Villa for sale in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Dating back to the 18th century, this delightful country estate is in a rural hamlet located on the outskirts of a village in the Vallée de Barétous. The property comprises a stone farmhouse with an adjoining two-storey barn, a gîte (some finishing required), a smaller barn, a two-storey henhouse (poulailler) and an open-sided barn/shelter. There are various courtyards between the buildings, creating ideal spots for enjoying alfresco breakfasts, long lazy lunches, apéritifs as the sun goes down and romantic suppers beneath the stars!

The front door of the farmhouse (275m2) opens into an entrance hall of 28m2. To the right of the hall is a reception room of 44m2 with curved French doors out to the grounds. Adjoining this room is a kitchen with a dining area and access to a walk-in pantry/storage room, a utility room, a shower room with a WC and a courtyard behind the building. Also on this floor is a bedroom/second reception room of 26m2 accessible from the entrance hall.

A wooden staircase in the entrance hall leads up to the first floor of the farmhouse, which has four bedrooms, a shower room with a WC and access to a vast open-plan loft on the second floor (floor area of about 140m2).

The separate gîte (226m2) is just behind the farmhouse and has its own sunny courtyard for outdoor dining. The front door opens into an open-plan reception room (53m2) with a dining area and a kitchen area (to finish). There is also a traditional fireplace with a working bread oven!

Adjoining this room is a sitting room (25m2) with a staircase up to the first floor and doors into a utility room, a shower room with a WC and a ground-floor bedroom with curved French doors out to the courtyard.

The first floor comprises a study/office/library/playroom area (25m2), a shower room with a WC and three bedrooms, one of which is 36m2, making this ideal for a "gîte de groupe", which allows the accommodation of up to 15 people in shared bedrooms.

Nb: Please note that a heating boiler, radiators and kitchen units need installing in the gîte.

This lovely property is just minutes away from a pretty village with a boulangerie, a primary school and bars and restaurants. For mountain lovers, there are walking trails close by and ski resorts just 20 -30 minutes away in the Pyrénées. If you prefer the beach, the Atlantic coast is about 90 minutes away, where you can swim and surf.

The farmhouse (275m2)

Ground floor:
- a large entrance hall (28m2) with a wooden staircase to the upper floors
- a double-size reception room (44m2) with a wood-burning stove and curved French doors out to the grounds
- a kitchen (22m2) with a dining area and French doors out to a courtyard
- a walk-in pantry/storage room
- a utility room
- a bedroom/second reception room (26m2)
- a shower room with WC (6m2)

First floor:
- a landing (14m2)
- four bedrooms (17m2,20m2,29m2,31m2)
- a shower room with a WC (28m2)

Second floor:
- a vast open-plan loft with sloping ceilings (approx. 140m2 floor area)

the gîte (226m2)

Ground floor:
- an open-plan reception room (53m2) with a dining area, a kitchen area (to finish) and a traditional fireplace with a working bread oven
- an adjoining sitting room (25m2) with a staircase up to the first floor
- a bedroom with curved French doors out to a courtyard (31m2)
- a shower room with a WC (8.5m2)
- a utility room

First floor:
- a mezzanine study/office/library/playroom... (25m2)
- three bedrooms (13m2,15m2,36m2)
- a shower room with a WC (9m2)

nb: Please note that the necessary pipework for central heating is in place, but no boiler has yet been installed; you will probably also want to install additional kitchen units

The outbuildings

The outbuildings comprise...
- a huge two-storey barn (275m2 + 225m2) adjoining the farmhouse, which could be transformed into more living space or into guest accommodation
- a detached barn (40m2)
- a traditional pigsty/henhouse
- an open-sided barn/shelter, which would be ideal for using as a covered dining terrace, a summer kitchen, a barbecue area...

Subject to permission, the barns would be ideal for converting into gîtes, luxurious Bed and Breakfast suites or even a "gîte de groupe" or “gîte d’étape” for welcoming groups of horse riders, ramblers, cyclists, motorcyclists, skiers...

The grounds

The grounds of 73,213m2 (18 acres) include...
- courtyard areas between the farmhouse, gîte and barns of about 2,000m2
- woodland of about 2 hectares
- meadows of about 5 hectares

the potential!

