Superb Character Gite: Private Heated Pool and Unspoilt Views over Gascony
In The Heart Of The Armagnac Region, Close To Châteaux And Four Of France's "plus Beaux Villages"
Sleeps 8 (4 Double Bedrooms) + baby
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Equidistant from Biarritz, Bordeaux and Toulouse, SW France, Au Chicot was converted by architects from a rustic Gascon farmhouse, barns and stable. With gorgeous 270° views, enjoyed from most windows too, it is now a delightful, light, spacious home. Sleeping 8 plus baby and very well-planned, it provides perfect privacy for two groups sharing. Beautiful beams, high ceilings, fireplaces, solid wood floors and exposed stone walls are complemented by a careful blend of quality antique and modern furniture, plus all the equipment you’ll need to feel totally at home. Close to commerce (pretty Condom 8 mins) and the St Jacques de Compostela pilgrim route, Au Chicot attracts adventure seekers, creatives, gourmets, nature and history lovers - plus readers and floppers! Your dream French holiday retreat. Please visit our own website (domain name below) for interactive floor plans, much more about the house and area, travel options plus useful links - and photo gallery for masses more images!
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 31 March 2012 - 27 April 2012 | £1100 | 7 | ||
| 28 April 2012 - 25 May 2012 | £1200 | 7 | ||
| 26 May 2012 - 1 June 2012 | £1400 | 7 | ||
| 2 June 2012 - 8 June 2012 | £1500 | 7 | ||
| 9 June 2012 - 15 June 2012 | £1600 | 7 | ||
| 21 June 2012 - 27 June 2012 | £1800 | 2 | ||
| 28 June 2012 - 11 July 2012 | £1900 | 2 | ||
| 12 July 2012 - 29 August 2012 | £2100 | 2 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 7 September 2012 | £1800 | 1 | ||
| 8 September 2012 - 14 September 2012 | £1700 | 1 | ||
| 15 September 2012 - 28 September 2012 | £1500 | 1 | ||
| 29 September 2012 - 26 October 2012 | £1300 | 1 |
Changeover day
Saturday changeovers are possible outside school summer holidays for your short break, including (UK) half-term holidays; for other changeover days, do ask. During the main season, arrival day is Thursday, for better deals with flights and crossings.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Built-in wardrobes in all rooms. Beds 1/2 (GF and 1stF) have triple aspect/panoramic views + large double bed (160cms). Beds 3/4 are twin rooms but beds can be joined to create a 'Super king' bed (180cm); these have pretty views to the orchard and vines. |
| Bathrooms: | Four bathrooms: bedrooms 1, 2 and 3 each have an en suite 'wetroom', basin and WC. The family bathroom is on the first floor, and has a bath with shower over, basin and WC. Heated towel rails in all. Separate downstairs cloakroom with WC and basin. |
| Kitchen: | See 'Amenities'. Exposed stone, lovely beams. Solid wood units and work surfaces with central island. Tiled floor. Pretty table+chairs seating 6. Leather sofa facing views + French doors onto terrace. Large Smeg oven/gas hob. Satellite TV, CD/DVD player. |
| Utility Room: | Directly off the kitchen, this houses the washing machine, tumble dryer, a large second fridge/freezer, iron, ironing board, cleaning equipment, containers for recycling plus shelving for cleaning products. Storage is not a problem anywhere at Au Chicot! |
| Living Rooms: | The beautiful salon opens onto the terrace. There's a super table and chairs seating 10 generously; two sofas and armchairs for 8 grouped around the coffee table and woodburning stove, and a Sony 40" flat-screen TV for enjoying French channels, DVDs/CDs. |
| Other: | The welcoming entrance hall has a fireplace and woodburning stove, cloak cupboard, antique farmhouse table, mirror plus original quaint staircase to first floor landing, a pretty space leading to two delightful bedrooms (one en-suite) and family bathroom. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Final clean, quality towels/bed-linen included, plus fresh linen delivered weekly. Pool towels available for guests travelling by plane. Babysitting, extra cleaning and catering possible; our local trilingual caretaker (English, French, Dutch) is on call. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove oven fridge/freezer microwave dishwasher washing machine tumble dryer iron/ironing board satellite tv tv telephone internet access room fans cot high chair barbecue private pool (for sole use of guests) pool heating |
| Location Type: |
Notes on accommodation
Most kitchen gadgetry that you will need is provided - even the oyster knife, fish poacher and foie gras cutter! There’s a great selection of cookbooks too. As well as a mini food processor, a steriliser, highchair and plastic mugs are provided for babies, plus two cots (an excellent quality wooden cot and a travel cot) and bedding, stair gate, changing mat, baby bath and monitor. Please note that there are ceiling fans in all main rooms. You’ll find lots of games and jigsaws in the salon, plus masses and masses of books, videos, DVDs, and CDs to please all tastes. Bedroom 3 now offers an additional TV for playing DVDs, so no more squabbles about what to watch! In the hangar is a retractable washing line for those towels and cozzies, plus boules set, badminton and outdoor table tennis equipment. For lots more information on the property and the area, picture gallery, floor plans and guestbook, do please visit our website - see contact details - or you're welcome to email or call us.
