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Summary
If
you like the best things in life, this one's for you - one of
the most beautifully restored French homes we've ever seen, a
country house connoissseur's delight. It is situated in stunning
countryside, yet just an hour from Biarritz or Pau airports. Historic
towns and villages are all around and you're just an hour or so's
drive from the chic Côte Basque. There's also plenty for
the more active: walking, horse-riding and cycling, or rafting
and mountain-biking for the more adventurous!
Very
high quality of furnishings mean the house is suited to adult
groups including no more than 2-3 responsible children.
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Key
Facts :
| Nearest
town : |
Navarrenx
5 kms |
| Type
of location : |
Rural |
| No.
of bedrooms : |
5:
three doubles, two twins |
| Sleeping
capacity : |
8 |
| No.
of bathrooms : |
3x
en-suite bathrooms (one per double bedroom), all with WC,
plus shower room & toilet on ground floor. |
| Style
of property : |
Restored
country house |
| Quality
guide : |
|
| Prices : |
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| »
Check availability & prices for this property
GO |
Security
deposit is GBP 1500, payable by credit card and held on the
owner’s behalf by Alternative Aquitaine. The transaction
is not processed unless breakage, damage or extra cleaning
costs are incurred. More details provided on booking.
»
Read important information about security
deposits and insurance |
| Linen
Arrangements : |
Bed
linen &
bathroom towels provided. Spare set of linen is available
in the villa |
| Cleaning
Arrangements : |
Villa
cleaning is not included in the rental
but can be arranged and
is recommended for a more relaxing holiday
» Read important information about cleaning
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| Arrival
& Departure : |
Arrive
between 4-7 pm and depart by 10am. Changeover day is Saturday
in the high season.
» Read important information about
arrivals
& departures
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| Nearest
beach : |
Biarritz
100 km (60 miles) |
| Nearest
boulangerie : |
Naverrenx
5 kms; (good restaurant in local village, 1.5 kms away) |
| Nearest
airport : |
Pau
45 minutes; Biarritz 60-75 minutes; Bordeaux 2 hours 30mins;
Bilbao 3 hrs
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| Nearest
ferry port : |
Bilbao
(2.5 hours); Santander (4.5 hours); St Malo (10 hours) |
| Swimming
pool : |
Yes
(9 x 4m), unheated, open June-September, possibly longer.
Accessed via gate from garden; protected with an alarm. |
| Facilities
& Equipment : |
TV
(incl UK satellite channels), DVD player, VCR, CD player,
radio, barbecue; dishwasher; washer/dryer; microwave; telephone |
| Suitability
for children : |
Very
high quality of furnishings mean the house is suited to adult
groups including no more than 2-3 responsible children |
| Suitability
for infants : |
Not
very suitable for infants (see above). However, pool is relatively
low-risk - located away from the house, accessed via gate. |
| Things
to see & do : |
Lots!
Walking, cycling, horse-riding, rafting. Cultural cities of
Pau and Bayonne. Caves, medieval towns, châteaux and
vineyards. Day trips to Côte Basque (Biarritz, St Jean
de Luz), Spain (Pamplona, San Sebastian) |
| House
'rules' : |
Sorry,
no pets and no smoking in the house |
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Location: Map
Ref B6
The house is located in rolling countryside,
off a quiet country road leading out of the village of Audaux,
about 1.5 kms away. The village is a pretty, sleepy, typically
French affair, with good local restaurant.
The lively,
historic market town of Navarrenx
is 5 kms away, with an excellent selection of shops and boutiques
and market.
Nearest airports are Biarritz and Pau, each no more than an hour
or so away; Bilbao and Bordeaux are within a 2-3 hour drive. The
nearest ports are Bilbao and Santander in Spain (3 and 5 hours
away respectively).
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Accommodation
Beautifully renovated Béarnais manor house for 8-9 people.
Furniture and furnishings are very high quality throughout -
the owner is an art restorer and mural painter with an extensive
collection of antique furniture and paintings, much of which
has been used to furnish the house. In more detail:
Entrance via courtyard (with fountain) to:
Downstairs:
Hallway
Good sized kitchen, fully equipped (including microwave and
dishwasher), breakfast table, high quality fittings. Leads off
to:
Dining room (table & chairs for 6-8) with fireplace; leads
to:
Bureau/library/reading room, with two armchairs and desk, leads
to:
Spacious drawing room (lounge doesn’t seem an appropriate
description!), with high ceilings, vast Italianate mural, centrepiece
fireplace, beautifully furnished throughout. French doors open
onto terrace.
Small laundry rom with washing machine and dryer.
Upstairs,
first floor:
Two good-sized double bedrooms, each with high quality en-suite
bathroom; each bedroom is luxuriously furnished in distinctive
styles
Third bedroom with double bed and en-suite bathroom (separated
from room by a screen)
Upstairs,
top floor:
Two further bedrooms one twin, one double.
Outside:
Central entrance courtyard with fountain
Large west-facing furnished terrace with barbecue at rear of
house, overlooks garden with views over countryside; lots of
garden furniture
Swimming pool (9m x 4m) with Roman steps at one end. Tiled surround.
Set away from the house on one side, reached by gate. Alarm
system fitted in pool.
NB During lettings the owner of Manoir d'Audaux
sometimes stays in an independent barn complex adjacent to Manoir
d'Audaux. He is on hand to answer queries if required, but guests
will otherwise be left in total privacy (apart from occasional
visits from the gardener and pool maintenance person). His entrance
faces away from the main house, and the accommodation is completely
independent. The pool and gardens are for guests' exclusive
use.
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How
To Book :
STEP 1.
