Sleeps | 9 |
Bedrooms | 5 |
Bathrooms | 4 |
Space | 1,657 sq. ft. |
Property type | farmhouse |
Minimum Stay | 7 nights |
La Calvetié nestles in the lovely hills of the Tarn, 50 miles to the east of Toulouse, surrounded by open fields, woodland and its own wildflower meadow, and with a magnificent view towards the Pyrenees.
The property occupies about one acre of land. The house has been entirely restored to create a beautiful, light, relaxing environment, sleeping ten people in comfort. It is fully equipped with all modern conveniences and has its own private pool (8x4m) and two terraces for dining and for sunbathing. The pool has a child safety cover and a safety fence has been installed; the fence can be easily removed, in minutes, by tenants who do not want it and easily put up again by tenants who do. There is also a sandpit and paddling pool for toddlers, bicycles for grown-ups, badminton equipment, indoor games, TV, DVD and internet, and miles of countryside to explore. Near the orchard is a boules court, with a sitting area where you can enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sun go down.
We live here ourselves for four months a year and have rented it out for the summer holidays for the past three years.
The house is arranged over three floors.
Ground floor
On the ground floor, there is a large open-plan sitting room/dining room/kitchen, with an open fireplace (not needed in summer!) and two french windows leading to the south-facing garden. There are two large sofas and two armchairs. The dining area has an extendable table for up to 12. The fully equipped kitchen includes an electric cooker, dishwasher, fridge and coffee maker.
Next to this is another large room, providing an extra sitting room and also giving the opportunity for children to have their own space. Again, there are french windows to the garden. The ground floor also features a downstairs loo and a utility room, with washing machine, ironing facilities, microwave, a second fridge and separate freezer, and storage.
Bedrooms
On the first floor, there are three double bedrooms, all with south-facing views, one of them reached by its own private staircase. They have full length mirrors and good storage space. The beds are all exceptionally comfortable. Bed linen and towels (plus pool towels) are included in the rental charge. Each of these bedrooms has an en suite bathroom. In one of them, the bath and shower are separate; in the other two, the shower is within the bath. The water pressure in all of them is fantastic!
There are two bedrooms in the attic. In each of these rooms there are two single beds, which can make one double bed if required. These two rooms share a bathroom, again with an integral shower in the bath.
Outside
Next to the south face of the house, there is a large dining terrace with table and chairs, and with fabulous views over open countryside towards the Pyrenees (which are sometimes visible in their full glory). While the kiwi plant grows to cover the terrace, there is a large parasol to provide shade. Adjacent to the terrace is a barbecue area.
A few yards down the hill from this top terrace is the 8x4m (1.2-1.6m deep) swimming pool, landscaped into the hillside. There are portable parasols for the immediate pool area, and fixed parasols on the grassed lower terrace just above it, providing plenty of shade for everyone. The pool has a Calypso fixed cover for child safety, as French law requires, easy to remove and replace as needed. It also has a safety fence that can be easily removed, in minutes, by tenants who do not want it and easily put up again by tenants who do. There is lighting and power sockets for music at the poolside.
Other services
Wi-Fi connection, UK and French TV, central heating (unlikely to be required in summer), high chair and travel cot, a blow-up toddler bed, a stair gate to protect young children, a cleaning and bed-changing service each Saturday, swimming pool maintenance each Saturday, garden maintenance once a fortnight, indoor and outdoor games and two bicycles. There is a parking area for two cars, and room elsewhere for others. Our letting manager is also our neighbouring farmer and can sort out any unforeseen problems.
This HomeAway partner has demonstrated and is committed to fast response times, the best rates, and a great guest experience.
Jim is a Francophile with a long pedigree. The last year in which he did not visit France was 1972. During most of the years since, he has spent holidays driving down the small roads of France, visiting almost every quarter of the country, staying in small hotels, debating with himself where in France he would buy a house, if he could ever afford it. And the winner of Strictly Come Francing was the Tarn.
