The property: 2-bedroomed village house, entered from a quiet, picturesque, pedestrianised street. The sitting room has exposed beams, original fireplace with wood-burning stove, a double sofa-bed and television. Off the sitting room is a fully fitted kitchen with dining area. Also on the ground floor there is a spacious shower room with basin and WC, which houses the washing machine. A wide staircase leads up to two spacious double bedrooms, the larger of which has a decorative fireplace and is south-facing. With two double beds, the cottage sleeps four comfortably, but can stretch to six with the double sofa-bed in the sitting room. 

Outside Area: The garden which belongs to the adjoining 3-bedroomed house is made available to the 2-bed cottage for long lets during the late autumn/winter/early spring. For late spring/summer/early autumn lets, a bistro-type table and chairs positioned just outside the front door on the wide pavement of the quiet pedestrianised street outside the cottage makes it possible to enjoy your morning coffee or an evening aperitif al fresco. The cottage is also only a hundred yards away from the riverside, which has probably the best picnic spot in the world! Here, with magnificent views of the river, Kiwi Island, tall poplars and banana trees, and the ancient buildings of Sorde all around you, you can enjoy your baguette, cheese, olives and wine under an ancient spreading walnut tree, to the accompaniment of the sound of water lazily running over rocks. The house is provided with folding chairs and picnic equipment.

Surrounding Area: SORDE L’ABBAYE is an exceptional village, which has grown up around the Abbey and what was a large and important monastery, on the banks of the river. The ruins of the monastery remain, overlooking a dramatic weir. The Abbey was built on the remains of a Roman villa (the Villa Sirtius, from which the name ‘Sorde’ derives) and sections of well-preserved Roman tiled mosaic floors can be viewed inside the church. Due to its important history, both as a resting-place for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain (who pass through the village to this day) and also because of its Roman origins, the entire village has been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Amenities:

• · An auberge, with a terrace overlooking the Abbey, just a few minutes’ walk along the river from the house.
• · Epicerie, stocking essentials and fresh bread daily
• · Recreation ground, including a tennis court and childrens’ playground, a Fronton court and boules/petanque is played nearby, under the trees. Within minutes there are wonderful walks along the river and also on the bluff overlooking Sorde l’Abbaye.

PEYREHORADE, the nearest town, is 2.5km (under 5 minutes’ drive) from Sorde l’Abbaye, and is a bustling market town situated on an estuary, where the two large rivers of the area, the Gaves (meaning mountain torrent) de Pau and d’Oloron converge, and boasts an attractive chateau.

Amenities:

• · An excellent large and colourful market, every Wednesday
• · Supermarkets, petrol stations, banks, chemists, doctor’s surgery, bars, bakers and restaurants.
• · A good supervised outdoor swimming pool and swimming in the leisure lakes nearby, as well as boat trips up-river to Port-de-Lanne and Dax
• · A railway station, with a direct connection to Bayonne/Biarritz and Pau in under half an hour
• · A motorway connection, providing fast and easy access to the sea, the mountains and Spain beyond.

THE AREA: The surrounding countryside is lush and exotic: thickly wooded, rolling hills, green valleys dotted with palm and banana trees and wide rivers, against the spectacular backdrop of the magnificent Pyrénées (although they are not always visible in the heat haze of summer), making the area wonderful for walking, cycling, golfing, horse-riding, swimming, canoeing, rafting and fishing. Highly recommended are the Grottes (caves) of Sare and Bettharam, the Kakuetta Gorge and the ‘petits’ trains (La Rhune and l’Artouste). During the summer and autumn there are numerous fêtes in the various towns and villages of the area, all of which are great fun and very lively.

TO SEE AND DO:

Approx. half an hour away:

• · The unspoilt sandy, pine-fringed beaches of the Atlantic coast;
• · Surfer’s paradise, chic Biarritz, with a renowned golf course;
• · Fascinating, vibrant Bayonne, which hosts a jazz festival in the summer;
• · The Roman spa town of Dax, with the finest spa facilities in France, as well as a water-sports centre and golf course, and a Salsa festival in September.
• · The smaller spa town of Salies-de-Béarn, under 15 minutes’ drive away, has a golf course and very good indoor and outdoor swimming pools and spa baths.
• · The dramatic and historic town of Sauveterre-de- Béarn, perched high above the Gave de Pau, which also has a white water centre.

Approx an hour away:

• · The magnificent Pyrénées for more serious walking in summer and skiing in winter;
• · Spectacular towns of St Jean Pied-de-Port, St Jean de Luz and Pau, and San Sebastian in Spain

Further afield:

• · Lourdes
• · Pamplona, Bilboa (Guggenheim Museum) and Santiago de Compostello in Spain

Other comments: This property is also available for summer holiday rentals.

Pricing Info: Linen provided free of charge for long lets. Utilities and firewood payable at cost.
Please check availability first before contacting the owner - click here      

For further information and to book please contact:
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Please quote ‘Rent a place in France.com’ when contacting the owner.

Name: Sue and Robin Languages spoken: English, French Tel No: +44 (0)1424 428741 Time to contact: Anytime

       

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