Les Clauzades Vieilles

• High-quality Maison de Maitre with great peace and seclusion
• Sleeps 12 people in 6 bedrooms, or 16 in 8 bedrooms with additional Gîte
• Private 2.5ha /6 ac site at the end of a country lane 7km from Tournon D'Agenais
• Quality furnishing and fittings throughout in a variety of styles
• Available all year round
• Landscaped gardens with mature trees and shrubs
• Outdoor activities include a hard tennis court & giant garden chess
• Exclusive 16 x 6m heated pool with hardcover and large sun terrace

Arriving at the end of the lane through the local agricultural landscape, and entering Les Clauzades Vieilles through the stone arched gateway, you leave the world behind, and enter a tranquil atmosphere in which the body can relax and be refreshed. This is an ideal place to go for that special occasion or to retreat from the world to discover your family and friends together.

The original 16th century Quercy stone house has been very sympathetically renovated and added to with a wall dividing the parking area from the terrace, creating a sun trap around the pool in the process, and other outbuildings constructed with complementary features to give a very striking air to the property as a whole.

Set in around 6 acres of landscaped gardens with mature trees and shrubs, the ambience is one of great peace, and an ideal place for those seeking somewhere private for that special occasion, or to find some peace to devote the mind to matters entirely: It is little wonder that the house is owned by an award-winning writer.

A range of Guest services including catering for special meals etc can be arranged, but must be booked in advance:  Please contact Halcyon Leisure for further information.

The Main House   Sleeps up to 12 people in 6 bedrooms

From the large courtyard parking area, a flight of stone stairs leads up to an outdoor terrace, known as a 'bolet' in the local dialect: There are entrances off here into either the main sitting room or into the kitchen. The terrace, being elevated and east-facing, makes an excellent spot for breakfast on a sunny morning before the day gets going.

The large Sitting Room has a huge traditional fireplace, and the dark wood-panelled ceiling and classic French sitting room furniture gives a very traditional French flavour to the room. Complementary burgundy wall tapestries and upholstery complete the picture. There is a selection of interesting ornaments around the room to complete the aristocratic ambience.

At the rear of the room is a large formal Dining Table for those special meals.

The adjacent Kitchen is well equipped for large parties and includes a full range of fitted units offering ample workspace.

The units are in dark wood to complement the Sitting / Dining room next door. Equipment includes a gas hob with extractor over, electric oven, fridge/freezer and a microwave. There is also a large breakfast table for informal dining and food preparation as required. Space allows for a small seating area with a couple of easy chairs as well.

From the Kitchen, a door leads to two spacious Double Bedrooms on this level, one of which has an ensuite shower room.

There is also a bathroom on this level, with the door immediately adjacent to the second Double Bedroom. Both bedrooms have high-quality furniture and decorations.

Stairs lead up to the top floor, where there are two spacious Twin Bedrooms. with a Bathroom with bath, basin and WC and also a separate lavatory with WC and basin between them.

Returning to the Sitting/Dining Room level, a metal staircase leads down to the Lower Ground level, and into the attractive Cave, done out in white, with an attractive mural and cane conservatory suite. There is also a grand piano here.

The outside door from this room opens onto the pool terrace and looks directly through the rose arbour and up the avenue of bushes to the tall cypress trees at the far end of Clauzades Vieilles.

This room sits between two large bedrooms, one Double and one Twin, and both have spacious en-suite facilities with excellent quality fittings.

The Double room has bathroom, shower, basin and WC and the Twin has bath, basin and WC.

Throughout the house, the quality of the accommodation is at a premium level, and guests are assured of luxurious surroundings and facilities to maximize the enjoyment of their stay at Clauzades Vieilles.

The Gîte   Sleeps up to 4 people in 2 bedrooms

Sitting at one end of the garden in its own enclosure with separate entrances and parking, the Gîte is a modern bungalow. It is approximately 100m from the Gîte to the door of the Main House.

Entering through the hallway, on the left is a good-sized kitchen, with a range of fitted units, hob, oven, fridge/freezer, microwave, and a good range of other equipment, enabling the occupants to be completely independent of the Main House if desired.  There is also a breakfast table.

The Sitting/Dining Room opposite has a beautiful stylish Dining Table and Chairs, a quality Three piece suite and a wood burner.

Along the hall are the bedrooms, one a Twin and the other a Double with additional storage space in both rooms.

The bathroom has a bath with shower attachment over, WC and basin.

Outside the Gîte has a small garden, sufficient for Occupants to sit out and enjoy the outdoors, and shaded areas are provided by mature trees in the garden of the Main House.

Please note that The Gîte is also available for let separately from the Main House, but if not let with the Main House, the occupants of the Gîte will not have access to the grounds of the Main House or the pool.

Outdoors at Clauzades Vieilles is a positive delight, with carefully landscaped and maintained gardens throughout, and a number of features to raise the expectations far beyond an ordinary rental property.

The Swimming Pool and large Terrace make the south face of the house a stunning feature, with an additional wall and Pool house with its own feature tower incorporated to make a 3 sided enclosure to both keep the wind at bay and provide some shade at all times of the day. Subtle lighting around this area and under the surface of the pool also create a decadent atmosphere after sunset.

The 16 x 6 m pool will normally be heated to 29C, and there are integral steps for easy access to the water.

The Pool House includes equipment for Tennis, Badminton and a Dartboard, as well as a selection of items for use in and around the pool.

Leading straight out from the arched door of the Cave, you pass an ornamental fountain, and beyond that a rose archway that leads into an avenue pathway to cypress trees at the far end. Off this pathway is the full-sized hard tennis court, which includes a raised spectator deck on one side.

Heading back towards the house, there is a small building which has a full-sized table tennis table in it, and further around the side of the house among shrubs is a game of giant garden chess set with a full set of playing pieces, the largest being some 1.2m (4ft) high.

As you head further round the garden there are a number of substantial pine trees in the garden, and also an oak in which a hammock can be hung, before you arrive back by the main door at the courtyard parking area.

If you can tear yourself away from Clauzades Vieilles, there is much to see and do in the surrounding area. The nearest town is the Medieval Bastide of Tournon d'Agenais, with tremendous views from the medieval ramparts especially at sunset. There is a weekly market there, as there is at most surrounding towns and villages, and there is a current list of these in the general area information available from The Area link at the top of the page. Markets are usually busy with local traders offering all types of fresh produce, other foods and drinks, and assorted crafts and other items.

The area of the Lot Valley and South Quercy abounds with food production including soft fruit, nuts, vegetables, honey, cereals and much more, all of which you will see growing as you travel, and there are also wineries in the area, with Domaine de Laetitia a near neighbour of Clauzades Vieilles. Not far away near Thézac is the noted Vin du Tsar (look for the giant wine bottle signs) and the English run Domaine du Garinet who also produce walnuts and prunes is nearby at Le Boulvé. Both are open for tastings: See the links above for further information.

The River Lot and all the water-based activities can be accessed at almost any point where the river is reached, and Clauzades Vieilles is in an area of quiet country lanes for rambling and cycling.

Restaurants are plentiful at both Tournon d'Agenais and Montaigu de Quercy. For everyday shopping, there are small supermarkets at Tournon D'Agenais and Montaigu de Quercy, or for Hypermarket shopping, there is a large LeClerc hypermarket at Fumel, approx 20km to the north. For larger towns, Clauzades Vieilles lies almost halfway between Cahors to the east and Villeneuve-sur-Lot to the west, both with a Roman heritage, or the main regional town of Agen is a little further away to the south-west.