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Le Vieux Mas in spring | 
View from house |
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Upper Terrace | 
Lower terrace |
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Living room | 
Dining area |
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Kitchen | 
Bathroom |
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Main Bedroom | 
Second bedroom |
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Third bedroom | 
Lower bedroom |
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Ever changing views |
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Property |
Location |
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Le Vieux Mas |
Cevennes, Languedoc-Rousillon, France |
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One-off feature |
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A 200 year old "mas" in the wooded hills and valleys of the Cévennes. Chestnut beams, antique furniture, and a family home equipped to the highest standard. In a World Heritage Site, a land of chestnut groves, clear streams and mountain ridges. |
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Property Info |
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Accommodation Type:
| House / Villa |
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Property Setting:
| Village / Rural |
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Holiday Type:
| Relaxing / Family / Sports & activity / Culture |
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Bedrooms:
| 4 |
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Guests:
| 8 |
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Catering:
| self-catering |
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General Info |
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Le Vieux Mas is in a tiny rural hamlet, of fewer than half a dozen houses. It 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 virtually no artificial light at night, and it is almost totally quiet. The house is about 10 minutes up a winding road from Collet de Dèze, which is on the N106 half way between Alès and Florac. It is on the edge of the Cévennes National Park, nestling between the Massif Central and the Mediterranean garrigues.
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Details on the area surrounding the property/accommodation |
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Collet de Dèze is a busy village, with a post office, a couple of bars and restaurants, a bakers and various other shops. Alès (about 40 minutes away) has banks, hypermarkets and all the facilities of a busy town. The area is popular for outdoor activities such as walking, cycling, horse-riding and canoeing, for which equipment can easily be hired. There are also 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: Arles, Avignon, Montpellier, Nîmes, 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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Getting there & away/local amenities |
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Getting There:
| More and more visitors to Le Vieux Mas fly to the area and then hire a car. There are a number of airports nearby and a number of airlines flying to them. The nearest airport, Nîmes, is just over an hour away. Marseilles is a bit further but because the right side of the city is still not much over two hours. Train travel to the house is easy and relaxed. On summer Saturdays you can travel by Eurostar direct from London or Ashford to Avignon in less than six hours. Although it is easily possible to drive to the house from the northern French coast in one day, a stop-over en route, perhaps around the Loire region can add to the pleasure of the holiday. |
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Nearest airports:
| Nimes One hour |
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Nearest train station:
| Nimes, Avignon One/Two hours |
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Nearest ferry terminal:
| Caen |
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Car Hire:
| Optional |
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Nearest restaurant:
| Collet de Deze |
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Nearest beach:
| Local river beaches |
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Nearest shop:
| Collet de Deze |
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Nearest market:
| Florac |
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More Info |
Owner Info |
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Name |
Alan Cranston |
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Contact Phone No. |
+44 2072266089 |
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Accommodation details |
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Activities Nearby |
Beach within 30km / Birdwatching / Canoeing / Cycling / Fishing / Horse Riding / Walking
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Interior Facilities |
Cot / Highchair / Dishwasher / DVD player / Internet Access / Linen provided / Log Fire / Television / Washing Machine
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Interior Details |
The house is an old “mas”, with stone walls and chestnut beams. Entirely refurbished in 2009, the very well equipped kitchen includes a microwave and a fridge-freezer. An adjoining dining area has attractive country furniture. In the living room, the LCD TV has all UK Freesat channels including HD, and the PC offers (free) broadband internet. There is an iPod docking station, and everything is connected to a hi-fi system. Bookshelves have a wide range of fiction as well as many local guides and maps, including much written by us over 20 years. Upstairs, there are three bedrooms (one king, one double and one twin). The fine master bedroom has open chestnut roof beams and the corners of the room have tiny fireplaces dating back to the 19th century when silk was made here. The large upstairs bathroom is light and airy. The downstairs double bedroom has a small ensuite bathroom. Additional bedding includes a sofa in the living room which converts into a double bed, and a cot for b
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Exterior Facilities |
Balcony / BBQ / Courtyard / Garden / Parking / Terrace
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Exterior Details |
A wisteria-shaded upper upper terrace with beautiful views over the surrounding hills. This has outdoor table and chairs, is linked directly to the kitchen/dining room, and is splendid for meals at any time of the day. A larger lower terrace with its own table and chairs. This is suitable for just sitting out near the house, but also barbecues and larger gatherings out of doors. There is a table tennis table available for this terrace.
