Aquitaine, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Jurançon, France

Built in the 1880s, this charming maison-de-maître of 308m² is located in a residential area just five minutes away from the historic centre of Pau. The property is set in enclosed grounds of 2,815m², with plenty of flat south-facing lawn for installing a swimming pool, if desired.

From the road, a private drive leads up to the front of the maison-de-maître and to a two-storey outbuilding, part of which is used as a garage.

The main front door of the house is accessible via stone steps up from the grounds at the front of the house. The front door opens into a light and airy entrance hall with a wooden staircase straight ahead of you. The hall forms part of a huge open-plan space, with a formal dining room to the right of the hall and a salon to the left.

The hall leads round to a south-facing kitchen, which is also accessible from the dining room, and to a bedroom/sitting room/study/office, which is also accessible from the salon. The bedroom/sitting room/study/office has an en suite shower room, making it ideal for using as a bedroom. All four rooms on the ground floor have fireplaces. There is also a separate WC on this floor.

From the hall, the main staircase leads down to the basement below the house. Halfway down, a door opens out to the grounds. The basement comprises four rooms: a utility room/boiler room, a workshop and two huge storage rooms. The rooms could also be used to create a gym, a games room, a home cinema, a dance or yoga studio... or even a garage.

The main staircase also leads up to the first and second floors of the maison-de-maître. The first floor comprises a master bedroom with a fireplace, a bedroom with a vanity unit, two further bedrooms, a shared shower room and a separate WC. The shower room adjoins the master bedroom and one other bedroom.

The second floor of the property also has four bedrooms, along with a family bathroom and a separate WC. One of the bedrooms has a vanity unit and plumbing in place for a shower. Please note that the rooms on this floor have partially sloping ceilings.

By changing the layouts of the first and second floors, it should be possible to create five luxurious Bed & Breakfast rooms, each with an en suite shower room.

Outside in the grounds and set away from the main house, there is a two-storey outbuilding comprising a garage and stable on the ground floor and two guest bedrooms on the first floor. The first floor rooms could be ideal for using as a home office or as consulting rooms, if you work from home.

You might also like to keep the stable, since the "Route d'Artagnan" - a trans-European bridleway - passes just 800 metres away from the house, so horse-riders - and their horses - would be delighted to find stylish, relaxing B&B accommodation not far from the bridleway.

Alternatively, all or part of the building would be suitable for transforming into a cosy guest cottage/gîte to rent out, although the building will need connecting to mains drains.

Although the maison-de-maître and the outbuilding will need some updating, modernising and redecorating, the property is absolutely ideal for anyone looking for a wonderful family home, a spacious holiday home, a year-round tourism-based business... Whatever your project, the potential is huge!

As well as being hugely convenient for people working in and around Pau, this super maison-de-maître is perfectly located for anyone who loves both the mountains and the sea. Several Pyrénées ski resorts are 45 - 60 minutes away to the south - and the many Atlantic coastal resorts are just over an hour away to the west. There are also the nearby Gaves (rivers) for exciting white-water rafting, along with numerous swimming lakes with sandy beaches for picnics and sunbathing.

THE MAISON-DE-MAÎTRE

Ground floor:
- an entrance hall (14m²) with a traditional wooden staircase
- an east-facing salon/music room (23m²) with a fireplace
- a west-facing dining room (23m²) with a fireplace
- a south-facing kitchen (15m²) with a fireplace
- a south-facing bedroom/sitting room/study/office (18m²) with a fireplace and an en suite shower room
- a separate WC

First floor:
- a master bedroom (20m²) with a fireplace and access to a shared shower room
- a bedroom (20m²) with access to the shared shower room
- a bedroom with a vanity unit (15m²)
- a bedroom/study/office (15m²)
- a shared shower room (10m²: accessible directly from two of the four bedrooms)
- a separate WC

Second floor:
- a bedroom (20m²) with a vanity unit and plumbing in place for a shower
- three further bedrooms (20m², 15m², 15m²)
- a family bathroom (15m²)
- a separate WC
- access to the loft

