Property Description
This manor house is also associated with several other holiday homes which are available for separate rentals, so if you want to increase the accommodation capacity to beyond what is on offer here, or would like something smaller but on the same enchanting grounds then consider another of the hideaways on the estate, accessible shortly also on this website, such as:
• Studio Apartment Cassis
• Cabane Noisette
• Cottage Myrte
or any combination thereof. For those who would like to additionally rent a teepee, just ask the owners.
Bastide Coriandre itself is an old farmhouse converted into a splendid country manor with 5 bedrooms and two bathrooms. The Provençal style has been retained, and the accommodation is distributed on ground and first floors. For all its charm and reminiscence of the past, it still offers the convenience of today's mod-cons in terms of its technical appointment, and thus provides a discerning mix of elegance and comfort.
The large estate is mainly wild, comprising meadow and woodland, offering limitless pottering opportunities for both oldest and youngest generations. In the meantime you yourself can duck below the radar for a week or more, while others chafe away at world politics and corporate affairs. Order some massage and a splendid meal on-site for after your hike, or discuss several other options offered by your charming host, including cookery classes and wine-tasting.
Important note – drought of summer 2022: Provence has been heavily hit by the drought so regrettably Clients may be requested, in the interests of saving water, to limit shower time, and not to use the bath during their stay.
Property Features
FACILITIES
Living room: This is elegantly laid out with a wood burner for the colder season and two long, comfortable sofas. There are French doors leading to the large outdoor terrace. A satellite system offers British TV and some European channels. There is also a large selection of DVDs for when the sun goes down or should, God forbid, it even rain!
Dining room/ Conservatory: Enjoy spectacular, panoramic views over the grounds. The long baronial table will not only take the full complement of ten, but also five further guests (for example, should you hire some of the additional accommodation on the estate).
Kitchen: This is in the expansive farmhouse style with an open fireplace and adjoining large pantry. Needless to say it is splendidly equipped and includes a split-level cooker, dishwasher, fridge-freezer and a solid timber table, which can seat up to 10.
Pantry / utility room: Keep your bulk foodstuffs out of site and in the cool, with an additional fridge freezer. The laundry facilities will cope with a house-full of guests.
Ground-floor bedrooms: Two bedrooms are located at this level, one with a double bed, the other with twin beds. The rooms share a shower room and a separate toilet.
First-floor bedrooms: The master bedroom has a four-poster double bed, its own balcony overlooking part of the estate, and en-suite bathroom including shower. Two further bedrooms at this level share a bathroom and a separate WC; one bedroom is equipped with an antique double bed, the other with twin beds.
Study: This contains a library and the internet hardware, and provides you with some space to keep in touch with the office back home if you have to. It is accessed from the master bedroom.
Outside: Take a step out through the French doors onto the shaded terrace (20m x 8 m) and treat yourself to cocktails, snacks and meals as you look out onto 4 hectares of estate. Fire up the pizza oven with locally collected wood. Three small buildings on the estate can also be rented out, as noted in the General Information above (cottage, cabin, and apartment). Grounds comprise prairie and trees, mostly left "à l'anglaise". There is also a vegetable patch for those that need that sort of therapy....A long drive lined with coniferous and deciduous trees leads up to the Manor and provides limitless parking. Garden and terrace furniture is ample.
Swimming pool:.This is a large rectangular structure (15x4 metres), and is available without seasonal restriction. Contrary to popular anglo-saxon beliefs relating to Provence, you will find this only minimally attractive in March and earlier! It is security alarmed. Sun loungers and a hammock are for use on the pool surround.
Internet/telephone: A fixed telephone line is not available, so use the Wifi internet connection free-of-charge to connect up to friends, family and business. You might also find it convenient to buy a local SIM card at a tourist tariff in the village.
Baby facilities: Please inquire.
Plumbing restrictions: As the property is not on main drainage special attention should be paid to minimizing the risk of blockages (unnecessary paper waste put into the WC)!
Supplementary services: the owners can organise or carry out themselves a large variety of additional services in the Manor, including cooking your dinner/BBQ parties and providing cookery classes à la Provençale, massage and yoga classes. Outside activities include wine-tasting at the local vineyard, pottery classes, accompanied walks to the markets and complete activities packages. Ask the owners for a tailor-made programme.
Disabled-friendliness: The gound floor is wheelchair-accessible, providing access to two bedrooms and associated bathrooms, as well as to all communal facilities (except study).
Environmental features: none
CONDITIONS
Damage deposit: 2000 € cash in Euros on arrival, refundable less the replacement cost of any breakages.
Bed & bathroom linen: weekly change included in rental cost. Pool towels also provided.
Gas, electricity & water: all included in rental cost.
Cleaning: included in rental cost.
Tourst tax: included in rental cost.