Accessibility
Au Chicot’s doors are wide enough for some electric wheelchairs, and perfect for those with independent but limited mobility. A level walk to the front door and straight in. Off the hall (one shallow step to access it) is a bedroom with en-suite wet room: ideal as both are spacious. The rest of the ground floor is level save for a single shallow step from kitchen/breakfast room to salon. There are no steps from house to terrace. Do please enquire for more information, eg access to the pool.
Outside
The house stands at the head of a little plateau, private but not isolated. As you relax or swim, enjoy sweeping views across a gently rolling, unspoilt (pylon free!) landscape: tiny hamlets, sunflowers, vineyards, magical sunrises, dramatic sunsets, the armagnac Château de Cassaigne illuminated by night, and boundless starlit skies. Au Chicot's 3 acres of land include a small orchard with picnic bench, large level lawned area and field. The pool, heated to a cosy 27°, is 11 x 5m, with Roman steps and an electrically operated cover for security.
Accessed from the kitchen and salon, the terrace has lighting, parasol, teak table and chairs seating 8, Weber Q gas barbecue and is bordered by a range of herbs and cheery tubs of geraniums. Close to the pool is a huge, beamed, open barn, ideal for shaded games of table tennis and badminton; it has a retractable clothes line, plus a storage area for pool toys and loungers. Soft floodlighting creates a romantic mood after sundown.
Coast/Beach
The Atlantic coast is a pleasant 2.5 hour drive - eg Mimizan Plage, or Biarritz for surfing. Just south, the port of St Jean de Luz is well worth a day trip. Closer to home there are numerous lakes with beaches, many offering water slides, windsurfing, fishing, and rivers for boating (trips or to hire) and canoeing. 40 mins drive away is Walibi Aquitaine, near Agen, a huge water/theme park with activities for all ages, plus shops and a range of restaurants, special events and shows in summer.
Golf
All courses have restaurants with good value menus. Fee concessions on some courses. * Nearest golf-course is the beautiful wooded 18-hole championship course, Golf de Guinlet, 15 mins, close to the market town of Eauze, and considered the best in the area. * Over the border in Lot-et-Garonne is the 18-hole course, Golf d'Albret at Barbaste, 35 mins. Unique, fortified mill, the Moulin-des-Tours nearby. * For 9 challenging holes, try Golf de Fleurance, 35 mins. * The delightful 18-hole course, Golf d'Auch-Embats, near Auch, 35 mins, has a superb restaurant. * The Golf de Pallanne, recently upgraded to 18 holes, winds around an 18C chateau, with the Pyrenees forming a backdrop. Near Marciac, 60 mins. * The 18-hole course, Golf de Gascogne, is located at the cheerful bastide of Masseube, 60 mins. * Just into the Landes, is the 18-hole Golf de Mont de Marsan. One for every day of the week, and even getting there will be a pleasure. Golfing heaven!
Travel
Nearest airports serving Au Chicot are Toulouse, Lourdes/Tarbes, Pau and Bordeaux (bet. 1 1/2 - 2 hrs), and Bergerac, Biarritz and Carcassonne ( 2 - 2 1/2 hrs). From Calais, the drive is 9 1/2 hrs approx, and from St Malo 7 hrs. Excellent rail links via TGV to Agen. A car will be necessary to access amenities and do justice to the region's many wonderful places of beauty and interest.
Distances
For full commerce, Condom is 8 - 10 mins. Gondrin and Valence-sur-Baise, both 8 mins, offer bakeries, butcher, bank etc. The morning markets at Éauze (Thurs) and Vic Fezensac (Fri) 20-25 mins are great fun, as indeed are Condom's (Wed and Sat). Auch, the departmental capital, is 40 mins. As for things to see and do, despite Au Chicot’s tucked away location you'll find heaps close by to suit all ages and tastes without it becoming a military exercise. Please see below, then check our website!
Further details
Au Chicot sits on an elevated site surrounded by fields of sunflowers and maize, and vineyards. It is right in the heart of the world's Armagnac growers. Just a level (1km) stroll away between vines is the beautiful Château de Busca-Maniban, a prominent Armagnac producer and regarded as the finest example of 17thC architecture in Gascony; you'll be welcomed for a tour and tastings. Four of France's officially listed 'most beautiful villages' are within 20 - 30 minutes drive: Lavardens, Montréal, tiny moated Larressingle, and our favourite, picture perfect Fourcès.
