Pau

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Built in the late 19th century, this Béarnaise manor house of about 320m² is located in a magnificent rural setting and has fabulous panoramic views of the Pyrénées!

The approach to the property is along a private tree-lined drive. As you arrive, you will notice a track leading down to a colonnaded stable area and therefore easily accessible for larger agricultural vehicles.

The main drive leads into a sunny courtyard and to the front of the manor house. To the right of the house is a large barn (currently used as a garage) - and to the left is a pretty guest annexe. The manor house faces south-east, so the courtyard is the perfect spot for enjoying a delicious breakfast in the morning sunshine!

The front door of the manor house opens into a spacious entrance hall, which has a carved wooden staircase to the upper floors. You will immediately notice that the property's décor is both authentic and traditional - and many original features have been conserved and beautifully restored.

To the right of the entrance hall is an elegant dining room with an impressive fireplace and wood-burning stove. At the far end of the room, a door opens into a cosy kitchen, which could be enlarged, if desired.

To the left of the entrance hall is a spacious sitting room, which also has a large fireplace and wood-burning stove. From the sitting room, a door opens into an anteroom, which has doors into a utility room, the guest annexe and a small barn/workshop behind the guest annexe.

The first floor of the manor house comprises a master-bedroom suite and a smaller bedroom suite. The master-bedroom suite comprises a bedroom with a fireplace and access to a roof terrace, an adjoining sitting room/dressing room area, an en suite shower room and a separate WC. The second bedroom suite has en suite bathroom and WC.

There are two further bedrooms on the second floor, along with a bathroom and a separate WC.

The property's guest annexe is accessible internally via the sitting room or externally from the courtyard. The accommodation comprises a delightful reception room with a fireplace and doors out to the grounds, a bedroom with access to the courtyard and an en suite bathroom.

Stairs lead up to the first floor, which is unconverted open-plan room of about 60m², with a covered balcony at the far end, along with doors out to the roof terrace. The guest annexe is ideal for renting out as a luxurious B&B suite or - with the addition of a kitchen and perhaps bedrooms on the first floor - a splendid gîte!

The manor house is set in 19.5 hectares of meadowland and woodland, so it could be ideal for anybody hoping to set up an equestrian business or an agricultural/horticultural/market-gardening enterprise.

Located in the highly sought-after Vallée d'Ossau, this gorgeous property is not far from the Pyrenean ski resorts at Eaux-Bonnes (30 - 40 minutes), Gourette, Artouste and Val d'Azun. Along with skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing during the winter months, the resorts also have many mountain activities for visitors during the summer months.

For those who prefer watersports and the sea, the famous beach resorts on the Côte Basque, such as Biarritz and St-Jean-de-Luz, are about 90 minutes away. There are also several swimming lakes with “beaches” near the property, along with exciting white-water rafting and canoeing on the area's many rivers!

THE MANOR HOUSE (approx 320m²)

Ground Floor:
- a sunny courtyard (approx 350m²)
- an entrance hall (10m²)
- a sitting room (45m²) with a fireplace and wood-burning stove
- a dining room (30m²) with a large fireplace and wood-burning stove
- a kitchen (10m²) with access to the large barn
- a utility room (15m²)
- a guest WC

First floor:
- a roof terrace (60m²) above the adjoining small barn/workshop
- a master-bedroom suite (25m²) with a fireplace, an adjoining sitting room/dressing room area (10m²), an en suite shower room (10m²), a separate WC and access to the roof terrace
- a bedroom (20m²) with en suite bathroom (10m²) & WC

Second floor:
- two bedrooms (14m², 13m²)
- a family bathroom (4.5m²)
- a separate WC
NB: please note that the rooms on the second floor have partially sloping ceilings


THE GUEST ANNEXE

Ground floor:
- a reception room (30m²) with a fireplace and access to the grounds
- a bedroom (20m²) with access to a paved terrace and the grounds
- a bathroom (7.5m²)
- a separate WC

First floor:
- access to a covered balcony
- unconverted open-plan room of approx 70m² (NB: sloping ceilings)
- access out to the roof terrace


THE EQUESTRIAN FACILITIES AND OUTBUILDINGS

- a professional paddock (approx 750m²)
- a colonnaded stable area (approx 80m²) with 3 spacious horse stalls and a tack room
- a large barn with hayloft (approx 80m²) adjoining the main house, currently used as a garage
- a chai (approx 45m²)
- a small barn/workshop (approx 60m²) adjoining the guest annexe
- several terraces for outdoor dining


THE POTENTIAL!

