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Le Vieux Mas is a 200 year old farmhouse which has been sympathetically modernised. There is plenty of space, with larger than average rooms throughout, and all facilities including TV. The house is organised in such a way that couples on their own, families and groups of friends can all quickly feel comfortable and at home. The house is in the Cévennes, a beautiful but relatively little known part of southern France. Lying west of Provence and north of the Mediterranean, it is a land of chestnut groves, clear streams, mountain ridges and valleys nestling between the Massif Central and the Mediterranean garrigues. Ideal for walking, swimming, nature, local history. Also easy access to Avignon, Arles, Pont du Gard and the Camargue.
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(Click a photograph to enlarge)
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Self-catering accommodation in a rural setting and with 170m² internal floor area,
sleeping 8 (4 double, 1 twin and 0 single) with 2 bath/showerooms and 0 seperate WCs.
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| Transport: Nearest airport: Nimes (90 Km), ferry: Caen (500 Km), train station: Avignon TGV (60 Km).
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| Kitchen: oven, grill, hob, fridge, freezer, washing machine, tumble dryer.
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| General: telephone, internet access, lounge seats 8, dining area seats 8.
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| Entertainment: satelite tv, music system, nearest bar 5 Km, nearest restaurant 4 Km.
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| Outside: parking, BBQ, terrace, garden, garden furniture.
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November 2008
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December 2008
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January 2009
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February 2009
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| Key: | | - Booked/unavailable | | - Changeover day |
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| Sat Oct 11 2008 until Fri Dec 19 2008 | £290 |
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| Sat Dec 20 2008 until Fri Jan 02 2009 | £490 |
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| Sat Jan 03 2009 until Fri Mar 20 2009 | £290 |
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| Sat Mar 21 2009 until Fri May 22 2009 | £390 |
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| Sat May 23 2009 until Fri Jul 10 2009 | £490 |
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| Sat Jul 11 2009 until Fri Jul 31 2009 | £590 |
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Rental rate notes:
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Rental is Saturday to Saturday, or (out of season) by negotiation. Gas, electricity and firewood are included - there are no "extras" except linen. You can bring your own linen or it can be provided at a cost of £6 per person per week.
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Click here to see 12 month availability
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The area
Le Vieux Mas is in the centre of the south of France, due north of Montpellier and due west of Avignon. It is in the Cévennes, a beautiful but little known part of southern France. Lying west of Provence and north of the Mediterranean, it is a land of chestnut groves, clear streams, mountain ridges and valleys nestling between the Massif Central and the Mediterranean garrigues. The house is in a tiny hamlet called St Michel de Dèze le Vieux with fewer than half a dozen houses about 6km south of a village called Collet de Dèze, which is on the N106 roughly halfway between Alès and Florac. Le Vieux Mas is set on a hillside in about an acre of garden, meadow and woodland and so feels remote from all hustle and bustle. It is at the end of a tiny lane, so there is no passing traffic and no artificial light at night and it is almost totally quiet. Collet de Dèze is a busy village with a small supermarket, baker, post office, and a couple of bars and restaurants.
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Alès, about 40 minutes away, has banks, hypermarkets and all the facilities of a busy town. Le Vieux Mas is on the edge of the Cévennes National Park, famous for its flowers, its wildlife and its fascinating and turbulent human history recounted in Robert Louis Stevenson's "Travels with a donkey in the Cévennes." The area is a walker?s paradise and the swimming in the local river is wonderful. The area is popular for all outdoor activities such as birdwatching (the Camargue is just 90 minutes away), cycling, horseriding and canoeing, for which equipment can easily be hired. There are also some very fine caves and prehistoric sites to explore. For a contrast, it is also close to some of France's most interesting and historic towns and sites, and the coast.
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The towns of Arles, Avignon, Montpellier and Nîmes, as well as the Pont du Gard, the Mediterranean beaches and the Camargue are all between 1 and 2 hours' drive. More locally, there are many fine walks, rivers and lakes for swimming, and a variety of restaurants, many with very reasonable prices.
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Accommodation details
Le Vieux Mas is a 200 year old farmhouse which has been sympathetically modernised. It is attractively furnished with a mix of English and French antique and country furniture. The house is organised in such a way that couples on their own, families and groups of friends can all immediately feel comfortable and at home. The main rooms are all of well above average size. Downstairs, a kitchen/dining room has antique country furniture and is very well equipped, with a new full-sized cooker, a large fridge/freezer, electric kettle, coffee maker, lots of cooking utensils and plenty of china, glasses etc. There is a washing machine and tumble dryer in a cellar below. A wisteria-shaded terrace linked to the kitchen/dining room gives beautiful views over the surrounding hills and is ideal for breakfast or lunch. A larger lower terrace is splendid for barbecues or evening meals, with a large teak table and subtle exterior lighting.
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The chestnut-beamed living room has a wood burning stove and fireplace. A digital TV in this room has all UK freeview channels and a DVD player. There is also a hi-fi with a tape and CD player. Bookshelves have a wide range of fiction and there are also plenty of local maps and guides. The main bedroom is upstairs: it is a lovely large room with chestnut beams, antique furniture and exposed stone walls. It has a new king-size bed with a good quality mattress. Bedroom 2 (downstairs) has a double bed with a good quality mattress. This room has an en-suite bathroom with modern fittings, including a shower and bidet (but not a bath). Bedrooms 3 and 4 are newly restored rooms one double, one twin. There is also a double sofa-bed in the living room and a spare z-bed.
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Getting there
By road: it is a long but manageable (8hr) drive in a day from Northern France. If you have time, try 2 days on slower roads. For many visitors, the best route is down the centre of France on the A71/A75 as this is quieter and cheaper than the Rhone valley route. By rail, you can now travel direct from London to Avignon on Eurostar. There are also fast TGV services from Lille and Paris to Avignon and Nîmes. By air, there are an increasing number of low cost airline destinations in this area. The nearest airport, Nîmes, is just over an hour away and Ryanair flies there from Luton and Liverpool. Avignon, Marseilles and Montpellier, are all plus or minus about two hours away,with flights from various London and regional airports (Google "The Languedoc Page" and search for up to date cheap flights under travel bookings). Carcassonne, Rodez and St Etienne, are each about three hours away, and all have been used by us or by visitors.
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