Basement (approx. 100m²):
- a utility room/boiler room
- a workshop
- two huge storage rooms

NB: please note that the rooms on the top floor have sloping ceilings


THE OUTBUILDING

Ground floor (approx. 50m²):
- a garage
- a stable/storage area and a wooden staircase up to the first floor

First floor (approx. 40m²):
- two guest bedrooms (NB: both rooms have sloping ceilings)


THE GARDEN

The maison-de-maître is set in beautifully maintained, enclosed grounds of 2,815m² planted with mature trees and shrubs. The flat land to the south of the house would be ideal for installing a swimming pool, a barbecue area, a children's play area, a boules piste... and you might also like to create some terraces for dining alfresco, where you'll be able to enjoy sunny breakfasts, long, lazy lunches and moonlit suppers!


THE POTENTIAL!

Close to the centre of Pau, this lovely maison-de-maître is conveniently located for easy commuting by bicycle, car, bus or train. Local shops and amenities are also accessible on foot. The HQ of TotalEnergies is about 15 minutes away, as is the International School of Béarn.

For anyone who works from home, the ground-floor bedroom/sitting room/study would be ideal to use as an office/consulting room, as would the first-floor rooms in the outbuilding.

The two-storey outbuilding would also be suitable for transforming into a guest cottage/gîte to rent out.

With nine bedrooms in the main house, the property would be ideal for transforming into a boutique Bed & Breakfast business. Pau is a popular destination for City Breaks all year round - and the Béarn is particularly popular with holidaymakers who come to explore the Pyrénées and Atlantic beach resorts. In addition, during the winter months, you could welcome skiers, who will be able to travel up into the mountains on the Ski-Bus, which leaves from Pau.

A trans-European bridleway - the "Route d'Artagnan" - passes 800 metres away from the house, so tired and hungry horse-riders could provide extra clients for your upmarket B&B business - and the stable in the outbuilding will be perfect for accommodating their horses!

Along with providing accommodation and delicious breakfasts to your B&B guests, you might also like to offer evening meals and afternoon teas - and even picnic lunch hampers... especially if the hampers are full of tasty Béarnaise and Basque delicacies.

Easily accessible from the airports at Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes and Biarritz, the maison-de-maître would also be an excellent location for an impressive business headquarters and could be used for hosting corporate seminars and events, with the additional advantage of being able to offer accommodation to participants.

Alternatively, the property could be used as a wellness centre and spa… or even transformed into a beautiful tearoom or restaurant - and the possibility of offering overnight accommodation or relaxing weekend breaks to restaurant diners is something that is very popular in this area.

NB: please note that permission will be required for any change of use


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Telephone + cable internet
Mains gas central heating + open fireplaces
Mains drainage
Well


THE LOCAL AREA

Located to the south of Pau, the many shops and amenities of the city are easily accessible from the maison-de-maître. Regular buses stop close by and the main TGV train station is a 5-minute cycle ride away. There are many excellent schools in Pau and neighbouring towns with collège-lycées offering a range of studying options (some in English), as well as the possibility to specialise in theatre, dance, sports… and even horse riding! The International School of Béarn, which follows an English school curriculum, is just 15 minutes away.

The Béarn is extremely popular with tourists all year round for hiking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting and fishing. The region also offers a choice of winter sports, including cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing and snowboarding, with ski-buses to the ski resorts running regularly from Pau during the winter months. For beach-based activities, the famous resorts on the Atlantic coast are about 75 minutes away, with family beaches at Hendaye and St-Jean-de-Luz -and surfing at Biarritz, Anglet and Hossegor.

Airports: Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes, Biarritz
Train: Pau
Long-distance coach: Pau
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette, Val-d’Azun, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Issarbe, Iraty, Somport, Candanchú (Spain)...
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Aqua Béarn, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Grottes de Bétharram, Parc'Ours, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle, Route d'Artagnan...