This splendid manor house is ready for you to move into today! For families with children, there are schools in the local towns and villages (4 - 5km), and a great choice of collèges and lycées for older children throughout the area. The International School of Béarn is 30 minutes away.

The property is within easy commuting distance of Pau (20 minutes) and TotalEnergies HQ (30 minutes) - and for anyone who works from home, the guest annexe would be ideal to use as an office/consulting room.

If you are hoping to find an excellent-value property that could be rented out to holidaymakers for short-term stays, this beautiful manor house would have excellent income potential, thanks to its rural setting and its proximity to the Pyrénées, the Atlantic coast and Spain.

You could even register the house as a "gîte de groupe" to accommodate up to 15 people (you could stay in the guest annexe). This arrangement would allow you to run residential wellness and cultural retreats or sporting and leisure activity holidays, such as horse-riding, yoga, cycling, art, cookery... There is plenty of room in the larger barn for running courses - and when the weather’s perfect, the activities and workshops could take place outside in the beautiful grounds!

One or more of the bedrooms in the main house could be used for welcoming Bed and Breakfast guests, if desired, as could the guest annexe, which has its own private access from the grounds. The guest annexe could also be suitable for transforming into a gîte - and the open-plan room on the first floor could also be incorporated (authorisation required). There is an ever-growing demand for holiday accommodation from visitors to this delightful area, especially during the summer months, the skiing season and at Christmas and New Year.

There is plenty of room in the grounds for installing a swimming pool (authorisation required), a summer kitchen, a barbecue area, a boules piste, a children's play area... and these additional facilities will be greatly appreciated by your guests.

If you have an agricultural, horticultural or market-gardening project, the 19-hectare estate could be ideal for you - or you could just keep it as grazing land for horses, donkeys, goats...

... and if you have horses, the property already has excellent equestrian facilities for personal or professional use, including a paddock and colonnaded stable area with three horse stalls and a tack room!

NB: please note that planning permission would be required for the installation of a swimming pool + for any conversion/change of use of buildings for residential and/or professional purposes.


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Cable internet connection
Double glazing throughout (except for one door)
Three-phase electricity
Heating: oil-fired central heating + electric radiators + fireplaces + two wood-burners
Septic tank (works required)
Spring water & spring on the land


THE LOCAL AREA

This beautiful manor house is located in the highly sought-after Vallée d’Ossau, which is named after the Ossau river (Gave d’Ossau). The valley extends to the Spanish border, where you can ski at Eaux-Bonnes/Gourette (30 - 40 minutes), or you can catch a small open-sided train at Artouste to travel high into the mountains. For those who prefer beach-based activities, the Atlantic coast is about 90 minutes away, where you can picnic, swim and surf at Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

As well as mountain and beach-based activities, the beautiful Béarn is very popular with tourists all year round who love hiking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting, fishing...

The area also produces has many gastronomic delicacies which you can sample at the many farmers' markets throughout the Béarn and Basque Country, such as locally produced Jurançon and Irouléguy wines and tasty Bayonne ham cured in salt from Salies-de-Béarn. The Vallée d'Ossau also produces the world-famous Ossau-Iraty brebis - a cheese made using ewes' milk. It is normally eaten with delicious black cherry jam made from cherries grown in Itxassou in the Basque Country!

You will find a good choice of supermarkets, restaurants and bars in towns and villages about 4 - 5km away from the property, along with local primary schools. For a wider choice of shops, amenities and excellent secondary schools, the city of Pau is 20 - 25 minutes away. The International School of Béarn and TotalEnergies HQ are about 30 minutes away. There are regular buses to Pau, Lourdes and the Pyrénées from nearby villages, as well as trains from the larger towns and Pau.

Airports: Tarbes-Lourdes, Pau, Biarritz
Train: Pau, Lourdes
Coach: Pau
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

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

Attractions: leisure lakes with watersports, Aqua Béarn, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Parc'Ours, Grotte de la Verna, Grottes de Bétharram, golf (Billère & Artiguelouve), thermal spas, GR walking routes...