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Self catering cottage (gîte) for vacation rentals
St-Ferriol, Aude, Languedoc, South of France - More Information
Property Description
  House
name: Maison de l'église
Sleeps 4-7 One double bedroom, one family room (one
double bed and one single) and sofa bed in large living room.
Village: St-Ferriol, 11500, Haute Vallée de
l'Aude
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon, Aude département
 Facilities:
Well equipped kitchen, extractor fan, granite kitchen, oil central
heating, water softener and ethernet & broadband wireless. Three
lavatories, bathroom and shower room.
Availability: all year round, short-term
vacation & longer stays.
Ground floor:
- Entrance hall
- WC
- Laundry room
- Kitchen & dining area
 First
Floor:
- Bedroom 1, double bed, walnut wardrobe, dressing mirrors, side
table
- Bathroom large walk in shower, WC, hand basin
- Sitting room, large coffee table, desk, arm chairs, cushions and
carpets.
Top Floor
- Bedroom 2, double bed, sofa, clothes hanging, large dressing mirror,
desk and tables, comfy chairs.
- Bathroom, lavatory, bidet, large bath, two large hand basins.
  All
linen and towels are provided.
All bedrooms have wooden floors with wool or cotton rugs.
The owners live nearby and are available if needed. They speak fluent
English.
Further facilities can be provided on request.
Property Location
 A
village house, a part of which was once the presbetry to the adjacent
romanesque village church. Part of the house is built around the apse
of the church.
 The
house is situated on a path in a quiet part of a village typical of
rural Southern France. It has recently been thoroughly renovated to
a very high standard whilst retaining the character and softeness
of the buildings rustic origins. While retaining many period features
the accommodation is luxurious and offers modern conveniences. Recent
refurbishment has used top quality natural materials making use of
the local chestnut wood, recycled oak and also cedar - a customary
local wood dating from the Crusades, when it was found that cedar
not only provided a wonderful fresh subtle aroma, but also deterred
insects. While retaining many of its original features such as exposed
beams, window fastenings, large quarry floor tiles and canal-tile
roof. The walls are rendered with natrural lime plaster. Even the
insulation is natural hemp.
 Each
of the bedrooms and their high quality bathrooms are on seperate floors
at seperate ends of the house. A spacious, light living room on the
first floor is comfortably furnished with television and stereo and
comfortable chairs. It is also a delicious room in which to sit quietely
and listen to the sheep and chickens and other sounds of the countryside.
This room is sometimes used as a consulting and seminar room by guests
studying and attending courses locally.
The village is amongst the sunniest of the region perched on a small
plateau with a view of rolling cultivated fields with a view of Rennes
le Château to the North and wild forests and the Pyrennees to
the south. Thousands of kilometres of hiking start at the doorstep.
  The
village is typical of the region, with narrow lanes and architecture
in local stone dating back to a bastide built on the site in the year
1300. There is a renaissance fortified castle next to the house which
the owners are in the process of renovating. To the West lies the
Pech [peak] de St-Ferriol, and to the south the Ruisseau [stream]
de St-Ferriol.
Ordinance survey maps and walking guides are available for visitors.
 A
short drive (or one hour's walk) eastwards is the market town of Espéraza
where you will find boulangeries, patisseries, tabacs, bars, restaurants,
bank, a post office, and a grade I listed church. Unusually for a
small town, Espéraza also boasts two museums and a popular
Sunday Market.
 To
the South West is the town of Quillan. Once a hub between the Haute
Vallée and the mountain plateaux, Quillan is now a more sedate
town. It now attracts those seeking watersports and good fishing and
still has an impressive programme of concerts and festivals between
June and September.
 Not
far from Quillan there are numerous down hill and cross country ski
centres where Toulousains spend their holidays locals go for day trips.
In winter many locals take off for a day of skiing and snow boarding
on the nearby slopes. The house is a great stepping stone for a skiing
holiday when some members of the family or group are not that keen
on skiing. It is also well located to be used as a base while searching
for a property in the Languedoc. Its well equipped and homley atmosphere
and broadband and telephone facilities make it a perfect choice for
those wishing to use it for a sabbatical vacation.
  A
main arterial road, the D118, passes 7 kms from the village giving
rapid access to many local places of interest. The gîte is 7km
from Espéraza to the west, 5 km from Quillan to the south,
and 15 km from Limoux to the north. It lies due south of the medieval
cité of Carcassonne, less than 30 kilometres from the Mediterranean
coast, Spain, Andorra and the Pyrenees. It is ideally placed to visit
famous Cathar Castles, including Montsegur, Cabardes, Puivert, Peyreperteuse,
Puilaurens, Usson, Aguila, and Queribus. It is also the perfect base
for those looking for the real rural France, for adventure sports
or mountain walking with easy day trips to coastal attractions such
as Collioure and Ceret.
