Tarn Owls
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About the home
Tarn Owls nestles peacefully in a tranquil rural location amongst vineyards and sunflower fields close to the Gresigne Forest. The stunning countryside with excellent walking tracks has some of the loveliest mediaeval towns and villages, and some of the most inspiring gorges and valleys in France. The forest is one of the largest and oldest forests in Europe, it abounds in wildlife and is said to have been planted by Louis XIV.
The spacious accommodation has been refurbished to a high standard, retaining original features including lovely oak beams and part exposed limestone wall. The beautiful house was the central location for a new film that had its première last year.
There is no other let property - only the owners to share the extensive grounds with.
| Size: | Sleeps up to 4, 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|
| Will consider: | Long lets Short breaks |
| Access: | Car advised Nearest amenities: 3.5km |
| Family friendly? | Not suitable for children Suitable for people with restricted mobility |
| Notes: | No pets allowed No smoking at this property Self-catering |
Facilities
| Luxuries: | DVD player |
|---|---|
| General: | Central heating, TV, Satellite TV, Wi-fi available |
| Standard: | Kettle, Toaster, Iron, Hair dryer |
| Utilities: | Dishwasher, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Washing machine |
| Rooms: | 2 Bedrooms, 3 bathrooms of which 1 family bathroom, 1 en suite and 1 shower room |
| Furniture: | Double beds (2), Dining seating for 4, Lounge seating for 4 |
| Other: | Linen and towels provided |
| Outdoors: | Private outdoor pool (unheated), Shared garden, Private garden, BBQ |
| Access: | Parking space |
Further details indoors:
The spacious accommodation with exclusive entrance is on two floors and includes a fully-equipped kitchen/dining room and lounge on the ground floor.
On the first floor are two large double bedrooms, each with en-suite shower rooms (one with WC). There is a separate toilet on the landing next to the bedroom doors. One bedroom looks out onto the pool, the other onto the adjacent vineyard.
Further details outdoors:
The pool is a roman-ended, 10m x 5m saline pool - no chlorine-induced red eyes! There is a large tiled lounging area with sun-beds around the pool, and a changing room with toilet and shower next to it. Atmospheric pool lighting makes evening drinks by the pool a romantic and relaxing experience.
There is an exclusive part of the gardens adjacent to the Gite for your outdoor eating, BBQ and relaxing, plus use of the extensive grounds with several shady seating areas, and boules court.
Further details
The proximity of the pool makes the accommodation unsuitable for children under 16
Gardens and Pool: You will have your own exclusive dining and garden area adjacent to the Gite. Use of the pool, pool terrace and extensive grounds is shared with the owners. There is a covered area adjacent to the pool reserved for the owners. The pool is normally available from about 8am until 8pm during April/September.
Photos
Video
Share videoThe Midi-Pyrenees / Tarn region
Midi-Pyrénées contains a number of essential sites to visit. An unmissable town is Albi, with its1000 year-old bridge over the River Tarn (reputedly one of the oldest brick-built bridges in existence) and the Toulouse Lautrec Museum and gallery.
Also in the Midi-Pyrénées is the Gresigne Forest . This glorious ancient woodland, one of the largest in Europe, covers three and a half thousand hectares, houses over one hundred species of oak tree, and is rich with birdlife, wild boar, deer, and hares - and red squirrels! There are many shaded and secluded walks and cycleways within the forest. For those for whom horse riding is the way to explore the countryside, there are stables and riding schools nearby.
The Castelnau de Montmiral area
Castelnau de Montmiral is our local village, just three kilometres away and easily reached from Tarn Owls. It is a mediaeval bastide town, perched on top of a hill with awe-inspiring views over the Gresigne Forest and the surrounding valley. It has a bar and two restaurants, a boulangerie, a post office, and a small supermarket, with a thriving market on Tuesdays. Sit in the market square, and watch the bustle of a local market, as feet tread cobble-stones that ring with history…
We are in the heart of one of the main wine-producing regions of France. There are over 120 vineyards in this area. These friendly vineyards offer good white, rose, red and sparkling wines. We can suggest which vineyards to visit for best value and free tasting for the wines you enjoy.
There are plenty of markets and brocantes in all the local towns throughout the summer months.
There are open-air concerts at the park in Gaillac, every Friday through the summer, each week a different concert, with wine and nibbles, sunshine and music, dancing and friendship – all for 5 euros!
Some of the local vineyards also have apero evenings with live music, cheap wine and delicious food
Kayaking down the Aveyron Gorges, walking the national walking tracks, horse riding, cycling or swimming, relaxing by the pool or simply driving around this beautiful countryside exploring towns and villages that have hardly changed in centuries - it's all here, waiting for you to enjoy.
Just two miles from Tarn Owls, is the Vere Gresigne centre, with its boating/pedaloe lake, swimming lake (with water-slide and life-guard), tennis courts, crazy golf, boules, bar and ice-cream parlour.
Walking and cycling are a favourite activity among locals and holiday-makers alike, and there are national walking trails on the doorstep. Local walking groups (French and English) will be pleased to welcome real enthusiasts!
The local area abounds in bird life, and bird watchers are rarely disappointed.
How to get there
Click map icons for more information
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| Nearest Travel Links | |
| Airport: | Toulouse: 70 km |
From the UK Easyjet, BA, Jet 2, Flybe, BmiBaby, KLM, Lufthansa, Air France, Alitalia, Iberian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Aer Lingus fly to Toulouse.
Carcassone and Rodez are a little further and served by Ryanair.