Check availability. NB Website availability is refreshed
daily but not "live" so please contact us to confirm availability.
Call 0870 6092845 or email us
Once we have confirmed availability we can normally hold a property
for up to 48 hours if you need to confer with friends or family).
STEP 2.
Call or email us
if you want to go ahead and make a provisional booking.
STEP 3.
To confirm a provisional booking we need, within 5 working days,
your completed Booking Form and your deposit payment of 35%.
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Local
Guide:
Audaux
The village of Audaux (pronounced 'Oh-dox'
by the locals), 1.5 kms from the house, is a Béarn gem
- a narrow main-street lined with beautifully-kept sand-stone
coloured buildings and a locally-renowned restaurant,
la Claverie, at its heart. Several footpaths run from
the village into the surrounding countryside.
Bearn
des Gaves
This
region is known as the 'Bearn des Gaves', where the mountain streams
from the Ossau and Aspe valleys converge to form the famous Gave
d'Oloron, known for exceptional salmon fishing (the world championship
comes here here every year) and, for thrill-seekers, rafting and
kayaking. The region is also famous for its abundance of heritage,
especially châteaux (eg at nearby Aren and Laas) and bastides (medieval fortified towns),
including Navarrenx, 5 kms from Audaux and the
nearest town.
Navarrenx dates from the 11th century; it is considered one of
the finest example of a fortified town in the south west, not
least because its Protestant inhabitants resisted every attempted
invasion during the Wars of Religion!
Also nearby is Sauveterre-de-Béarn, whose
great attraction is its cliff-top setting high above the Gave
d'Oloron from where you can see the famous fortified medieval
bridge, or, rather, half a bridge - the other half having been
destroyed in a feudal war.
Neighbouring Salies-de-Béarn is a larger
town and offers more by way of shops and restaurants. Salies is
a genteel spa town which has been a popular watering hole for
those seeking thermal cures and relaxation, for over 100 years.
There's also a splendid Moorish-style casino in the town and a
golf course close by. Salies is also a pleasant place for a stroll,
notably along the narrow backstreets with their steep-gabled houses.
And if you fancy a break from walking, you can take gondola trips
along the river in summer.
Beach lovers
For a day at the beach, surfing,
glamour and seafood are best enjoyed on the Côte Basque
at Biarritz or St Jean de Luz. These two authentically
Basque towns are well-worth spending time in for their fine boutique
shops and restaurants, and just to soak up their relaxed ambience.
There are many other beaches to investigate north of Biarritz,
Hossegor being a particular favourite.
Mountain pursuits
The location of Manoir d'Audaux will satisfy mountain-lovers as
much as beach enthusiasts. The Haut-Béarn is a wonderful
landscape that forms a natural boundary between France and Spain.
It is also a haven for outdoor pursuits. Two beautiful river valleys
– d’Ossau and d’Aspe – offer
great walking/hiking, mountain biking and, in Spring, good white-water
potential. Parasailing, rock-climbing, horse-riding and fishing
are also popular. Skiing is possible at nearby stations such as
Gourette.
In the Parc National des Pyrénées lives some
of Europe’s most exotic wildlife including chamois, royal
eagles and brown bears, whilst at Laruns there is a 92-hectare
reserve for the griffon vulture. At Lescun you will find one of
France’s most photogenic natural locations, the Needles
of Ansabère, an amphitheatre of jagged limestone peaks
rising to the summit of Pic d’Anie.
Also in the Haut-Béarn and a great day out for the kids
is a ride on Le Petit Train d’Artouste. Built for
dam workers, this 10 kms train journey tales passengers along
the flanks of the Pic de la Sagette.
City Culture
A short drive east is the stylish and compact city of Pau.
Barely known of outside of France, Pau has a variety of attractions.
It sprang to fame in the 19th century when wealthy British and
Americans were drawn to its mild climate and it became a popular
winter holiday destination. To this day Pau retains an ‘upmarket’
feel about it. There is a thriving café and bar life plus
plenty of opportunity for boutique shopping, notably along the
rues des Cordeliers and Serviez. Pau also has its own château
(and birthplace of King Henri IV) plus one of the south
west’s finest panoramic views - the spectacular array of
distant, snow-capped peaks as seen from the Boulevard des Pyrénées.
A little known fact is that Pau is home to continental Europe’s
first golf course, built in 1856 by a resident Scotsman.
Pau also hosts horse-racing events, a vintage car race and a Formula
3 street race every year.
In the other direction, the Basque capital of Bayonne
has a fine, historic centre with a beautiful cathedral, ramparts
plus a range of stylish shops and restaurants. There's also a
good museum - Musée Basque - for learning more
about the Basque people, their culture and history. And, of course,
no visit to this Chocolate City would be complete without sampling
its famous hot chocolate and visiting one of the many chocolatiers.
Other suggestions for day-trips from Manoir d'Audaux are:
• A day exploring les grottes
(caves) d'Isturitz and d'Ococelhaya,
both within a 30 minute drive
• Wine-tasting in the vineyards of Jurançon,
Madiran and Béarn
• Crossing the border into Spain for a visit to Pamplona,
San Sebastian or Bilbao
• A trip to Lourdes to satisfy the religious
or the plain curious
For further information try the links below. Please note that
we cannot be held responsible for the content of third party sites.
Audaux village
web-site
Béarn
des Gaves Tourist Office (for Navarrenx, Orthez,
Salies de Bearn, Sauveterre de Bearn)
Dept 64
- Pyrenees Atlantique Tourism
Pyrenees National Park
Pau Tourist Office
Discover
Wines of the South West
UK Tourist
Office for France
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| updated
12.06.08 as |
