La Ferrage
Montée des Moulins, 83630 Aups, Var, France
Sleeps 6
"La Ferrage"
The Location
"La Ferrage", a spectacular town house, is situated on the edge of the highly photogenic small town of Aups, arguably the truffle capital of France, and is only 500 metres (and an easy stroll) from its main square. Aups has a good range of shopping facilities, and a number of restaurants in various price ranges. The market, which takes place on Wednesday and Saturday, is a well-known local attraction.
30 minutes' drive north of "La Ferrage" is the 10 km-long Lac de Ste Croix with excellent swimming from its many beaches (its crystal-clear water supplies both Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles), its wind-surfing and sailing, and its pedalos for the idle(!).
To the east of this lake are the dramatic Gorges du Verdon, a European Grand Canyon offering hiking, canoeing, kayaking, canyoning and mountain biking in abundance.
Toulon (Hyères) international airport is about 1¼ hours' drive, whilst the larger international airports of Marseilles (Marignane) and Nice are approximately 1½ hours' away. The super-fast train, the TGV, stops at Aix TGV station (between Aix-en-Provence and Marseilles), although some trains continue, rather more slowly, to Draguignan/Les Arcs, about 30 kms from the house.
The Pool by Night
The Setting
"La Ferrage" (meaning "The Forge") was built in the 17th century. It was converted and furnished to the highest standards by its owners over a 3-year period in the 1990's, and is now an extremely comfortable, efficient, and attractive town house - indeed, it is difficult to envisage the elegant world which lies behind its rather secretive facade.
The house is on the edge of the village of Aups, set back from the road to Tourtour, and accessed by a lane that leads to a few houses and to the local olive mill and shop. Whilst this lane is busy during the winter when the olives are harvested and pressed, there is only a trickle of vehicles in the summer months.
Aups is an interesting mediaeval village, complete with museum, churches and a central village square. However, the village has no bypass, and thus visitors to Lac de Ste Croix and the Gorges du Verdon often use the route running through it. Whilst "La Ferrage" is well away from this road, and so unaffected, traffic can be heavy during late July and August, especially on market days.
During August the whole of the Var - and indeed most of rural France - is "en fête". This can be wonderful, with concerts, fireworks, folkloric events and special markets for local pottery and handicrafts - Aups has a week of quite noisy festivities, usually around the middle of August.
The House
There is parking for 2 cars in the small gravelled area at the Kitchen end of the house, as well as for other vehicles on the tree-lined esplanade at the foot of the small lane.
Light and airy, extremely spacious, and with an enormous living area, the house displays many classic Provencal features such as shuttered windows, terracotta-tiled floors and high ceilings (all of which help to keep the house pleasantly cool, even in the hottest weather).
Ground Floor
- The main entrance is via imposing double doors which open from this lane onto the hall, off which are.
- A cloakroom with a W.C.
- Utility Room. With a washing machine and a separate dryer, a large back-up fridge/freezer, an ironing board and an iron, plus the boiler and the large water tank.
- Stairs ascend to the first floor.
Bedroom 1
A third door leads from the hall to:
- Bedroom 1. With a 5 ft-wide bed, and a wall of windows/French windows opening onto the Pool Area.
- Ensuite bathroom. With a bath and a WC.
Double connecting doors lead into bedroom 2, with a 5 ft-wide bed and, like Bedroom 1, windows and French windows opening onto the Pool Area. Whilst these doors are normally locked to prevent 'toing-and-froing' between these two Bedrooms, they can obviously be left open or unlocked if access is required (ie for children).
Access to Bedroom 2 is also via the staircase which ascends to the first floor from the Study (see below). - Ensuite bathroom. With a walk-in shower and a WC.
Beyond Bedroom 2 is:
- A study. With a Broadband/Wireless internet connection plus a large collection of videos, and French windows opening onto the Pool Area.
The stairs which ascend to the first floor from both the Hall and the Study are at opposite ends of the house.
First Floor
The vast, bright, open-plan Sitting Room/Dining Area/Kitchen has windows on all 4 sides, and comprises:
- The Sitting Room. With a number of very comfortable sofas and armchairs. There is a 50 inch Plasma TV screen with satellite reception (freeview channels), a DVD player, a Video recorder, and a collection of DVD's.
- The rectangular table in the dining area seats 20, and comprises 6 separate sections, thus allowing a number of permutations in terms of the shape and size of the table.
- A second (round) table closer to the Kitchen seats 6.
- The state-of-the-art kitchen. With a 5-ring ceramic hob and an extractor hood; a fridge/freezer, plus a second fridge; 2 full-size ovens, one of which is also a microwave; a dishwasher; a toaster, a coffee-maker, an electric kettle, plus a vast array of cookware, crockery, cutlery and other utensils.
The Kitchen looking towards the Dining Area
As "La Ferrage" is built on a slope, the door at the far end of the Kitchen opens onto a small lawn with some shady trees, a table and chairs and, around the corner, the small gravelled parking area (see above).
- Off the Kitchen is the larder; whilst off the Dining Area is.
- Bedroom 3 (the Master Bedroom). With a 6 ½ ft-wide bed which can be split into 2 singles, and windows on 2 sides.
- Ensuite bathroom. With a bath, a walk-in shower, a bidet and a WC.
Bedroom 3 (The Master Bedroom)
The Mezzanine Floor (accessed only from Bedroom 3) is the owners' office, and is private.
The Dining Area, looking towards the Kitchen, with the Sitting Room to the left
The Dining Area and the Sitting Room looking from the Kitchen
The Pool Area
The Pool Area is accessed either from the lawn outside the Kitchen door (see above) via a metal door (normally kept locked) and some narrow, somewhat uneven steps, or from the 4 French windows on the Ground Floor of the house itself. It is enclosed by high, shrub-covered walls, and is both quiet and very private.