Change-over day: Normally on Saturdays, but contact us to find out if another day is possible. Arrival 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. or by special agreement. Depart before 10 a.m.
Pets: May be accepted by prior request only.
Smoking: This is a no-smoking estate.
HOW TO GET THERE
By Car: The roads and autoroutes in France are a pleasure, so driving can sometimes make a good alternative to flying – at least you’ll already have your car with you! From the UK you have the choice of using the ferries or the Eurotunnel for your crossing. Once in the South of France, this property can be easily accessed via the A7 and A8 autoroutes.
By Air: Toulon is the closest international airport (90km, 1h25m), but Nice (104 km, 1h32m) has more flights and connections, and Marseille Provence (115km, 1h45m) offers additional alternatives.
By Train: Eurostar runs from London to Paris city centres and then the high speed TGV service runs from Paris to Nice. The nearest TGV station to this property is Draguignan - Les Arcs.
• Full directions will be sent to you once you have made a booking.
About the local area
LOCAL AREA INFORMATION
Once you leave the pearly gates of this estate find yourself on the borders of two well-known regional parks (Park naturel régional du Verdon, and Park naturel régional des Préalpes d'Azur). You will be in the middle of hilly, wooded countryside at 300m above sea level, but climbing steeply to over 1000 m at la Grande Nouguière within 14 km of your new home. Even if you have to leave a clear berth to the military camp (they also seem to know the best places to play and rest!), there are just unlimited areas to walk, cycle and ride horses. The most dramatic attraction will certainly be the Verdon Canyon and its tributary Artuby, forming a large arc 20 km to North of the Bastide: this is Europe's answer to the Grand Canyon of Arizona. Stay cooler here and safely away from the frenetic hustle of the coastal strip of St. Tropez and Co. to the South, but if you must join in then drop down to the sea in 65 minutes by car.
If you are not overwhelmed by the need to conquer the topography of the area, then feast your eyes on the markets of the three surrounding medieval villages of Villecroze, Tourtour and Salernes. Or feast your stomachs on the many restaurants....or your delicate palates and olefactory senses on the wines directly from the vineyards of the area, or on the locally grown olives.
Our wisest guests come with few preconceptions: they drift happily and ad-hoc from one activity to another, absorbing sport, culture, history and high-life as they come, and then combining them to a wonderfully stress-free holiday.
Local shops, restaurants and butchers are located in both Villecroze and Salernes, less than 5 minutes’ drive away, but a baker and supermarket are just 15 minutes' walk. If you get more serious about shopping, then drive to Aups (8 km), Draguignan (21 km), St. Maximin (48 km) or to the Mecca of St. Tropez (65 km). You may not get as far as the last one because of the many attractive sites along the way...
Local markets in Villecroze, Tourtour and Salernes will provide all you would like to dream of for tasty nibbles, solid food, heavy drinking, and more. Provençal markets are well known for their tapenades and brandade: if you don't know how to interpret these terms then just book this holiday and try them out at first hand.
Sporting activities are abundant: hire bikes, donkeys and horses in more or less each of the three surrounding villages. Or work out in the gym at Salernes. Play golf at the small course at Salernes nearby, or select one of 6 other golf courses within 47 km of your holiday home (including that of St. Tropez). Hire a dinghy on the gorgeous artificial lake of Ste. Croix, or kayak along the Verdon River hundreds of metres below the vertical cliffs propping up the rest of the world.
Beaches will not be your first port of call on this holiday, but they are accessible from the Manor: as you will see from the map, the Med coast forms a gentle arc equidistant from Villecroze, from Fréjus via St. Tropez to Hyères. As the crow flies, the many sandy beaches for which the Côte d'Azur is famous lie between 45 and 65 km away, so allow a good hour by car.
Ski resorts within the French Alps are within reach. The closest serious station is Gréolières, so get up early and take a two-hour drive for a day or two's breakaway.
Getting around requires a car, unless you are devoted to your bike or horse, or like using public transport for the sake of it. Buses to the three villages will be rare, so take a taxi to Draguignan and then a train or bus to the rest of the world from there.
Sightseeing knows no bounds: Tour the serpentines of the Verdon Canyon, take the magic waters to heal your gout at St. Barthélemy springs at the foot of the cliff above the Braque, and order a guided tour around the local caves. Visit the artificial lake of Carcès 15 km to the South, smell the horse stables around Hyères, "do" the Côte d'Azur from the Calanques of Marseille and Cassis along the windy, tricky roads that lead to Fréjus via the Bay of Tropez. Plan your own house purchase in a bar in each of the pretty coastal villages on the way.
Other entertainment includes shopping, the nightlife of the Bay of Tropez, boat trips, cinemas, wine tasting, dining out in village squares, boat trips out to the islands or just talking to the locals. Bring your phrase book!
