Aquitaine, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Navarrenx, France

A36575CEL64 - ...

Built in the late 1800s, this cosy Béarnaise farmhouse has been stylishly renovated to combine a contemporary décor with traditional architectural features, which include exposed beams, exposed stone walls, a traditional wooden staircase and a Béarnaise stone sink.

This welcoming family home (118m²) also has a large two-storey barn (60m² x 2) on the far side of the paved courtyard and a lovely garden with a terrace for dining alfresco. The south-facing garden (1,115m²) has delightful views of the surrounding countryside - and there is plenty of flat land for a swimming pool, if desired.

From the courtyard, the front door of the house opens into a small hall area with a wooden staircase to the upper floors. To the left is a spacious, open-plan sitting room/dining room, which has a traditional Béarnaise stone sink and a fireplace with a Jotul wood-burning insert. Beyond this room is a spacious kitchen with French doors out to the garden.

To the right of the hall area are two adjoining rooms, a shower room and a separate WC. The rooms could be transformed into a ground-floor master-bedroom suite, a B&B suite for accommodating holidaymakers/pilgrims or used as office space/consulting rooms.

The first floor of the farmhouse comprises a bedroom with built-in wardrobes, a master bedroom, also with built-in wardrobes, and an adjoining family bathroom. The second floor, which has sloping ceilings, is currently used as a huge loft-style bedroom, but could easily be divided up to make two separate bedrooms or a bedroom and an en suite shower room (ideal for B&B guests). It could also be used as an office, a playroom, a games room, a home cinema, a gym...

The property's two-storey barn is on the far side of the courtyard and is currently used as a garage/workshop/storage area. It should be possible to get permission from the Mairie to convert the barn into an office or consultation rooms if you work from home, or to transform it into an apartment for grandparents or for teenagers, a gîte, B&B suites... It should also be possible to get permission to instal a swimming pool in the garden.

Situated on the outskirts of a peaceful village not far from Navarrenx, this delightful property is within walking/cycling distance of local shops and amenities, which include a small grocery shop, a boulangerie, a restaurant, a pharmacy, a hairdresser, a doctor's surgery and a primary school. From the village, a school bus takes older children to schools in Navarrenx (which has a bilingual French/English primary school), Oloron-Ste-Marie and Sauveterre-de-Béarn - and there are public buses to Oloron-Ste-Marie and Mauléon-Licharre in the Basque Country

The farmhouse is in an excellent location for anyone who loves walking, skiing, watersports and the sea. Several Pyrénées ski resorts are about an hour away to the south - and the famous Côte-Basque beach resorts, which include Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, are just over an hour away to the west. There are swimming lakes with beaches throughout the area, along with exciting white-water rafting and canoeing on the rivers that flow through Navarrenx, Oloron-Ste-Marie and Pau. The Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle is just 500 metres away, which has a steady stream of pilgrims following it towards St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and then into Spain.

THE FARMHOUSE

Ground floor:
- a spacious sitting room/dining room with a Jotul wood-burner
- a kitchen with French doors out to the garden
- a bedroom/office with an adjoining room, a shower room and a separate WC

First floor:
- a bedroom with built-in wardrobes
- a master bedroom with built-in wardrobes
- an adjoining family bathroom

Second floor:
- a large loft-style bedroom


THE GARDEN & BARN

The farmhouse is set in enclosed grounds of 1,115m² with...
- a paved courtyard
- a two-storey barn (60m² x 2), currently used as a garage/workshop/storage area
- a garden with a terrace and barbecue area + room to instal a swimming pool (permission required)
- a well


THE POTENTIAL!

This lovely farmhouse is a perfect size for a family and is within easy commuting distance of Mourenx (25 minutes), Orthez (30 minutes), Pau (45 minutes) and Oloron-Ste-Marie.

For anyone who works from home, it should be possible to get permission to transform the barn into an office or consulting rooms. The barn would also be ideal for creating a gîte, B&B suites, an apartment for grandparents or teenagers...

One or more of the bedrooms in the main house could also be used for welcoming Bed and Breakfast guests - and the installation of a swimming pool would be an added attraction. There is a constant demand for B&B accommodation from tourists who visit this beautiful area all year round, along with pilgrims following the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle, who hope to find peaceful places to stay en route to Spain. In addition, the paved courtyard between the farmhouse and the barn would be the perfect spot for your guests to eat breakfast in the morning sunshine...


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Telephone + cable internet connection available
Double glazing
Water softener
Heating: fireplace insert + gas central heating
Mains water
Mains drainage
Well
Taxe Foncière in 2021 : 533€


THE LOCAL AREA

The farmhouse is close to the delightful bastide town of Navarrenx in the Béarn and just minutes away from the Basque Country. Navarrenx has a great choice of specialist boutiques, restaurants and bars - and you can also can go white-water rafting and canoeing on the "Gave" (river), which flows through the town.

Situated halfway between the mountains and the sea, there are several ski resorts in the Pyrénées about 60 minutes away, where you can go downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding and snow-shoeing. For those who prefer beach-based activities, the Atlantic coast is just over an hour away to the west, where you can surf, swim and picnic at Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

If your interests are gastronomic, you'll love exploring the many farmers' markets throughout the Béarn and Basque Country, where you can sample locally produced Jurançon and Irouléguy wines, tasty Bayonne ham cured using salt from Salies-de-Béarn and fabulous Brebis, (a cheese made from ewes' milk), which is normally eaten with delicious black cherry jam from Itxassou!

Airports: Pau, Biarritz, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: Puyoô (TGV), Oloron-Ste-Marie, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Coach: Orthez, Pau, Bayonne
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Issarbe, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Iraty, Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette, Formigal (Spain)...
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Parc'Ours, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Le Train de La Rhune, Aqua Béarn, Base de Loisirs d’Orthez-Biron, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Grottes de Sare, Grotte de la Verna, Grottes de Bétharram, Golf de Salies-de-Béarn, Thermal Spas, Casino, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle (500 metres), Route d'Artagnan bridleway (2km)...