Tarrit de Bas

With landscapes reminiscent of Tuscany and a reverence for all things food-related, you might expect more of a crowd in glorious Gascony, yet this sleepy region is delightfully untouched by any kind of mass tourism. Beautiful Tarrit de Bas has also remained pretty much impervious to the passage of time, owned and much loved by the same English family for a quarter of a century. As such, the house is furnished and equipped with all the comfort and practicality of a private home, perfectly designed for relaxed family gatherings and gourmet breaks enjoying the incredible culinary richness of the region.

The property is accessed via a long private track, setting the scene for a week or two of peaceful escape in the endless rolling countryside. The sense of space is a joy, with over 75,000m2 of land (for context, an average tennis court is about 500m2!) bordered by fields and vineyards. It’s a great space for a family or a group of friends, with three air-conditioned en-suite bedrooms and three lounge areas giving you lots of room to be as sociable or independent as you wish.

With its original timber framework and timeless views in every direction, the house feels like a total retreat from everyday life, a place to be savoured along with the fabulous food and wines that characterise Gascony. Lazy days around the pool fade seamlessly into star-gazing nights; with so little light pollution, you can often see the night sky in wonderful detail thanks to the high-quality telescope provided, and for more earthly pleasures, there’s also table tennis, a pool table and a DVD library. But the real draw here is quality time with family and friends, and a pace of life so conducive to relaxation that the people of Gascony have the highest life expectancy of any region in France!

Please note... This property is not included in our early bird price freeze promise.

Local area

The countryside around is gently undulating, punctuated by picturesque bastide towns that preside over a tranquil agricultural landscape. Your nearest village is Castelnau-d'Auzan (3km), famed for its five churches, which also has a weekly Tuesday market, a bar-restaurant, and one of the best bakeries in the area. On the edge of the village is a tennis centre, swimming lido and lake with picnic area. Other local places worth a visit are the bastide town of Montreal (10mins), and Eauze (15mins) for its half-timbered houses and excellent Thursday market, plus a larger supermarket if you want to do a big shop. Further east is Larressingle with its fort and moat, and Condom, the self-styled foodie capital of the region. It is Armagnac that southern Gascony is most 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 the Ecomusée de l'Armagnac near Labastide d'Armagnac, another medieval bastide renowned for its exceptional arcaded square. Gascon wines are little known outside of France, but those in the know rate the Tursan and Madiran appellations very highly.

The lack of significant towns makes this an idyllic spot 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 birdwatching are popular pastimes (but be careful what you eat!) and you can also go fishing and horse-riding. Barbotan-les-Thermes is a lovely authentic spa for a spot of pampering, or you can slow the pace even further with a boat trip along Le Val de Baïse. passing rolling countryside, castles and fortified villages.

Our choice of France properties is diverse, ranging from simple charm to genuine luxury and style. Much of our portfolio is privately owned, and price alone is therefore not a universal guide. We contract all our accommodation in person, and each property has its individual appeal.

To help you make the right choice based on your own priorities, we have devised a simple grading guide to be considered in conjunction with each individual property description, awarding up to a maximum of five stars for the below categories.