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Further Details |
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. The house can sleep from 2 to 8 people, but it is organised in such a way that couples on their own, families and groups of friends can all immediately feel comfortable and at home. Le Vieux Mas is well furnished, with a mixture of antique and modern furniture. There are plenty of duvets, pillows, etc., but, unless you have requested otherwise, you should provide your own linen and towels. If you prefer to rent these, they are available at £9 per person per week if requested in advance. A cot and other items for young children are available on request. There are guides at the house to the house, the local and wider area, the local restaurants, walks and wildlife. To discuss "child friendly" and "wheelchair friendly" please contact owner.
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Conditions of
Rental |
The house is let from Saturday to Saturday. Rental includes electricity and gas, including heating and firewood if required out of season. A deposit of 25 per cent of the rent confirms a booking. This is refundable, less an administrative charge of £10, for a period of four weeks from the date of booking. After this no refund is available unless the house is re-let. The full balance must be paid four weeks before departure, together with a returnable deposit of £100. The house may be available out of season for longer lets at reduced rates (but exclusive of fuel costs). Please enquire if you are interested in a longer let.
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Other Information |
Child Friendly / Pet Friendly / Wheelchair Friendly
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What visitors have said about Le Vieux Mas |
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We are just back from a wonderful week in Le Vieux Mas. The house and surroundings were really beautiful, beyond our expectations. Thank you for making everything so welcoming and for providing such excellent information about the area and walks. Having a table football game on the landing was also a boon, despite the failings of my back three.
JM, London, May 2011 
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Our 6th fortnight at this beautiful house; and we will be back next year.
C&P L, Lancashire, May 2011
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Our second wonderful fortnight at Le Vieux Mas in September. The house is extremely comfortable and the Cévennes is a magical and, so far, relatively unknown part of France. Le Vieux Mas is great for walking and driving, amid overwhelming countryside with breathtaking views. It also is wonderful for staying put and doing very little, soaking in the surrounding peace and beauty.
TL, Bedfordshire, Jan 2010
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The peace and quiet really make you forget about time. We recommend Le Vieux Mas to everyone wanting to visit the Cévennes.
DC, Belgium, Jul 2010
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Many thanks for letting us stay in your lovely house. Our abiding memory is of sitting on the top terrace, glass of wine and binoculars to hand, listening to the birdsong.
AB, Hampshire, Jun 2010
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We had great walks, and fabulous visits to the Gorges du Tarn, Pont du Gard and the Camargue. A lovely holiday.
FB, Lincolnshire, Jun 2010
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A true home from home, and very well organized with a great book collection, maps and notes about everything, broadband connection…etc.
L & J W, Ceredigion, May 2010
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We had a wonderful holiday: we think it is quite the best place we have stayed in over the many years we have visited France. We found the detailed guides really helpful, and certainly took us to places we would otherwise have missed. We loved the wildlife, and the whole family enjoyed the stay and we had many wonderful meals together on the terrace.
AL, West Midlands, Jan 2009
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The absolute highlight of our holiday was our week at your place. We had super weather, it was hard for me to get the family away from the house it was only the draw of a swim and food that got them in the car! The place is fabulous and the information provided is excellent.
AN, Hampshire, Jul 2009
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We had a really wonderful time at Le Vieux Mas - it is a great house in a fabulous location - I dont think we could fault it at all. We hope to return sometime in the future and bring some friends with us - we think they would love it! We thought the new kitchen was lovely - a fantastic place to cook and eat in.
KB, Belfast, Jul 2009
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We thought the house was truly amazing and we loved the way you have restored it. But the setting is to die for.....! We could have sat on your terrace all day and everyday watching the weather, birds, scenery.
We will be recommending it to all our chums and hope to return for longer. We felt we were just getting the hang of the place when it was time to leave. The information you provide is really impressive and very helpful.
BR, Pembrokeshire, Jun 2007
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