019 - Tarrit de Bas  Eauze (13km)

In our opinion

What makes tarrit de Bas a great holiday rental

• Idyllic, tranquil location in the French countryside
• Slow down and enjoy Gascony's markets, historic towns and cuisine
• Pool table, beautiful pool & DVD library to keep the kids happy

Gascony is often said to epitomise the idyllic French country life and Tarrit de Bas certainly reflects the pleasures of Gascony. A delightful, timbered farmhouse packed full of charm and character. Set in huge grounds with wonderful views and a sumptuous swimming pool, Tarrit really captures the spirit of a French countryside holiday.

It is also one of just a few rentals included in our value villas collection - villas with private pools, all the 'right side' of 2000 GBP/wk.

Best for:
Tarrit works best for families who just want to unwind for a week or two without straying too far from the house - a genuine holiday. It really is a great choice for Francophiles who will love the local markets, villages and cuisine. In the low season, Tarrit also has two working log fires to keep things cosy.

Suitability for:

• Toddlers - superb safe grounds. Cot & high chair not provided
  
• Teenagers - lots of space and games / entertainments, but quiet location
• Reduced mobility - old house with a few steps

Anything to watch out for?

• A car is absolutely essential.
• The bathroom decor/style is a little dated.
• You'll be in deep countryside so expect to be visited by wildlife!

Why Gascony?
The landscape is gently undulating, punctuated by the occasional picturesque 'bastide' and barely changed from centuries ago. And the land is still relatively free of tourists too. This region is what French lovingly refer to as "la France profonde". With its hearty food, tannic red wines, armagnac and rural tranquillity, it's little wonder that Gascons enjoy the highest life expectancy in all of France!

The local village - Castelnau d'Auzan - is reputed for the best boulangerie in the area – winner of many prizes. The town also has a weekly market, small supermarket, pharmacy and bar/restaurant. On the edge of the village is a tennis centre, superb lido and leisure lake - a lovely spot on a summer's day.

Accommodation

Tranquil holiday farmhouse with wonderful pool in 19 acres of land.

Tarrit de Bas has been in the hands of the same English family for over a decade now and they frequently visit. As such, the property is furnished and equipped to be 'lived in' and does not really feel like a holiday home - we consider this a big attraction.

The long private track leading to Tarrit is a reminder of holidays in Tuscany and sets the scene for what will be relaxing break in the countryside. In all, Tarrit offers 19 acres of land bordered by farms, fields and vines! You will certainly have that feeling of tranquillity and relaxation.

Inside:

Ground Floor
The main entrance leads into an open-plan living area divided into dining area and outstanding lounge. Both areas are heavily beamed with the lounge benefiting from triple French doors to the terrace. Lounge facilities include huge TV, DVD (plus an excellent DVD collection), vcr and a large fireplace.

Leading from the dining area is an old-fashioned country kitchen recently upgraded with new units and granite work-top.

There's also a handy downstairs cloakroom / WC close to the front door.

Two of the three bedrooms are downstairs:

• Master bedroom with king-size bed, large dressing room and views south over farmland. This room has direct access to the terrace. The en-suite bathroom is also very spacious and offers bath, separate shower, WC and basin.
• Double bedroom with doors to the terrace, additional single bed and separate dressing area. The en-suite includes bath with shower fitting and basin. The WC is in a separate room.

First Floor
A staircase from the far end of the lounge leads to a mezzanine landing accessing the third bedroom - double bed, additional single bed and separate dressing area. The en-suite includes bath with shower fitting and basin. The WC is in a separate room.

Outside:

Guests are likely to spend most of their time out of doors at Tarrit and it's easy to see why. Surrounding the property is a mixture of formal gardens, terraces, a barn (with pool table) plus the pool at the rear of the property. There's also a covered terrace and plenty of sun-loungers and parasols.

The gardens to the front of the house offer plenty of space for kids to enjoy ball games.

