House near Cordes & Albi with pool

Our house, built of white stone, is situated in a small bastide village near Cordes sur Ciel (one of the most beautiful mediaeval villages in France and in 2014 voted the French Village of the Year) in the middle of the Gaillac wine region. The property, comprising a renovated house and a converted barn linked together with a games room in between, is set around a courtyard with a large covered terrace. A further large terrace overlooks the garden. It is ideal for a large family or two or more families holidaying together as it provides two kitchens, two large sitting rooms, six bedrooms and a games room, giving plenty of living space and a large garden. The pool is 12 x 5 metres, which works well for a larger group of people. The house and barn have been tastefully converted and equipped to a very high standard. The property has been awarded a 4 star classification by the Tarn Tourist Board (Comité Départemental du Tourisme du Tarn) to accommodate 12 people. However, the twin room in the barn is large and so, if there are children in the group, we are able to accommodate up to 14 people (see below for sleeping arrangements). In summer, the barn, which opens onto both the spacious outside terrace and the covered terrace, tends to be used as the main living area but large groups sometimes find it useful to have a further sitting room and kitchen. Ramps can be requested to provide step-free access to the ground floor of the barn including ground floor bedroom & shower room. However the shower cubicle is not step-free. Please contact us to discuss any access needs in detail. The Old House Downstairs in the old house is a large beamed sitting room with a dining area seating 6 to 8 people. For winter rentals there is an open fire. This room opens onto a courtyard, with a covered terrace which is ideal for eating outdoors and is fully equipped with table and chairs as well as some loungers for reading in the shade. The sitting room leads directly off the kitchen which is also a large room with plenty of work surfaces and an island which serves as a breakfast bar with 4 stools, and also a small table seating 4. The kitchen has a 5-burner gas hob, an electric oven and a microwave. It has a fridge-freezer and dishwasher and it is equipped with cooking pots and pans for everyday living rather than just as a holiday home. Upstairs there are three bedrooms: a double bedroom with en-suite shower room, a further double bedroom and a twin bedroom. There is also a full family bathroom. The Barn The heart of the barn is a large main room (12 x 5 metres) with sitting, dining and kitchen areas, which opens onto its own large terrace with a table and chairs under a shady pergola. If required, a group of 12 can sit down together for a meal either inside or outside. From the terrace there are views of the garden and pool and you can barbecue with lovely sunsets. The barn also has doors on to the courtyard covered terrace which can be used when the whole property is rented. There are three bedrooms: a ground floor double bedroom with en-suite shower room and two further bedrooms upstairs (one double and one with two single beds) and a full bathroom. Two additional mattresses, a cot and a travel cot can be provided in the upstairs twin bedroom if required to accommodate more children. The kitchen has a 4-burner hob, an electric oven and a microwave. It has a fridge-freezer and dishwasher and, like the old house, is fully equipped with cooking pots and pans. Other features Each sitting room has a TV receiving French channels. In addition, French, UK and international satellite free-to-air channels can be received in the barn. There is also a DVD player and a basic hi-fi system in each sitting area. Wifi is available in most of the property. There is a reasonable selection of English-language books for most tastes and some games, music and DVDs. Between the Old House and the Barn are a games room with table football and some children's toys and a utility room with a washing machine, ironing boards and irons. There is a tumble-dryer in the garage, accessible from inside the house. Each side of the property has its own entrance and there is parking for at least 4 cars. The garden is 2500 sq. metres with grass, trees and shrubs. The 12m x 5m swimming pool, with pool toys for children, is available from mid-May to mid-September. There is an outside shower room and WC.