Calais is about 12 hours drive.
Activities near Castelnau de Montmiral
Tennis in town
Horse Riding
Golf within 30 mins drive
Walking holidays
Rural / countryside retreats
Cycling holidays
Reviews
 20 Sep 2011 |
We visited Tarn Owls for a week starting the August bank holiday weekend. The gite forms part of a very picturesque house with lovely views of the surrounding countryside. There was plenty of room in the gite, with the tastefully decorated and spacious rooms making it feel like a home away from home. Outside there was plenty of room to lounge around, either by the pool or in the very extensive grounds. The patio area near the gite was perfect for alfresco dining and the kitchen had everything we needed to cook the provisions we bought at the excellent market at St-Antonin-Noble-Val . The weather was glorious throughout our stay. Mike and Michelle were very generous and helpful hosts, providing helpful tips and information and generally making sure we were ok. We had a really wonderful time. At the end of the week we felt a little guilty that we hadn't visited more of the very beautiful local towns, but that was because Tarn Owls is such such a nice place just to sit, relax and soak up the wonderful setting. |
05 Aug 2011 |
Wonderful place and wonderful hosts. So many places of interest within a 30-45 minute drive, however you need to be a little fit as most places seem to be up hill. The surrounding countryside is... more |
29 Jul 2011 |
The house was delightful, well equipped and in an excellent location. Despite unseasonably poor weather, we could still find plenty of places to visit, and on the rare occasions when the sun shone, we enjoyed the grounds and the pool. The passport to Gaillac's 3 museums proved excellent value. It is also an easy drive to Albi which was a lovely city. Michelle and Mike were excellent hosts, hospitable, not intrusive and ready with advice when requested. We wished we had found this place when our children were young they would have loved it. We will certainly return to the Tarn Owls. |
Guestbook for Tarn Owls
This has been our fourth fortnight at Tarn Owls and it has been just as good as the other three.
A wonderful gite in a wonderful location in a wonderful part of France – and wonderful hospitality into the bargain. Everything we could have wished for.
What more can we say?! Great location, great gite, and Michelle and Mike great hosts!
Well what does one say at the end of our fourth brilliant holiday chez Mike and Michelle.
Thanks again. We’ll be back.
Two marvellously relaxing weeks of sunshine. On our third visit here we have again valued the peace of Tarn Owls, the beauty of the area, and the thoughtful hospitality of Mike and Michelle.
Our third year here and the best weather ever! Pretty much wall-to-wall sunshine. We managed to tear ourselves away from the hectic (!) life at Tarn Owls for one or two excursions – Najac (well worth a visit), Cordes and Puycelsi. Also had a beautiful walk, Chemin de Gradilles, through vineyards and cornfields. As usual, the week has just flown by – but I’m sure we’ll be back. Thanks Mike and Michelle.
Possibly the most comfortable gite we have stayed in: thoughtfully and tastefully equipped. Mike and Michelle delightful hosts. We intend to return!
We’ve never been anywhere where the hosts were so good and the scenery so fantastic!
We have had the most wonderful week at Tarn Owls! The gite was exactly what we had hoped for and more – the location and the weather have been perfect. We have had a wonderful holiday.
Rental prices
| Rental prices originally quoted in: British £ | Convert to: |
| Prices for group size 4 | ||||||
| Period | From | To | Weekly | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| July/August 2011 | 25 Jun 11 | 3 Sep 11 | £ 795 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Sept 2011 | 3 Sep 11 | 24 Sep 11 | £ 675 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Sept/Oct 2011 | 24 Sep 11 | 29 Oct 11 | £ 495 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Nov 2011 | 29 Oct 11 | 3 Dec 11 | £ 470 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Dec 2011 | 3 Dec 11 | 31 Dec 11 | £ 420 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Dec/Feb 2012 | 31 Dec 11 | 11 Feb 12 | £ 420 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Feb/March 2012 | 11 Feb 12 | 24 Mar 12 | £ 450 | - | - | 1 Week |
| March/April 2012 | 24 Mar 12 | 28 Apr 12 | £ 475 | - | - | 1 Week |
| April/May 2012 | 28 Apr 12 | 12 May 12 | £ 525 | - | - | 1 Week |
| May 2012 | 12 May 12 | 19 May 12 | £ 550 | - | - | 1 Week |
| May/June 2012 | 19 May 12 | 2 Jun 12 | £ 675 | - | - | 1 Week |
| June 2012 | 2 Jun 12 | 23 Jun 12 | £ 695 | - | - | 1 Week |
| June/Aug 2012 | 23 Jun 12 | 1 Sep 12 | £ 810 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Set 2012 | 1 Sep 12 | 15 Sep 12 | £ 750 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Sept 2012 | 15 Sep 12 | 22 Sep 12 | £ 695 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Sept/Oct 2012 | 22 Sep 12 | 6 Oct 12 | £ 550 | - | - | 1 Week |
| Oct/Dec 2012 | 6 Oct 12 | 29 Dec 12 | £ 450 | - | - | 1 Week |
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
To reserve ‘Tarn Owls’ please telephone (0033 563 57 97 52 or 0033 678 18 53 53) or email to check availability and confirm your request. Then download the booking form from our website, complete it and email it or post to us (Bozat, 81140, Sainte Cecile du Cayrou, France).
Availability
See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
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Contact the owner
* Required fields Please check the following errors: | 3 years listed You are contacting Michelle And Mike Fitzsimons
Languages spoken    The owner is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2008. This gite has received 8 reviews from previous guests.  |