The swimming pool is deserving of special mention as it really is a bit special. For one thing, it's not a bland rectangle, but is kidney-shaped and large too. Its siting is idyllic as it overlooks lovely secluded countryside. You really do feel as though you are swimming in a little oasis. In our opinion the pool is a real draw for this property.

There is parking for several cars.

And make the most of the fruit trees! In the past, guests have picked fruit from the orchard to make cakes and jam - a perfect 'Tarrit' souvenir to take home!

Prices & Availability

Location

GPS: (43.94139786, 0.11295855)

We endeavour to be as accurate as possible using Google maps but some error is possible.

Things to Do & See

Nearby Activities
Golf · Cycling · Horse-riding · Fishing · Spa & thalassotherapy · Wine-tasting · Degustation ·

Day-trip Ideas

Within 2-3 hrs by car you will find some excellent destinations including:

• Cordes/Ciel, a hill top medieval village
• Pujols, one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France, a must for a Sunday morning.
• Albi with its Toulouse-Lautrec museum and superb painted cathedral
• Auch for its famous cathedral
• The virtually unknown yet beautiful city of Pau
• Prehistoric caves: Pech Merle, Les Eyzies, Lascaux

Our Personal Highlights

Unwind to the pace of Gascony life...

• Cruising the local towns and villages on market day
• Visiting one of the many Armagnac producers - and tasting of course
• Finding a Gascon auberge and dine with the locals
• Visiting historic Gascon bastides - Barbotan, St Justin, Labastide
• Lazy day exploring the Adour villages: Aire, Grenade & St Sever 

The Local Area: Eauze (13km)

Castelnau d'Auzan
Reputed for the best boulangerie in the area – winner of many prizes. The town also has a small supermarket – where most things can be purchased - plus a doctor, pharmacy and bar/restaurant. Market day is on Tuesday. On the edge of the village is a tennis centre, superb lido and 'leisure lake' - a lovely spot on a summer's day.

Eauze
A very pleasant market town which bursts into life every Thursday morning on market day. There's some nice examples of half-timbered architecture too plus a good choice of places to eat. Amenities include a cinema and supermarket.

Gascony
Sublime, hearty food and red wine, armagnac and rural tranquillity. It's little wonder that Gascons enjoy the highest life expectancy in all of France!

The land is gently undulating, punctuated by the occasional picturesque bastide town and barely changed from centuries ago. And the land is still relatively free of tourists too. This is what French refer to as "la France profonde" (deep, real France).

Foodies should head to Les Caprices d'Antan, Place de la Mairie, Lannepax: this restaurant was the winner of the The Guardian's Readers' Tips: France on the Cheap.

Montréal is an English-built bastide founded in the late 13th century. Further east are Larressingle with its fort and moat, and Condom which claims to be the 'capital' of the unofficial Armagnac region and is home to the Musée de l'Armagnac. Condom's market is a foodie's paradise but a duck's worst nightmare.

This area is little known, outside of France, for its wine despite a number of highly rated labels including Tursan and Madiran appelations. It is armagnac that southern Gascony is famous for and there are plenty of places where you can taste a drop. Many Armagnac producers locally are open to the public or you can visit Ecomusee de l'Armagnac near Labastide d'Armagnac, another medieval bastide renowned for its exceptional arcaded square.

It is an easy ride by car to historic Nérac, a quiet, attractive town on the Baïse river. The old town is a maze of narrow streets lined with 16th and 17th century houses. There is also a lovely park (La Garenne) with several fountains, which was laid out by Henri IV's father in the 15th century, and a good selection of pleasant shops and restaurants. If you're near Nérac, then try and visit the four-tower mill of Barbaste, a landmark in Lot-et-Garonne. It's next to a romanesque bridge on a pre-Roman causeway leading from the Pyrenees to Perigueux. Slightly further on is the walled village of Vianne founded in 1284 when English and French started to fight over Aquitaine. Vianne has charming handicraft shops, glass factory and a lively night-market.

To the north, Casteljaloux, about 45 km away, has a wide selection of shops, restaurants and spa; market days there are Tuesday and Saturday.

