Under The Thatch

Maison Bleue is everything a house in France should be. It has traditional character, it is peacefully located with wonderful views, and is just a short stroll from fine local food.

Add the private pool for your exclusive use, tower, pigeonnier, tennis court, and wonderful furnishings and you'll see why we took this on as an Under the Thatch property. We even provide the boules to finish the perfect French holiday home!

As you'd expect in a property of this quality each of the four bedrooms has its own bathroom.

Restored and furnished by Hugh Child & Gwenda Griffith (co-author of the first Welsh interiors book), we felt that Maison Bleue and its smaller sisters (Maison Rouge, sleeps 6 and Maison Verte, sleeps 6) were ideal first members for Under the Thatch international!

Gwenda and Hugh certainly know how to put together a great house, and Maison Bleue has some wonderful furniture and furnishings. You can tell that decorating this project has been a labour of love, and nothing has been done on the cheap. In fact we consider Maison Bleue to be one of our best interiors.

Maison Bleue is the place to stay if you enjoy peace & quiet, beautiful landscapes and fine French country food and wines; great times can be had here.

Located in “the golden triangle” between Cordes, Albi and Gaillac, a short drive will take you to some charming and historic towns, or borrow the bicycles (supplied) to nip down to the village to get fresh bread and cakes.

Maison Bleue is a ten-minute stroll from the pretty village of Cahuzac-sur-Vère which has three boulangeries, a patisserie, a wonderful boucherie and grocery stores.

The village also has an auberge and an excellent restaurant - also recommended are the two restaurants in the amazing medieval village of Castelnau-de-Montmiral (5km), often referred to as one of the prettiest villages in all France.

Or only 10km to the market town of Gaillac (10km), world famous for its wines.

Slightly further away are the towns of Cordes-sur-Ciel and Albi. Cordes-sur-Ciel (12km) is perched precariously on a rocky outcrop and dates back to the 13th century. Its quaint cobbled streets and chic artisans' shops make for a great day out.

Albi (30-minutes) is built alongside the River Tarn. It has a stunning cathedral and is most famous as the birthplace of the painter, Toulouse-Lautrec.

Click here to explore more about the area, and to see a selection of suggested activities exploring chateaux, fine dining, food and antique markets, local events and sports from rural donkey riding to paragliding!

Click here to see extra and larger photos on my facebook profile.

How to Arrive?

Maison Bleue is just 20 minutes away from the main A68 autoroute and 50 minutes drive from Toulouse International Airport. Click here for a drop-down list of all airports that have flights to Toulouse. The main UK airports are:

Easyjet from Gatwick and Bristol

Flybe from Birmingham (seasonal).

British Airways from London

After Toulouse the next nearest airport is Carcassonne, approx 1 hr and 45 min drive (Ryanair fly here from Stansted, East Midlands, Liverpool, Dublin, Shannon).

Nearest train station is Gaillac (10km, linked from Toulouse).

If travelling by car consider car ferry via St-Malo, Caen or Bilbao (Santurtzi).

Click here to see the exact location.

THE PROPERTY COMPRISES:

Maison Bleue adjoins the farmhouse that its owners use when they are in France, but has its own private entrance, driveway, and pool. The tennis courts are shared with its sister properties.

The property is fully centrally heated and has a wood-burning stove.

SITTING ROOM: A spacious room with a cast-iron wood-burning stove and plenty of comfortable furniture.

Plasma TV & CD stereo. Basic Sky satellite package (so some UK TV channels).

KITCHEN: There is a modern and practical oak country kitchen open plan to the dining area. Everything you'd expect including microwave, dishwasher and washing machine.

DOUBLE BEDROOM 1: A romantic room with four-poster bed, and en-suite of a generous size containing bath and separate shower cubicle. Views over the landscape to the front.

DOUBLE BEDROOM 2 : Double bedroom with fine views and en-suite of a generous size containing bath with shower over. Views over the pool.

BLUE BEDROOM : Twin bedroom with armchairs and en-suite of a generous size containing bath and separate shower cubicle. Views to the rear over open landscape.

EARTH BEDROOM : Twin bedroom with Indian furnishings and en-suite of a good size containing bath with shower over. Views over pool to the round tower.

OUTSIDE:

Covered terrace with extra dining area. Good quality Barbeque.

Pool (with alarm that conforms to safety regulations). The pool is approx. 40' x 20'. When activated the alarm will let you know if a child crosses from the terrace towards the water.

Shower and toilet for pool.

Round Tower furnished as a secret hideaway with Exotic eastern furnishings.

Acres of landscaped grounds shared with Maison Rouge. The informal gardens are typically ablaze with colour - and delicate perfumes from roses and lavender fill the air all summer long

Historic pigeonniere tower to the front (shared with Maison Rouge and Verte) is useful as a formal reception area. Young children must be accompanied as it contains an unprotected well (has doors etc to building).

Hard Tennis court (shared with Maisons Rouge and Verte). Bring own racquets and balls.

Bicycles, helmets and boules provided, as well as Table Tennis table.

Parking for up to 4 cars

Maison Bleue can be booked with its sister properties, Maison Rouge & Verte, at the same location to sleep a total of 20 guests.

Please note that the pool could present a potential danger to children. There is a pool alarm, but guests are responsible for their own safety and that of their children.

Like all Under the Thatch properties, Maison Bleue is entirely non-smoking inside. There is a covered terrace.