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Built in 1469, this charming Basque farmhouse of 395m² is in a small rural hamlet located within easy walking/cycling distance of a large village with boulangeries, a supermarket and several schools.
From a large parking area at the side of the farmhouse, a gravel path leads around to the main front door of the farmhouse. To the right of the main front door are French doors, which open into a small reception room - ideal for using as an office/consulting room with its own private entrance.
Directly in front of the main front door is a south-east-facing dining terrace with an adjoining summer kitchen - the perfect spot for dining alfresco and admiring the magnificent mountain views! Beyond the terrace is a lovely south-west-facing garden, which has ample flat land for installing an in-ground swimming pool (permission required).
The main front door of the farmhouse opens into a vast open-plan reception room (88m²) with a cosy sitting area with a beautiful carved stone fireplace, a dining area and a kitchen area with an adjacent utility room.
From the reception room, a door opens into a hall with a guest WC and a staircase up to five bedrooms on the first floor. The hall also leads into a smaller reception room with French doors, giving you a second/private entrance door into the farmhouse.
From the main reception room, a door opens into a gorgeous master bedroom suite comprising a large bedroom with access to a south-west-facing terrace, an adjoining dressing room, a spacious bathroom with an Italian-style shower and a separate WC.
Also adjoining the main reception room is a second ground-floor bedroom, which could be used as an office.
The first floor of the farmhouse comprises six bedrooms, one of which is only accessible via a staircase in the main reception room. The five remaining bedrooms comprise four bedrooms, each with an en suite shower room & WC, and a fifth bedroom with an en suite bathroom and a separate WC.
The farmhouse is about 10kms away from the picturesque town of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in the Basse-Navarre province of the French Basque Country. The coastal resorts of Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz are about 50 minutes away to the west; the main ski resorts are about 60 minutes away to the east; Spain is just 10kms away.
The inland Basque Country is a true delight - rolling hills and open fields dotted with pretty white farmhouses with red or green shutters. The fields are often grazed by sheep, which are milked twice a day - and the milk is then used to make cheese called "Brebis". Other famous local delicacies are Bayonne ham, red piments (chilli peppers), Gâteau Basque and dark cherry jam from Itxassou to eat with the brebis cheese!
THE FARMHOUSE (395m²)
Ground floor:
- a south-east-facing dining terrace with a summer kitchen and views of the mountains
- a main entrance door, which open into a vast open-plan reception room with an open fireplace, a sitting area, a dining area and a lovely kitchen area (85m²)
- a smaller reception room/office, which also has a private entrance door from outside (35m²)
- a large utility room (25m²)
- a master bedroom suite with a dressing room, an en suite bathroom, a separate WC (24m² + 11m² + 13m² + 2.5m²) and access to a small south-west-facing terrace with a pergola
- a second bedroom/office adjoining the main reception room (15m²)
- a guest WC (2.5m²)
- underfloor heating throughout
First floor:
- a landing/sitting area (17m²)
- a bedroom with an en suite bathroom, a separate WC (29m² + 9m² + 2m²) and access to a small south-east-facing balcony
- four bedrooms, each with an en suite shower room & WC (20m² + 7m²; 16m² + 4m²; 13m² + 5m²; 12m² + 3m²)
- a bedroom (15m²), accessible only via a staircase in the main reception
THE GROUNDS
The farmhouse is set in delightful grounds of 1,850m² (0.45 acres) with...
- a lovely south-facing garden planted with mature trees and shrubs
- ample flat land for installing a swimming pool, a children's play area, a boules piste...
- a south-east-facing dining terrace with a summer kitchen
- a small south-west-facing terrace accessible from the master bedroom suite
- access to a storage room adjoining the farmhouse for storing garden furniture and equipment
- a gravel parking area for several cars NB: please note that the back of the farmhouse is on the edge of a road
THE POTENTIAL!
In excellent condition, this splendid Basque farmhouse can be moved into straight away. For families with children, there are schools within easy walking/cycling distance in the local village, as well as nearby St-Jean-Pied-de-Port (10km).
If you work on the coast, Bayonne is about 40 minutes away; Biarritz airport is 45 minutes away. For anyone who works from home or who would need an office/consulting room, the property has several rooms which could be suitable. Should you need an office with a private entrance, the smaller ground-floor reception room would be ideal.
Because this super eight-bedroom farmhouse has six bedrooms with en suite bathrooms, it is absolutely perfect setting up a Bed and Breakfast business. In addition, ALL B&B FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT WILL BE INCLUDED, ensuring that you can generate a very healthy income as soon as you move in!
Tourists visit the Pays-Basque all year round - and many of them hope to find upmarket accommodation for both long stays and short stays. During the quieter months of the year, you might like to offer activity holidays to your B&B guests, such as wellness breaks, mindfulness retreats or masterclasses in painting, photography, music, gastronomy, Irouléguy wine-tasting...
There are many mountain trails in the nearby Pyrénées for walkers, cyclists and motorcyclists - and a unique place for a group to stay for a few nights would certainly attract them... and during the winter months, you could welcome groups of skiers, who would love to be able to ski in both France and Spain! In addition, a trans-European bridleway - the "Route d'Artagnan" - passes just 1.5km away from the farmhouse, so tired and hungry horse-riders (and their horses!) could provide extra clients for your stylish overnight accommodation.
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 Basque and Béarnaise delicacies!
Subject to permission, the property could also be ideal for hosting weddings and celebrations, especially since guests will have the possibility of booking accommodation before and after the event. The main reception room in the farmhouse would also be ideal for hosting corporate clients for seminars and conferences - and participants will be thrilled to enjoy a relaxing lunch in the gorgeous grounds...
SERVICES & TECHNICAL
Telephone + cable internet connection
Double glazing
Heating: heat pump + underfloor heating + electric radiators + open fireplace
Mains water
Septic tank (needs replacing)
THE LOCAL AREA
This delightful Basque farmhouse is just a short stroll/cycle ride away from a large village with boulangeries, supermarkets, restaurants, bars... There is also a choice of schools for children up to 16 years of age and a regular bus service to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and St-Palais.
Due to its proximity to Atlantic beach resorts (50 minutes), Pyrénées ski resorts (60 minutes) and Spain (10 minutes), this area is an extremely popular place to live or to have a holiday home - and should you wish to create a Bed & Breakfast business, tourists visit this gorgeous corner of the Basque Country all year round! In addition, the "Route d'Artagnan" - a trans-European bridleway - passes within 1.5km of the farmhouse, so you might like to consider offering deluxe overnight accommodation to the horse-riders... and to their horses!
The bustling town of St-Jean-Pied-de-Port is just 10kms away. The town has many excellent amenities, including a swimming pool, a cinema, excellent schools and trains to Bayonne on the coast. As well as food and craft fairs throughout the high season, the town has a large outdoor market every Monday morning, along with a smaller market for local crafts and gastronomic specialities every Thursday.
St-Jean-Pied-de-Port is famous as the gathering point for pilgrims following the Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle before their steep climb into the Pyrénées and into Spain.
Airports: Biarritz, Pau, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Bayonne
Coach: Biarritz, Bayonne, Pau
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...
Ski: Iraty, Issarbe, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Artouste, Gourette, Val-d’Azun, Somport, Candanchú (Spain)...
Attractions: Le Train de La Rhune, Grottes de Sare, Grottes d'Isturitz et d'Oxocelhaya, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Aqua Béarn, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Parc'Ours, Route d'Artagnan, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle...
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