/study: a quieter retreat, equally suited to working from home or hiding from the family with a good book.
• Dining room: smart and welcoming, with ancient beams that have witnessed a few centuries of good dinners and are ready for plenty more.
• Store rooms: various, and full of potential. Home gym, workshop, extra accommodation… the choice is yours.

Double glazing and oil central heating keep things comfortable year-round, and a huge investment over the last few years means the hard work has already been done. We can’t stress this enough: just the unpacking to do.

Outside, the Magic Really Starts

Set in around four and a half hectares of land, there is space here for a small holding, a few horses, or simply an awful lot of peace and quiet. Whatever you fancy, it’s all doable.

An attached barn and further store rooms offer yet more scope, while the covered terrace is made for al fresco dining, long lunches and watching the sun go down over your very own countryside.

If peace and quiet is what you’re after, and the hard work is already done, this takes some beating.

Local Information

Nearest villages with restaurants

• Le Verdier: 5 minutes
• Castelnau-de-Montmiral: 10 minutes
• Cordes-sur-Ciel: 20 minutes. A medieval gem with a popular Saturday market, cafés, art galleries, an outstanding boulangerie and pâtisserie, and a family-run shop. Dentist, pharmacy and doctors are also on hand.

Further afield

• Gaillac: 20 minutes. Fabulous Friday and Sunday markets, restaurants and shops, including large supermarkets. The autoroute runs north towards Paris and south to Toulouse, and on to the ski resorts of the Pyrenees.
• Albi: 20 minutes. Capital of the Tarn, with its magnificent cathedral, the Toulouse-Lautrec museum and fabulous restaurants.
• Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val: a great place to visit, with a fabulous Sunday market.
• Toulouse International Airport: 55 minutes

Viewing is highly recommended. Fair warning: you may find yourself mentally unpacking before you’ve left the driveway.