Rental basis: Entire house or apartment
Number of bedrooms: 5; Number of other rooms with beds: 1
Number of bathrooms: 5
We hope you will feel encouraged to book a holiday at Nougayrede. We hope you will enjoy it enough to want to return. As so many of our visitors do.
The property is a picturesque farmhouse built traditionally in the local champagne-coloured stone, near Cahors in the valley of the Lot. In recent years it has been renovated to a high standard to offer a combination of tranquillity, comfort and character. It stands on its own in an elevated position surrounded by farmland, with distant views beyond.
It has : -
• Five bedrooms, plus one occasional bedroom, sleeping 10 in comfort and a max of 12.
• Five bathrooms
• Large open-plan living area
• Fully equipped kitchen
• Shaded terraces for outdoor dining
• Large pool, paved surround, pool-house with barbecue
• Garden with shade, fruit trees, vines
• Outstanding views on all sides.
The Farmhouse
The interior is roomy and full of character, with stonework and ancient oak beams exposed, tiled floors throughout, all in warm, farmhouse colours. There is full oil-fired central heating and a large open fire, with logs provided in season.
The arrangement of the house is "upside down" - bedrooms downstairs, living accommodation and external terrace upstairs.
Downstairs
• Entrance hall
• Superb stone-vaulted bedroom 1: king-size double bed. The coolest room in the house.
• Large family bathroom. Bath plus separate shower.
• Large bedroom 2 — King-size double plus single bed, en-suite bathroom
• Bedroom 3 — Twin beds, en-suite bathroom
• Laundry-room with washing machine. and drying.
Upstairs
• Spacious open plan living area: sitting room with comfy sofas & easy chairs: large open fireplace. Wide-screen Tv, Dvd-player. Hi-fi. Store of classical Cds and Dvds.
• Kitchen newly fitted and equipped, expansive working-surfaces and wall-units. Large fridge, separate freezer, induction cooking range, with large oven and extractor, dishwasher, microwave, coffee-maker, electric kettle & toaster. Good range of utensils.
• Quiet room doubling as an occasional bedroom — twin beds
• Pretty shaded first-floor dining terrace, commanding southerly views. Steps down to garden.
Outside
• Illuminated private pool, 40 x 20 feet metres. Roman steps into the shallow end. Depth 3 feet to 7 feet. The pool is in operation from May to September inclusive. Filtration by the salt method. The pool enjoys direct sunlight all day long. The water is cleaned by an automatic pump and sand filter and its chemical balance is regularly monitored.
• The pool is surrounded by a stone terrace for sunbathing, commanding wide views.
• Shady pool-house equipped for barbecues, sun-loungers.
• Gravel In and Out driveway. Grounds of one acre, part shaded by trees — lime, acacia, pine, fig, plum, and vines — with an unconverted barn across the courtyard.
Converted Barn
Two further spacious bedrooms plus kitchenette -
• Bedroom 4 — King-size double bed, en-suite bathroom
• Bedroom 5 — Twin beds, en-suite bathroom
The Setting
Nougayrede Bas stands on its own, encircled by farmland right up to its borders. Occupying a spur on a hillside, it commands distant views to the North, South and East.
The panorama embraces sunflower-fields, wooded hills, orchards, vines and meadows. It extends across the valley to the hilltop town of Montcuq, with its castle tower.
The Lot Valley
The river Lot is one of the loveliest in France. Flowing parallel to the Dordogne, its valley is more sinuous, its uplands wilder. Every valley in the region has its mediaeval castle, prehistoric cave, fortified bastide, or pilgrimage town. All have outstanding and atmospheric restaurants. The local economy is solidly agricultural.
Two of the region's most famous sons were Leon Gambetta, hero of the Parisian resistance to Bismarck; and Georges Pompidou, President of the Republic in later and calmer times.
The deep red wines of Cahors, raised on these stony hillsides, were known to the Romans, and have seen a lively revival in recent years. The region specialises also in plums, walnuts and foie gras.
Festivals and concerts are widespread in the summer. Every village has its weekly market and its annual fete, often with fireworks.
Summers are very hot. Remember you are on the same latitude as Rimini! However your thick stone walls give good insulation, and your elevated position is exposed to breezes.
Local Facilities
If you tire of lying by the pool . . .
The house has a small store of toys and games, together with a selection of books and classical Cds.
Montcuq is 5 minutes' drive from Nougayrede, Cahors 40 minutes. There is a market in Montcuq every Sunday morning at 10 am. There are markets in other villages in the vicinity on most days of the week.
The Tourist Office in Montcuq is full of detailed information about the region. Opportunities include : —
• Eating - You will be delighted at the range and quality of restaurants in the area, and reassured by their price. Suggestions and impressions are logged in the visitors' guide at Nougayrede
• Visiting the region's hilltop towns, historic bastides, villages, castles - these cluster on all sides. To the south, the world famous cathedral of Moissac. On the river Lot are the town of Figeac and the village of St Cirq Lapopie, voted the prettiest in France. On the river Aveyron is the town of St Antonin, Roman in origin, where they made the film, Charlotte Gray
• Visiting vineyards - suggestions are logged in the visitor's guide. It's worth having a car with a good-sized boot!
• Walking - well-marked national and local randonne routes Good large-scale maps are available at the newsagent in Montcuq
• Canoeing - on the local rivers, including the Lot and Aveyron
• Mountain-biking - there are lanes and marked trails for enthusiasts of the Vtt - velos tout terrain
• Caving - Possibilities abound in the region. The Grotte de Pech Merle, Nw of Cahors, has particularly fascinating prehistoric wall paintings.
Shops, services &c. Your nearest . . .
Doctor is in Montcuq
Pharmacy is in Montcuq
Supermarket is in Montcuq
Carrefour is in Cahors
Newsagent ( for maps &c) is in Montcuq
Wine cave is in Montcuq
Bank & cash machine is in Montcuq
Post Office is in Montcuq
Service Station is in Montcuq
Railway Station is in Cahors
Airports are in Toulouse and Bergerac
Getting There
• The A20 autoroute from Paris has an exit at Cahors, and from Cahors Nougayrede Bas lies about 20 miles to the Sw
• From Dieppe, Le Havre or St Malo, the house can be reached in an easy day's driving
• And from Calais (ferry or tunnel) after a more arduous day's drive.
• Toulouse and Bordeaux airports, both within 2 hours of Nougayrede by autoroute, have several flights a day from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted
• Trains run to Cahors from the Gare d'Austerlitz in Paris
The Owners. The Lane family bought Nougayrede Bas in 2001, since when we have refurbished it throughout. The farmhouse dates from the C17, we believe, and it may always have borne that name. It was a working farm up until the early 1970s. After that, the farm-land was sold and the house was for many years used as an artist's studio.
We have found the work of refurbishment hard but satisfying. Living in England, we use it for entertaining and for our own enjoyment, as well as for letting.
We love the solid dignity of its architecture, its all-round panorama, and the constantly-changing light on the surrounding hills and valleys. We love them all the more now they can be enjoyed in modern comfort!