The nearest main town west is Mont-de-Marsan which has a summer party lasting two weeks at the end of June. This is a good time to watch corridas or sample the local and less blood-thirsty version of bull-fighting, courses landaise.

There is plenty of history and heritage to explore. In the Gers is Fources, an extraordinary example of one of the region's many bastides (planned medieval towns founded in the 13th and 14th centuries) and known for its annual flower show in May. Close by is Seviac, a site of Gallo-Roman villas of some luxury for their time.

If music is your thing, there is much to enjoy: for two weeks in August Marciac (approx 50 mins' drive away) hosts an internationally-known jazz festival; Vic Fezensac (approx. 30 mins' drive) hosts a latino festival in the last week of July; Mirande (approx 50 mins' drive) holds a country festival in the second week of July; there is a classical festival in the towns surrounding Nérac from June to August.

Somewhat bizarrely, the area around Labastide d'Armagnac does a nice line in sports-themed churches: Notre-dame-du-Rugby in Grenade-sur-l’Adour; Notre-dame-du-Courses-Landaises in Bascons and Notre-dame-des-Cyclistes in Lasbastide d'Armagnac!

Striking a similarly bizarre note is the delightful Gascon village of la Romieu (lying just east of Condom). It's peculiarity is that it boasts a colony of stone cats! It's all to do with an old legend that saw the number of cats in the town reduced to two. See if you can hunt down all 15 stone cats that now reside in the village! True or not, the village is worth a visit - the 14th century collegiate chapel is quite a sight - and the Armagnac pruneaux ice cream delicious!

The lack of large towns makes this area an ideal retreat for nature and countryside lovers. There are many cycling and walking tracks both in the forests and in the gentle country of Armagnac and Chalosse. Mushroom hunting and bird-watching are popular pastimes and there are also good venues for fishing and horse-riding.

At the delightfully maintained village of Barbotan-les-Thermes, you can enjoy a day's pamering at the town's thermal spa station.

Why not enjoy the area by river and take a boat trip along Le Val de Baïse. Between Valence-sur-Baïse and Condom you will pass rolling countryside, castles and fortified villages.

If you are feeling active (Why? You're in Gascony!), there is an 18-hole golf course close by at Eauze plus two others within three quarters of an hour's drive at Mont-de-Marsan and Barbaste.

Customer Reviews

“Tarrit de Bas is a fantastic house, so comfortable and beautiful.”

Mrs S Bailes, stayed in 2010

“We have had a very enjoyable week at Tarrit de Bas. It is in a wonderful position and very comfortable. Temperatures reached 40 degrees C at times so swimming pool was well used!”

Mr D Foster, stayed in 2010

Mr C Bull, stayed in 2010

“Very high standard compared to other properties I have rented”

Mrs J Procter, stayed in 2010

“We had not been to that part of France before, but your summary of the nature of the region and the characteristics of the property were spot on. we had a very relaxing and enjoyable holiday. ”

Mr C Snow, stayed in 2009

“We loved the place - it was a great match for our needs and we all had a wonderful holiday - and it is somewhere we would consider visiting again. ”

Mrs K Collins, stayed in 2009

“A very nice property, the location, the situation of the house, the grounds, the pool are all very good. Inside, the property is comfortable and well equipped. ”

Mrs A Deacon, stayed in 2008

Mrs L Beattie, stayed in 2008

“A very spacious house with a fantastic pool and large garden”

Mr C Schultz, stayed in 2011

“A lovely house; so peaceful and spacious with lots to do! Also well equipped. Had a lovely day out at the Roman Villa de Seviac near Montreal and at the Grottes de Fontirou”

Mrs E Dunleavy, stayed in 2011

“We had a great time staying at Tarrit de Bas. The house is magnificent, and has been restored so tastefully. It was a pleasure staying here, the grounds were amazing with far reaching views, such a peaceful place for us to visit. We will definitely be re-booking for next year.”

Mrs T Williams, stayed in 2011

“Fantastic location and surrounding countryside. If you like seclusion - this was perfect, just what we were after.”

Family Thompson, stayed in 2011