Old farmhouse in open country, with stunning views and a private pool
- Farmhouse154 m²
- Sleeps: 10
- Bedrooms: 5
- Bathrooms: 4
- Min Stay: 7–14 nights
5 bedroom, 4 bathroom farmhouse in idyllic rural setting
Bedrooms
Property Manager
Jim & Kay Powell
- Languages:
- english, french
Why Jim & Kay Powell chose Puycalvel
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 Jaquy 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.
What makes this Farmhouse unique
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.
Amenities
Featured
- Swimming pool
- Internet
- Fireplace
- TV
- Satellite or Cable
- Washer & Dryer
- Children Welcome
- Parking
- Heater
Bathrooms
- Bathrooms: 4
House Rules
Check-in: 4:00 PM
Check-out: 10:00 AM
No smoking
No pets
Children allowed
Max guests:10
Cancellation Policy
100% refund if canceled at least 60 days before arrival date.
23 Reviews
Lovely holiday'en famille'
Eight of us including grandsons 11& 8 spent a torrid week in during the August heatwave. The house is set in beautiful scenery far from the madding crowd but is well equipped with plenty of space. The pool was a lifesaver and was much used.It was super to see the stars and a superb view of Mars without any light pollution.Lots of butterflies and wildlife in general including a handsome hare who stopped by to stare at us one early morning.
We all enjoyed playing late night boules with no one to disturb, even when taking late night swims.
Life at La Calvétie was so congenial that we didn't travel much. We did go to Carcassonne and wished we hadn't as it was like the Seventh Circle of Hell on a hot August weekday! Lautrec and Castres were much nicer.
The house is equally suitable for large family gatherings or for several couples as there are 4 bathrooms -thus avoiding morning grumblings!
Well equipped and well appointed home. Nice rural location with great views.
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.
Beautiful house in delightful location
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
Perfect
Séjour parfait dans cette magnifique maison
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.
Excellent
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!
Map
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, the famous medieval town of Cordes-sur-Ciel, the vineyards of Gaillac and the lakes and forests of the Montagne Noire (Black Mountain). The Mediterranean can be reached in about two hours. There are details of all these and other attractions in a pamphlet basket in the house.