Condom, (8 - 10 mins,) is a delightful, small town on the River Baise and business centre for the Armagnac industry. There are two supermarkets on the outskirts, and many great little shops and restaurants in the town centre including one with a Michelin star. In the square is its elegant cathedral, and on Weds and Sats the market is held there. Éauze, (20 - 25 mins) and another lovely town, is the trade centre for the Armagnac industry.
The region offers lakes for fishing/water sports, excellent golf courses, a racing circuit at Nogaro, the river Baïse for boating, water parks including Parc Walibi, the major theme park (35 mins,) museums galore, antique and bric-a-brac centres,Armagnac châteaux and wine producers to visit. In summer especially, the region is alive with festivals, concerts, and exhibitions. Year round, the Gers is ideal hiking country and the main St Jacques de Compostela pilgrim route through the region is very close by. And of course the area attracts cyclists, so BYO, or hire them from the cycle hire shop in Condom. Painters and photographers are drawn to the Gers for its beauty, enchanting little bastide (fortified) villages and clear air. Foodies will find a market somewhere nearby every day of the week, and there is a surprising number of excellent restaurants within 30 minutes or less, as well as those offering the more simple, traditional hearty Gascon fare at very low cost.
Booking notes
To secure your reservation, a non-refundable deposit of 25% of the rental total is required. Balance to be paid at least 8 weeks prior to holiday start date, plus a deposit (returnable) of £200 per week of stay against accidental damage, loss, or non-local calls. In the summer, priority is given to bookings of 2 weeks or more. Please check our website for lots more images and info, and email us or phone with additional queries: we'd be happy to help!
Guest comments
There before us, my sister announced "it's incredible!" The house has been restored lovingly, decorated classically and beautifully and everything is impeccably maintained. It is surrounded by gorgeous views of vineyards and fields, is private and quiet yet only a few minutes from Condom. We couldn't have asked for more gracious hosts. An amazing stay.(We're drinking our Busca-Maniban Armagnac to remind us!) IC, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Having just spent an idyllic 3 weeks at Au Chicot, we’re already planning our next trip. Gascony was everything we hoped for and the house is absolutely stunning - impossible to do it justice either in words or photos. I don't think you could get closer to the dream we all have of French country living! DH, London, UK
Au Chicot exceeded its description and was one of the most atmospheric, comfortable, and well-sited houses in which we have stayed. It was hard to leave this magical place within the rural paradise of the Gers. RG, St Augustine, FL, USA
Owner profile
Jane, on a stay at Au Chicot!
About the owner
My husband Ron and I live near Cambridge, where Ron works but is looking forward to retiring early, economics permitting. Home here is a relatively compact townhouse with postage stamp garden, so when I'm at Au Chicot the sense of liberation, inside and out is fantastic: I never walk if I can run!
We bought the property at the end of 2004 and began letting the following May. We need to do so, but sharing our second home and caring for our guests has brought far more fun and enjoyment than worry. Almost all have been delightful, and receiving their feedback after their stay is fantastically rewarding.
Year purchased: 2004
Why the owner chose a home in this location
I was taken by the Gers as soon as I set foot there - it was an area I'd wanted to visit ever since a Brit agent told me on the phone when we were first looking that 'if she were searching (she owned a property further north) she'd focus on the Gers'. It sounded special.
Ron was drawn to the idea of a coastal home so instead, we bought a tiny cottage on the Cote d'Azur - very different - but sold to our immediate neighbours after only 4 years when we realised that all that glisters is not gold! We still have a soft spot for that little stretch of the Var, which in comparative terms remains relatively unspoilt but on balance, 'real France' is where we love to spend our time, for the contrast it provides to our lives in the UK.
Gascony's good for the soul!
Unique benefits of the property
Though tucked away in the hills and private, Au Chicot doesn't feel "isolated". We have kind French neighbours behind us, and from its elevated position the unspoilt, virtually 270° views include little hamlets, farmhouses here and there, and the villages of Gondrin and Cassaigne (with its chateau illuminated at night.)
So despite absolute silence much of the time, you never get that disquieting sense of being "cut off". And a ten-minute pretty drive brings you to not just one, but three choices of commerce!
We saw a lot of properties before finding Au Chicot: its views - enjoyed from most of its windows - character, exceptional lightness and space, plus a layout that really works were what sold it to us - and will to you too!
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR366
Contact Name:
Jane Bennett
(UNITED KINGDOM) +44 01763838183
Day/evening
Alternate Contact Details:
(UNITED KINGDOM) +44 07984181164
Ron Bennett (mobile)
Owners Website: Click here
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Property Ref FR366
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