There is a Summer Kitchen complete with a sink, a gas ring and a Barbecue. The dining table seats 8 and more (and can be shaded by a large sun umbrella), and there is also a range of comfortable pool furniture.
The filtered swimming pool is 9 metres long, 3 metres wide, and 1.5 metres in depth.
The water is slightly saline (approximately the strength of human tears), thus avoiding the use of chlorine.
The Pool has an alarm system which, when switched on, is activated if a body of the average weight of a baby (or heavier) enters the water.
NB Please don't dive into the Pool.
Should rain look likely, please close the sun umbrella, and place under cover all the cushions on the sun beds, etc.
The Kitchen Entrance
Other Facilities And Information
- Unless otherwise agreed, there should not be more than 6 people (including children and babies) staying in the house at any one time.
- Bed linen, bath and pool towels are provided free of charge, and will be changed on a weekly basis.
- Tenants should advise Anglo French Properties Ltd at the end of each rental of any losses, breakages or damages. This is in lieu of an inventory.
- Tenants will be met on arrival by one of the Owners or by the Cleaner. They will show tenants around the house and the pool area, and will explain how everything works.
- The Cleaner is employed by the Owners for 3 hours on one mid-week day. Unless otherwise agreed, she will concentrate on general house cleaning, including the kitchen and bathrooms. She should be paid direct by the tenants for any agreed extra hours/days of work at the rate of 14 Euros per hour.
- Maintenance of the pool and the grounds is the owners' responsibility, and a pool man will clean and check the pool once a week or when requested.
- As long as sufficient notice is given, a baby-sitter and/or a part-time cook can probably be arranged. His/her/their wage/s will be the tenants' responsibility and, if requested, will be ascertained prior to the commencement of the tenancy.
- There are telephones throughout the house.
- Although neither a cot nor a high chair are currently provided, they can be made available on request.
- There is a good selection of English language books throughout the house.
The classic Provencal facade
- The house has central or under floor heating throughout.
- The Owners' insurance policy requires that all outside doors are locked and all windows are securely closed whenever tenants are away from the property.
- The House Information Folder explains how everything works (both inside and outside). It lists the names and telephone numbers of a doctor, dentist, electrician, plumber, pool man, etc, plus other emergency and useful numbers.
- 50 metres further up the lane from "La Ferrage" is a working olive mill which also boasts a charming shop selling several varieties of its own olive oil and bottled olives, as well as many other delicious products.
- There are many restaurants in the vicinity ranging both in price and quality. (Truffles are a local speciality). Details and descriptions of some of them are given in the Information Folder.
- Markets abound in the local towns and villages, opening on different days of the week. (Details in the Folder).
- This Folder contains information on:
- Nearby riding stables offering everything from lessons to dressage to trekking in the superb local countryside.
- Local golf courses.
- Wonderful walks in all directions.
- Children's playgrounds and zoos.
- The many activities on/in/around the Lac de Ste Croix and the Gorges du Verdon - see under 'The Location' as above.
Bedroom 2
- The Mediterranean beaches of Cavalaire and St. Tropez are within 2 hours' drive (in any month other than July and August when getting to them can take considerably longer!).
- There are many stunning towns and villages in the vicinity - Aups and Tourtour (known as the 'village in the sky'), Entrecasteaux with its marvellous chateau and its grounds designed by Le Notre (he also laid out those at Versailles), Moustiers Ste Marie, a pottery centre, which has a metal star suspended across the gorge above it, brought home in triumph from the Crusades, and Salernes with its numerous pottery shops and its excellent Sunday market.
- Vineyards abound in the region, producing red, white and rosé wines (the last-named being a Provencal speciality). Many offer tastings and on-the-spot purchases. The house has an annotated copy of Ian Parkin's indispensable booklet "The 100 Top Vineyards in Provence".
- The Mediterranean beaches of Cavalaire and St. Tropez are within 2 hours' drive (in anything other than July and August when getting to them can take considerably longer!).
- There are many stunning towns and villages in the vicinity. Just some of these are: Aups and Tourtour (see under 'the location' above); Moustiers Ste Marie and Salernes (both known for their pottery shops - Moustiers, incidentally, has a star suspended across the width of the gorge above it, brought back in triumph from the Crusades; Entrecasteaux with its impressive Chateau whose gardens were designed by Le Notre who also laid out those at Versailles.
- Vineyards abound in the region, producing red, white and rosé wines (the latter are a Provencal speciality). Many offer tastings and on-the-spot purchases. Details are in the Information Book.
The Rents In 2008
| Month | Price |
|---|---|
| June and September | £2,320 per week |
| July and August | £2,760 per week |
Unless otherwise agreed, all lets will be for a minimum of 1 week, and will begin and end on a Saturday. Tenants should arrive between 4pm and 6pm on the commencement day, and should leave by 10am on the agreed day of departure.
The Deposit
A deposit of 25% of the rent will be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing the Rental Agreement, with the balance to be paid 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the tenancy.
The Barbecue is to the left
The Booking And Security Deposit
A Booking and Security Deposit of £500 will also be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing the Rental Agreement. This will secure the booking and will cover: (a) the cost of telephone calls made on the house telephone during the tenancy, (b) electricity consumed by the tenants, (c) the cost of replacing/making good any losses, breakages and/or damages incurred during the rental, and (d) any exceptional cleaning work which may be required on its conclusion. This Deposit will be refunded (less any deductions as outlined above) within 8 weeks of the end of the tenancy.
