Beautifully Restored Farmhouses with Heated Pool and Wifi
Idyllic Rural Setting in Peaceful Burgundy Village
One 3 Bedroom Farmhouse & one 4 Bedroom Farmhouse
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Le Verger is a beautifully renovated complex of historic farm buildings (the earliest building dates from 1741). It is located in the peaceful little village of Coutarnoux in the heart of the Burgundian countryside. The courtyard entrance to Le Verger is opposite the village church while the orchard garden side of the property has uninterrupted views across fields and woodlands. The sunsets can be spectacular. Le Verger includes two farm houses, La Vieille Maison and La Maison Bleue, a bread house and two barns.The property is an L shape, with the two houses facing away from each other at different ends of the L and with a barn in between, so there is plenty of privacy. It is five hours drive from Calais and an hour from Paris by train. The battlefield of Alesia, the hilltop abbey church of Vezelay, the prehistoric caves of Arcy-sur-Cure and many chateaux and vineyards are within easy reach, as are the nearby rock climbing centre, miniature railway, cafe and tennis courts.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 7 January 2012 - 23 June 2012 | £650 | - | ||
| 23 June 2012 - 22 September 2012 | £850 | - | ||
| 22 September 2012 - 15 December 2012 | £650 | - | ||
| 15 December 2012 - 5 January 2013 | £850 | - |
La Vieille Maison Prices
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 7 January 2012 - 23 June 2012 | £700 | - | ||
| 23 June 2012 - 22 September 2012 | £950 | - | ||
| 22 September 2012 - 15 December 2012 | £700 | - | ||
| 15 December 2012 - 5 January 2013 | £950 | - |
Changeover day
Saturday is our usual changeover day but this can be flexible. Arrival is after 17.00 and departure before 10.00.
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La Vieille Maison
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| La Vieille Maison (which has Wifi) has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen and a large sitting room with a stone fireplace for open fires and a traditional wooden ceiling - cosy in the winter and cool in the summer heat. The kitchen/dining room also has a traditional wooden ceiling and a stone fireplace with a wood burning stove. It is fully equipped with electric oven, gas hob, microwave, food processor, toaster, fridge, cafetière, dish washer and electric barbecue grill. The ground floor bathroom also houses the washing machine. The ground floor double bedroom has a double bed, chest of drawers and hanging space. The upstairs main bedroom with its magnificent original beams has a double bed and a single bed, a wardrobe and antique chest of drawers. The second upstairs bedroom has two single beds, a chest of drawers and hanging space, while the third has a double bed. The upstairs bathroom is tiled with tommettes and has a shower, basin, loo and bidet. | |
Notes on accommodation
La Vieille Maison has central heating, an open log fire in the sitting room and a wood burning stove in the kitchen. La Maison Bleue has electric heaters and a wood burning stove in the sitting room.The heated swimming pool has a safety fence and a lockable gate. It is a great place for children as the village playing field with its boules pitch, goal posts and seesaw is adjacent to our land.
Accessibility
We regret the property is not suitable for wheelchair users. However, La Vieille Maison may be suitable for some people with limited mobility as it has a double bedroom and adjacent bathroom on the ground floor. Please enquire further.
Outside
Each house has a terrace for alfresco dining. The heated swimming pool (10m by 5m) has a sun terrace with loungers, tables and parasols. The large orchard garden is a great place for children to play. It also has secluded corners for reading and relaxation. Adjacent to the property is the village playing field with a boules pitch, goal posts and see-saw.
Coast/Beach
Apart from the heated pool at Le Verger there are lakes with swimming beaches in the nearby Morvan National Park.
Golf
The nearest Golf Course is at Auxerre, 45 minutes drive north.
Travel
By train:
From the UK you can take the Eurostar to Paris Gare du Nord and then the TGV from the Gare de Lyon to Montbard, the nearest mainline station, which is 40 minutes drive from the property. Alternatively, you can book the Eurostar to Lille and then take the TGV to Montbard.
A car is essential and can be hired at Montbard or Dijon.
By plane:
The nearest airport is at Dijon.
By car:
Le Verger is five hours drive from Calais, four of them on autoroutes.
