River Cottage - your Fabulous New Home on the River Aveyron

Property Description

Summary
Nestled between forest and river with extensive river frontage and fabulous walks from the doorstep, the fully modernised River Cottage offers a unique blend of rustic charm and modern convenience.

Location
While the postal address of the house is St Martin Laguepie 81170 (Tarn) the nearest village with amenities (medical centre, shop, bar, post office, restaurant etc) is Varen 82330 (Tarn et Garonne). The house is in the Tarn but looks straight over the river Aveyron to the Tarn et Garonne. This area of South West France is a region of natural beauty and rich in heritage. River gorges of the Aveyron, Tarn and Lot valleys are all nearby. A 20 minute drive takes you to Cordes sur Ciel, a Plus Beaux Villages de France, while two other gorgeous mediaeval villages, Saint Antonin Noble Val and Najac are equally close. The renowned cathedral city of Albi, birthplace of Toulouse Lautrec, is a 40 minute drive away through the Gaillac vineyards.
Activities for all ages abound - kayaking, lake and river swimming, walking groups, vineyards, summer festivals, markets, live music events and many cultural events including the annual Parisot Literary Festival.

Access
Toulouse Blagnac and Rodez airports are both under 90 mins away.
Lexos rail station on the Toulouse - Figeac/Aurillac line is just 5 minutes away
The A20 (main North - South route) is easy accessed from nearby Caussade

Interior
River Cottage offers a large, welcoming open plan kitchen/living area with cathedral ceiling and 3m wide patio doors onto the terrace, pool area and garden. Separating the living space from the ground floor master bedroom is a little anteroom, affectionately known as 'the snug'. Bi-fold doors can be opened to extend the bedroom even further or closed to make a little area for office/hobbies or relaxation. The ground floor master bedroom itself extends to over 30 sq m and has panoramic views over the garden and the river Aveyron through 5 metre wide patio doors. Watch the birds and the squirrels at play without even getting out of bed!!
Upstairs, the cathedral ceiling allows for a spacious mezzanine currently used as office/relaxation area and two further ensuite bedrooms, one of which opens out onto a magnificent roof terrace of over 60 m2 with lovely forest and river views.
Even in the depths of winter, the powerful Jotul woodburning stove in the sitting room is capable of heating the entire living area and the whole upstairs of the house. But in spring, summer and autumn, the reversible aircon units in the living room and master bedroom come into their own keeping the house warm or blissfully cool as necessary at the touch of a button.

Exterior
The 140m2 house is set in over an acre (4,375 m2) of hedged grounds consisting of garden, potager field and a huge gravel driveway which can accommodate multiple vehicles including a motorhome (or three!) There is a new wooden carport and an integral garage, which is currently used as a workshop.
A huge terrace runs the length of the rear of the house and leads directly from the living area to the decked pool area, where you can take a refreshing dip in the heated 7 x 3.5m octagonal pool or take the steps down to the garden, the sauna cabin, the summer kitchen and the river.

Additional Details
On the practical side, the original house was built in 1970 but has been well-insulated, modernised, extended and an efficient micro-station has replaced the old septic tank system.
While electric radiators are installed, these are rarely used as the powerful Jotul woodburning stove efficiently heats most of the house.
Further information can be found at https://www.river-cottage.eu