Whatever your project, this traditional country estate has huge potential! The farmhouse is perfect for a wonderful family home or luxurious holiday home... And with five bedrooms to choose from, you will have plenty of room to accommodate your friends and family whenever they come to visit!

The property is within easy commuting distance of Tardets-Sorholus (10 minutes), Mauléon-Licharre (25 minutes), Oloron-Ste-Marie (25 minutes) and Pau (60 minutes) - and for anyone who works from home, the ground-floor bedrooms in the farmhouse or gîte would be ideal to use as an office. Should you need a larger area, you may be able to convert the single-storey barn into office space/consulting rooms.

If you have horses or other animals, one of the barns could be used as a stable - and the land, which is a mixture of meadows and woodland, should be perfect for grazing. There is also more than enough room for a paddock. The land and barns would also be ideal for an agricultural or horticultural project, especially since natural spring water is available.

Once finished, the gîte is an ideal size for accommodating holidaymakers. It is large enough for a "gîte de groupe" where a large group of up to 15 people share the accommodation. This would make it possible to run residential holidays for horse-riding, rambling, cycling, skiing, mountain climbing... The property's flat land is ideal for installing a swimming pool, which would be greatly appreciated by your guests, along with a summer kitchen, a barbecue area, a boules piste, a children's play area...

It might also be possible to get permission to create more living accommodation/gîtes in the unconverted outbuildings - and there would be more than enough room to create a large room for hosting workshops and courses. There is an ever-expanding market for yoga and wellness retreats, as well as holidays based around painting, photography, dance, music, theatre, gastronomy or wine-tasting... And when the weather’s perfect, the activities could take place outside in the delightful courtyards and grounds!

The farmhouse and gîte could also be used for welcoming Bed & Breakfast guests. There is a growing demand for B&B accommodation from tourists visiting this beautiful area, especially during the summer months, the skiing season and for Christmas and New Year. You could even consider providing evening meals and picnic hampers for your guests' day trips... Especially if the hampers are full of tasty Béarnaise and Basque delicacies!

Your B&B accommodation would also appeal to horse-riders following the trans-European horse-riding bridleway - the "Route d'Artagnan" - which passes just 3km away, with many riders hoping to book overnight stays for themselves... And their horses!

Nb: Please note that planning permission would be required for any conversion of the barns for residential and/or professional purposes and for the installation of a swimming pool.

Services & technical

Working bread oven
Double glazing
Cable internet available
Electricity (some three-phase)
Heating: Wood-burning stoves + oil-fired with radiators
Mains water
Spring water (tested for safety)
Septic tank

The local area

The property is located in the beautiful Béarn region in the Vallée de Barétous, not far from the popular Pyrenean ski resorts at Issarbe, Braca and La-Pierre-St-Martin. A good choice of shops, a small supermarket, restaurants and bars can be found in the local villages, along with weekly farmers’ markets. Larger supermarkets/hypermarkets and other amenities are available in Tardets-Sorholus (10 minutes), Oloron-Ste-Marie (25 minutes) and Pau (60 minutes). There is also a regular bus service to the coast from Tardets-Sorholus and a Ski-Bus from Arette (10 minutes) up to La-Pierre-St-Martin during the winter months.

Along with skiing, the Béarn is popular with tourists all year round for hiking, pony trekking, mountain-biking, white-water rafting and fishing. Should you be interested in equestrian activities, the trans-European bridleway - "La Route d'Artagnan" - passes just 3km away, where you can join fellow horse-riders as they head north towards Oloron-Ste-Marie or west towards the Basque Country

Airports: Tarbes-Lourdes, Biarritz, Pau
Train: Oloron-Ste-Marie, Pau
Coach: Pau, Orthez, Bayonne
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: Issarbe, Braca, La-Pierre-St-Martin, Iraty, Val-d’Azun, Artouste, Gourette, Candanchú (Spain)...
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Aqua Béarn, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Grottes de Bétharram, Parc'Ours, Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Route d'Artagnan, Chemin-de-St-Jacques-de-Compostelle...