Aquitaine, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, St-Palais, France

This charming country manor house with two gîtes is situated on the outskirts of a pretty village in the Basque Country. The manor house has an adjoining barn, which has previously been used as a forge and a coach house. The barn has now been converted into two stylish gîtes – one with five bedrooms, the other with two bedrooms. The manor house and gîtes have independent terraces for outdoor dining and the views of the swimming pool and grounds are delightful.

The manor house was built in the 17th and 18th century, although some parts of the building date as far back as the 14th century. The current owners have lovingly renovated the manor house over the past 20 years and have created a gorgeous family home of 275m², which could be used as a second home or a luxurious holiday home. In addition, the manor house's accommodation could be enlarged by integrating one or both of the gîtes into the main building.

The front door of the manor house opens into an entrance hall and sitting room, with a fabulous carved wooden staircase to the upper floors. The sitting room has a fireplace with an insert. Next to the sitting room is the dining room - and both the sitting room and the dining room have French doors which open out to the garden. On the far side of the entrance hall is a library, which could be used as an office or a consulting room. Beyond the sitting room is a kitchen with a cosy sitting/dining area and a wood-burning stove, a utility room and a WC.

On the first floor, there are three bedrooms, each with an en suite bathroom or a shower room. On the second floor, there are three bedrooms. The third bedroom also has an adjoining sitting room/television room. A separate shower room with a WC has been created on the first floor for the second-floor bedrooms.

The huge adjoining barn has been converted into a large gîte of 180m² and a smaller gîte of 85m². The larger gîte has a huge main room of 95m² with a sitting area, a dining area with a wood-burning stove, a kitchen area and a bar! Also on this floor is a bedroom with an en suite shower room and WC, which is suitable for people of reduced mobility. On the first floor there are four bedrooms and a family bathroom.

The ground floor of the small gîte comprises a spacious main room with a sitting area with a wood-burning stove, a dining area, an adjacent kitchen area, along with a shower room and a WC. On the first floor, there are two bedrooms and a bathroom with a WC.

Situated in the Basque Country, but close to the Béarn and its famous Jurançon vineyards, the manor house is in a super location which is easy to travel to and which attracts visitors all year round. For mountain lovers, there are several ski resorts about an hour away in the Pyrénées. If you prefer watersports, the beach resorts on the Atlantic coast (50 minutes) are perfect for surfers and for family days out. There are also numerous swimming lakes throughout this wonderful region, as well as rivers where you can fish or go white-water rafting...

THE MANOR HOUSE (275m²)

Ground floor:
- an entrance hall (14m²)
- a sitting room with a fireplace and insert (32m²)
- a dining room (25m²)
- a library/study/office/consulting room/additional bedroom (23m²)
- a kitchen with a sitting/dining area and wood-burning stove (31m²)
- a utility room (9m²)
- a WC

First floor:
- a bedroom with an en suite bathroom and WC (24m² + 10m²)
- a bedroom with an en suite bathroom (18m² + 5m²)
- a bedroom with an en suite shower room and WC (19m² + 5m²)
- a shower room with a WC

Second floor:
- a bedroom with a small adjoining sitting room (15m² + 13m²)
- two further bedrooms (15m², 13m²)


THE LARGE GÎTE (180m²)

Ground floor:
- a huge main room with a sitting area, a dining area with a wood-burning stove, a kitchen area and a bar (95m²)
- a bedroom with an en suite shower room and WC (11m² + 3.5m²)

First floor:
- four bedrooms (9m², 9,5m², 12m², 13m²)
- a family bathroom with a WC (8m²)


THE SMALL GÎTE (85m²)

Ground floor:
- a spacious main room with a sitting area with a wood-burning stove, a dining area and an adjacent kitchen area (40m²)
- a shower room (approx. 4m²)
- a WC

First floor:
- two bedrooms (approx. 11m², 11m²)
- a bathroom with a WC (approx. 8m²)


THE GROUNDS

- enclosed grounds of 6,484m² (1.6 acres)
- a fenced swimming pool (12m x 6m) with a security alarm
- several terraces for outdoor dining
- a garden shed


THE POTENTIAL!

This beautiful manor house is ideal for a family home or to continue using as a holiday business. The lovely gîtes are popular with families during the summer months and the skiing season. Language workshops, golfing tours, craft workshops and yoga retreats are also offered.

Some of the bedrooms in the manor house can be used for year-round Bed & Breakfast guests. You might also be tempted to welcome pilgrims who pass the manor house when following the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle. More and more pilgrims hope to find top-quality accommodation, along with a delicious breakfast and maybe a hearty supper!

B&B accommodation would also appeal to horse-riders following the trans-European horse-riding bridleway - the "Route d'Artagnan" - which passes just 1km away, with many riders hoping to book overnight stays for themselves... and their horses!

Subject to permission, the property would be ideal for hosting weddings and celebrations, especially since guests will have the possibility of booking accommodation before and after the event. The main room in the larger gîte is perfect for hosting corporate clients for seminars and conferences - and participants will be thrilled to enjoy a relaxing lunch in the gorgeous grounds...


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Telephone + ADSL
Partially double-glazed
Electricity
Solar panels for hot water in the manor house and large gîte
Oil-fired central heating + three wood-burning stoves + fireplace with insert + electric radiators (small gîte)
Mains water
Well
2 septic tanks (requiring attention)


THE LOCAL AREA

The nearby town of St-Palais is about 10 minutes away from the manor house. The town has many amenities, including a swimming pool, a cinema and college-lycées for secondary school pupils. Atlantic beach resorts are about 50 minutes away; Pyrénées ski resorts and Spain are about 60 minutes away. There are regular buses to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Sauveterre-de-Béarn, Salies-de-Béarn, Bayonne... and Ikea!

The manor house is in the Soule region of the Basque Country where the buildings often incorporate architectural features which are more typical of the neighbouring Béarn region. A few kilometres away from the manor house as you approach St-Palais, you enter the Basse-Navarre region of the Basque Country where the architecture becomes more Basque, with bright white buildings with dark red or dark green shutters.

The inland Basque towns and villages are a true delight! Rolling hills are dotted with pretty farmhouses surrounded by open fields. The fields are home to grazing sheep, which are milked twice a day - the milk is then used to make a cheese called “brebis”. Other famous local delicacies are dark cherry jam (to eat with the brebis cheese), Bayonne ham, red piments (chilli peppers) and delicious Gâteau Basque!

Airports: Biarritz, Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: Orthez, Puyoô, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Iraty, Issarbe, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Val-d’Azun, Gourette, Candanchú (Spain)
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Aqua Béarn, Train de La Rhune, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Grottes de Bétharram, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle, Route d'Artagnan...