Village house with its own ruin

1870s village house, fully refurbished, with 1,345 m² of flat garden and the Pyrenees on the horizon

Some houses ask for a project. This one asks only that you bring your books and put the kettle on.

Built in the 1870s and refurbished from top to bottom, it has kept everything worth keeping: the handsome staircase in the entrance hall, the original features that give old houses their character, and a fireplace with a wood-burning stove that will make winter something to look forward to. Everything else is new, comfortable and ready to use, so you can enjoy the charm of an old village house without the usual list of jobs that comes with it.

The heart of the house is the large, newly fitted kitchen and dining area, the kind of room where a quick coffee turns into lunch and dinner runs pleasantly late. Next to it, the spacious living room is made for long evenings, with a fire lit, a book open and nobody in any hurry.

Upstairs, the first floor has a generous landing and four bedrooms. The principal bedroom is large and comes with its own en-suite bathroom and dressing room. The second is a proper double, and the smaller room suits a child, a desk or a very good guest. Higher still, a shower room and a spacious loft wait to become whatever you like: a further bedroom, a cinema room, a studio, or a separate place for visitors you’re fond of, but not at breakfast. The space is there, and so is the potential.

Outside, some 1,345 m² of flat, easy-going land is dotted with mature trees, shrubs and terraces, each one placed for sitting, sipping and staring at the Cagire and the Pyrenees beyond. The views stretch over the hamlet and the countryside to the mountains, and they change with the light and the season. The garden is private, peaceful and intimate, designed for people who would rather enjoy it than manage it.

Then there is the neighbour. Next door stand the atmospheric remains of a historic village ruin, including the surviving tower of the 15th-century Château de la Commère. It gives the house a sense of history that no estate agent could invent, and it is quiet, undemanding and has never once complained about the noise. There are also a few living neighbours close by, which is reassuring, though they have fewer battlements.

Well placed…The house sits in the heart of protected countryside, surrounded by fields and mountains, yet daily life is easy. Aspet is 5–10 minutes away for the essentials, and Saint-Gaudens, with its wider choice of shops and services, is about 20 minutes. The A64 is 10–15 minutes away, taking you to Toulouse in about an hour, and Tarbes is about the same. In the other direction, the ski resorts and the Spanish border are each roughly 45 minutes away, so a quiet week and an adventurous weekend can happen without changing address.

Equally suited to a permanent family home, a second home or a country retreat, and easy to look after whichever it becomes.

Viewings recommended. The view is better in person.