It is a region of staggering natural beauty, with acres of unspoilt farmland and woods spreading themselves over undulating hills. It has some fabulous towns, none more so than Castres, just 20 minutes away from us. The area offers panoramic views, one of them from La Calvetié itself. It has amongst the most hours of sunshine of any region in France. And it is largely unspoiled by tourism.
Jim found La Calvetié in 2008. It took three years to convince the farmers, Gilbert and Jaqui Barbe, to sell it to him, and about three seconds to convince Kay – who had arrived on the scene by then – that this was a good idea. Now it welcomes us and our family and friends for four months a year, and guests like you in July and August.
Location. Location. Location! To sit in the middle of fabulous countryside, with barely another house in sight, and to gaze across to distant hills, and sometimes to the Pyrenees, is to be somewhere close to heaven.
Easy to book and manage before visit to France. Clean and ready for arrival. Suited us well being 6 adults and 2 children: space for all to sit and read, swim, play in the garden or ramble. Thanks to Jim and Kay for sharing their home. A great week's break for us.
This is a wonderful house in a beautiful and peaceful location. It was perfect for our family holiday: plenty of room for eight of us, pool and boules to occupy us when we needed a break from just sitting in the sun and reading, and no neighbours to disturb! The house has been tastefully renovated, with all the facilities and equipment you could hope for. Hard to beat for a holiday get away!
Perfect
Nous avons passé d'excellentes vacances entre amis à La Calvetié.
La maison est magnifique, aménagée avec goût ; les équipements sont de qualité et bien entretenus.
Les salles de vie sont conviviales et spacieuses. Les chambres et notamment la literie sont très confortables et 3 d'entre elles ont leur salle de bain attenante, une 4eme salle de bain pour les 2 chambres "enfants".
Jackie et Gilbert qui travaillent à la ferme attenante sont charmants et disponibles.
Nous recommandons totalement cette maison et la gardons dans nos coups de coeur.
Inoubliable séjour à la Calvétié - nos deux familles avec jeunes enfants y ont trouvé tout le confort, l'équipement, l'espace et la sécurité nécessaires, et même plus, pour profiter d'une trop courte semaine dans cette belle région. Rien à redire! Merci à Kay & Jim et mention spéciale pour Jacqui et Gilbert et leur accueil très chaleureux!
Nous revenons de la Calvétie où nous avons passé une formidable semaine entre amis (9 au total).
La maison est très belle, très spacieuse et très bien équipée, tout comme la piscine, où transats et parasols ne manquent pas.
La vue de la terrasse est vraiment superbe.
Il faut aller à Castres pour les courses mais il y a deux réfrigérateurs et un congélateur. De quoi stocker...
Les propriétaires laissent par ailleurs un fonds d'épicerie ce qui est très agréable et appréciable en cas d'arrivée tardive.
Par ailleurs, la région offre de magnifiques promenades (Albi, Cordes, Lautrec, Carcassonne, la Montagne Noire...).
Nous avons vraiment aimé cet endroit.
If you like walking or cycling, you can go for miles in all directions, through woods, farmland and the occasional village. Many of the fields are planted with sunflowers, giving a spectacular display at the height of the summer.
The nearest large village is Lautrec, just 10 minutes away, original home of the family of the painter Toulouse-Lautrec and designated one of Les Plus Belles Villages de France. It offers delightful medieval streets and plenty of small shops, cafés and other services.
Only 20 minutes away is Castres, in our view the undiscovered gem of the Tarn and refreshingly free of tourists. It has old streets, many fine restaurants and a beautiful central square, full of bars, and with a classic open-air market – at its best on Saturday mornings.
Within about an hour’s drive there are the splendid cities of Albi, Carcassonne and Toulouse, as well as the vineyards of Gaillac and the lakes and forests of the Montagne Noire (Black Mountain). The Mediterranean can be reached in about two hours. Details of all these and other attractions can be found in a pamphlet basket in the house.
Fees | No additional mandatory fees |
The rental includes bed linen, bath and pool towels, cleaning (unless excessive work is required), garden and pool maintenance and most telephone calls. The only other charge is a returnable deposit of £600, which will be refunded immediately after your stay (less any significant damages or excessive cleaning required).