Distances
The nearest village, L'Isle sur Serein, is 5 minutes drive away. It has a bank, post office, grocer, newsagent, cafe, restaurant, butcher, baker and tourist office.
The nearest big town Avallon, (20 minutes drive away) has excellent specialist food shops, a wonderful Saturday market and a large Auchan supermarket. There are antique shops, cafes and restaurants and an old quarter with cobbled streets and a Romanesque cathedral. Great views across the valley from the high ramparts.
Further details
Nearby attractions (10-40 minute drive) include the battlefield of Alesia, the miniature train at Dissangis, the Abbey Church of Vezelay, the chateaux of Epoisses, Bazoches,Tanlay and Ancy-le Franc, the exquisite hilltop town of Montreal, the prehistoric caves of Arcy-sur-Cure and the wine growing areas around Chablis and Irancy. There are tennis courts, good fishing spots and a riding stables in the area.
Further afield (40 minutes to 2 hours) are Fontenay Abbey, the site at Guedelon, the chateaux of Tanlay, Meaulnes and Bussy-Rabutin.
For children a ‘prehistoric’ park at Cardoland (40 minutes) offers a journey through the land of the dinosaurs. You can also make a day trip to Disneyland, Paris by train from Montbard direct to Marne-la-Vallée - the station for the theme park.
Booking notes
50% of the total is due on booking and the balance is due 8 weeks before arrival.
Guest comments
We had a really lovely time at La Vieille Maison. The garden and pool were fantastic for the kids and my two girlfriends and I loved the furniture and decoration in the house too, really beautiful and well chosen.
‘We had a wonderful time. You have done the house so nicely, the furnishing, the plates, the glasses, the books, the videos, the cds - it all feels like a home and not some money-making let, which is what we have occasionally experienced. The area is also terrific. We loved the pool by the way. Oh, and we had a truly delicious meal at the Pot D'Etain. We may come again!’
‘Thank you for letting us spend a week in your wonderful Maison Bleue! While the two boys spent their time in the pool and my husband was reading one of the hundreds of books I had plenty of time for my paintings.’
‘We are enjoying our visit so much. We are finding La Vieille Maison very comfortable – and the pool is divine in this heat.
Owner profile
About the owner
We are Alan Ravenscroft and Rosemary Stones. Alan is a television producer who makes music programmes and other documentaries. Rosemary is a writer. While we have busy lives in London and adore the city with all its vitality, we now also love the richness of the Burgundy countryside and think of Coutarnoux as home and ourselves as Arnulphiens (inhabitants of Coutarnoux)! While we are in London we leave Le Verger in the very capable hands of Hubert and his family who live nearby. They look after the property for us and prepare the houses to welcome our guests. They are so helpful and friendly and you will feel very well looked after.
Year purchased: 1996
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We bought Le Verger 15 years ago and found Coutarnoux both welcoming and friendly. Alan already knew Burgundy well as his brother has a house in nearby Talcy. We also have Parisian friends with houses in the area so it seemed the ideal location.We spent two years looking for a property we both liked. After many fruitless visits to near ruins and deserted, wildly remote farmhouses, some friends from Paris told us that a property in Coutarnoux had become available which they thought would be of interest. Rosemary liked it at once but Alan (who had done the driving from London after a long week at the office!) was not so sure. However, after a good dinner and warm night in the local hotel he agreed in the morning that it was indeed the place we had been looking for.
Unique benefits of the property
Although the property needed a lot of work we could see its potential. We were particularly drawn to the original features (beams, arches, stone fireplaces, traditional tiles) and the mature fruit trees (old varieties!) and vines in the garden. We also liked the fact that one side is firmly in the village while the other side looks out across beautiful countryside. One unexpected outcome of buying Le Verger was the idea to make a television series about English people buying property in France.While it’s hard to believe now, the series, ‘A House in France’ was the first made on the subject. We still occasionally meet people who were inspired to come and live in France after seeing ‘A House in France’. We hope you enjoy your stay in beautiful Burgundy and we welcome you to Le Verger!
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR4536
Rosemary Stones
Tel: (UK) + 44 (0) 207 240 2674
Mobile: (UK) + 44 (0) 7768 840 313
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and has advertised this property with us since February 2009.
Property Ref FR4536
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