Local Facilities/Places of Interest
  All
around the area are castles, mountain forests, valleys and garrigue,
historic abbeys, romanesque churches, gorges, grottoes and spas. The
town lies in the very heart of Cathar Country, the location of some
of the most important and portentous events of medieval Europe, vestiges
of which can be seen everywhere. Many of the most famous Cathar sites
are only a short drive or cycle ride away. It is less than a two hour's
walk away to the hilltop village of Rennes-le-Château,
the mystery village of the the Languedoc and the site of continuing
mysteries surrounding the discovery of vast treasures by the local
priest over a century ago. (There are local bookshops in the area
entirely dedicated the Cathars, local Templars and the Rennes-le-Chateau
mystery.)
 The
area is also a delight for those seeking sport and actvity holidays.
Cycling, the French national sport, is the most popular. You can hire
mountain bikes ("VTTs") from nearby Esperaza. There are
many horse riding treks on offer, hang-gliding, white-water rafting,
kayaking and canoeing, mountain climbing, fishing and walking…even
hot air ballooning. In the winter the Pyreneen slopes are not far
a way and many locals take day trips to ski or snowboard. There are
two thermal spring swimming pools nearby and several landscaped lakes
open to the public.
  The
surrounding countryside is beautiful and varied. To the South are
the foothills of the Pyrenees, then the real Pyrenees, and the Spanish
border, about an hour's drive away. One of the old pilgrimage routes
to Santiago (St-Jacques) de Compostella passes through Limoux, Espéraza,
the Gorge de Pierre-Lys, through the mountains and on into Spain.
To the East are the Corbières, one of the few remaining wildernesses
in Europe, where boar still roam wild, and beyond it the Mediterranean
coast, including Perpignan and a number of holiday beaches.
  To
the West lies the Plateau de Sault, a high plateau of forests and
rolling countryside, and beyond it Andorra. To the north are vineyards
and historic cities like Carcassonne. Local wines worth investigating
include Blanquette de Limoux, a white sparkling wine; Fitou a rich
red from the nearby Corbières; Maury, a fortified wine that
resemnbles port and Muscat also a naturally sweet wine drunk very
chilled as an aperitif, to the north the famous delicate wines of
the Minervois.
  Though
now French, the area just to the south was Catalan for centuries and
the Catalan language is still spoken just a few miles away. At the
local market, you can sample Spanish delicacies as well as the many
local ones, many of them organic: bread, dairy products, honey, vegetables
and wild mushrooms.
In the
nearby town of Espéraza is a museum dedicated to hat making,
the traditional industry of the area. Another, next to it, is dedicated
to dinosaurs. The area is rich in prehistoric fossils and major discoveries
have been made near here. Some of the digs are open to visitors.
 Local
wildlife is also an attraction for many visitors. Because of its varied
terrain, the Aude possesses more than twice the number of plant species
than the whole of the UK, including some 80 types of orchid. It is
similarly rich in animal species, particularly birds.
This property is located near the following major towns:
- Carcassone 50 km
- Perpignan 60 Km
- Toulouse 90 Km
- Foix 70 Km
Getting There
Important cities in the area are Carcassonne, Perpignan, and Toulouse
 Carcassonne.
Saint Ferriol is 57 kilometers south of the medieval walled city of
Carcassonne. Ryanair flies daily from Stansted (Near London in the
UK) to Carcassonne, and regularly each week from Sheffield (UK), Liverpool
(UK) East Midlands (UK) Dublin (Ireland), Shannon (Ireland), offering
cheap flights mid week during the low season. Cars can be hired at
the airport. By road from Carcassonne, head due south down the Aude
valley on the N118, through Limoux and Couiza. Just after Espéraza
(and before Campagne) on the D118 you will see St-Ferriol signposted.
Turn to your right into a small lay-by before crossing over the D118.
Then 3.5 kms uphill to an road junction. Turn right 1.5 kms to St
Ferriol
 Perpignan.
St-Ferriol is 70 kilometres North West of Perpignan, on the coast
near the Spanish border. Ryanair flies daily from Stansted (Near London
in the UK) to Perpignan, offering cheap flights mid week during the
low season.
Cars can be hired at the airport. By Road from Perpignan, take the
D117 west to Quillan, then take the D118 northwards and turn right
to St-Ferriol just as you leave Quillan.
 Toulouse.
St-Ferriol is about an hour and a half's drive from Toulouse, which
has an international airport served by British Airways from London
Heathrow, Air France from London Gatwick, and Buzz (cheap mid-week
flights) from London Stansted.
From Toulouse head towards Carcassonne (by car, rail or coach) and
then continue as above.
Information about the Languedoc
Click on this link for extensive information about The
Languedoc
Contact
Contact Sophie McDonald about renting the
cottage.
You can reach her at + 33 468.20.11.42:
04.68.20.11.42 from France,
00 33 468.20.11.42 from the UK
011 33 468.20.11.42 from the US
or by email.
Once you have checked availability,
and agreed your reservation, you will need to check our terms and
conditions and then print off and fill out a booking
form.
©
James McDonald, 2006
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