La Forge was built around 1820 as the smithy serving Domaine de Patot, a former winery. It retains many original features including a stone drinking trough for horses and the beam to which they were tethered; the furnace is now an open fireplace. The original building now comprises the dining room/kitchen and lounge. In 2000 a tasteful modern extension was added to form the bedroom wing, two bathrooms, wc and a summer kitchen with covered patio overlooking the large pool (10m x 5m). The house faces east over open fields and vineyards towards the village of Lavalette and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Carcassonne's Medieval City, which is floodlit in the evenings. The pool and garden are in the sun from dawn until approx 7 pm. The centre of the village is a 10 min stroll; facilities include a restaurant, general store, butcher, newsagent and hairdresser. The airport is 10 mins by car. Lac de Cavayere (Carcassonne Beach), a beautiful manmade lake and beach, is 15 mins' drive.
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The village of Lavalette has a well-stocked general store, a newsagent, post office, and an excellent butcher (and also a hairdresser and a beautician). There is also a charming little restaurant called Cote Sud which was recently opened by a local family and which has a Catalonian/Morrocan theme (good tagines, lamb, couscous and duck dishes) - but also a wide selection of pizzas and pasta dishes. The "pizzalade" (half a pizza served with chips and salad) is popular with children. Close to the airport (so less than 10 mins from the house) is the Salvaza shopping centre which is anchored by a large Geant supermarket; there are also a number of good (and by UK standards quite cheap!) clothes, shoes and other shops. Carcassonne itself has a wide range of shops and restaurants - visiting the 14th century Bastide de St Louis (the heart of the town) and, especially, the 11/13th medieval city just over the River Aude is a must. Narbonne, on the coast (about 45 mins by car) is charming; Toulouse's old town, the "pink city" (under an hour by car), is delightful, and on the outskirts there is the famous space centre; Montpellier, the capital of the region (about 2 hours by car), has one of the largest city squares in Europe and, behind it, an extensive warren of old streets with many cafes, restaurants, local and international designer stores etc.
Changeover Day: Saturday late afternoon preferred, for arrival (Saturday morning for departure) but we will be flexible if we can.
| Rental periods | ||
| 3 November 2007 - 15 March 2008 | £500 | Pool closed |
| Easter (15 - 29 March 2008) | £700 | Pool closed |
| 29 March - 3 May 2008 | £600 | Pool closed |
| 3 May - 31 May 2008 | £725 | Pool open |
| 31 May - 28 June 2008 | £850 | Pool open |
| 28 June - 30 August 2008 | £1000 | Pool open |
| 30 August - 27 September 2008 | £850 | Pool open |
| 27 September - 1 November 2008 | £600 | Pool closed |
As the main house has thick stone walls it remains cool, even in the hottest summers. All rooms have electric panel heaters and there are fans in the bedrooms (which are perfectly adequate to keep cool at night in summer). Hairdryer in bathroom cupboard. Strictly no smoking indoors, but pets are very welcome.
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 - King size bed, built in wardrobes. Patio doors to covered patio and pool. Bedroom 2 - Double bed, single bed, TV, built in wardrobes. Bedroom 3 - 2 x twin beds, TV, chest of drawers, wardrobe. All bedrooms have views over open countryside. |
| Bathrooms: | Large family bathroom (en-suite to bedroom 1) with bath and shower fitting, separate shower cubicle, double sink unit, wall heater with towel rail and large storage cupboard. Second bathroom with shower cubicle, wc and whb. Separate wc compartment. |
| Kitchen: | Spacious dining kitchen with large stone sink, stone worktops and exposed beams. Dual fuel range cooker, American fridge/freezer and Bosch dishwasher. Microwave, toaster and kettle. Large oak dining table. Wood burning glass-fronted fireplace. |
| Utility Room: | Washing machine, tumble dryer, large ceramic sink and storage space. |
| Living Rooms: | Main lounge with patio doors to external patio. Exposed stone wall and open fire. Exposed beams. Two leather sofas and futon behind screen. Satellite TV, DVD and CD player. Wi-Fi internet access (BYO laptop). Phone. Various DVDs, CDs, games & books. |
| Other: | Summer kitchen with hob, fridge and sink. Gas BBQ. Large covered patio overlooking pool with teak dining table and chairs. Second patio/dining terrace with table, chairs and parasol. Small outside coffee table and chairs. Sunloungers and pool chairs. |
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Cleaning/towels/
linen/maid service: |
Fresh linen and towels are provided (including beach towels) and are changed weekly. Welcome pack of local 'Blanquette' (similar to cava) and basic milk, bread, cheese and ham offered free of charge. |
There is a compact garden with flower beds, fruit trees and three large pine trees which (according to the former owner) date back to Napoleonic times. There is a large covered dining patio opposite the pool (next to the summer kitchen) with a teak dining table and 8 chairs. There is a further external patio outside the lounge with a hardwood table, 8 chairs and parasol. There is a small hardwood table and 4 chairs in the corner of the garden which is perfect for early morning coffee while enjoying the panoramic views. There are various sun loungers, pool chairs, poolside tables and sundry inflatable pool toys, lilos etc. Please note that the garden and pool area are at a level approximately 3 feet higher than the neighbouring field, so very young children should be carefully supervised when outside. The pool has an alarm (which can be switched off when in residence) which conforms to French pool safety legislation.
"Carcassonne Plage" (as the locals call it - officially named Lac de Cavayere) is a beautiful man-made lake and beach which is only a 15 min drive from the house. It has pedalloes, tree-top walks, and a great "flying fox" across the lake. There is plenty of parking and lots of space all year round. There are also lots of wide, sandy beaches at the coast around Narbonne (45 mins drive).
Carcassonne Golf Course is less than 10 mins drive from the house. It is a picturesque but challenging 18 hole, par 71 course - the first and the ninth holes are particularly noteworthy (the former requires a drive up a steep hill and the latter, a par 3, the softest of wedges back downhill). There is a good bistro overlooking the first tee, and the hotel next door boasts a world class gastronomic restaurant (with prices to match!). There are other good courses at Mazamet (1 hr drive), Toulouse (2 courses - 50 mins and 1 hr 15 mins respectively) and St Cyprien (near Perpignan) (1 hr 30 mins).
There are 2 ski stations in the Pyrenees, the closest about 1 hr drive away. These are very suitable for families or less experienced skiers (say up to higher intermediate standard) but not for experts. There are black runs, but if skiing is your main thing, to be honest you would be better going to the Alps. Andorra is apparently good, but we haven't been there and have no personal knowledge of it.
Carcassonne Airport is less than 10 mins drive from the house - you can fly direct from Stansted, Liverpool, East Midlands, Dublin and Shannon. Alternative nearby airports accessible from other UK airports include Toulouse (under 1 hr), Perpignan (1.5 hrs), Girona (2 hrs), Marseille (2.5 hrs) and Barcelona (3 hrs).
Other possibilities include Montpellier, Nimes, Bergerac and Pau. Driving from Calais or Zeebrugge will take about 13 hrs, so you should build in an overnight stop.
Lavalette Centre - 600 m
Carcassonne Centre - 7 km
Narbonne - 70 km
Toulouse - 75 km
Perpignan - 120 km
Montpellier - 160 km
Girona - 200 km
Barcelona - 300 km
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Rent this beautiful French Holiday House ideal for your vacation in France. For a French Holiday Home we offer low cost renting terms compared to other holiday cottages villas or houses in Southern France.
