House in La Pierre St-Martin - Pyrénées-Atlantiques

House La Pierre St-Martin - La Pierre St-Martin

€335,000 - £286,995**

Located in a magical riverside setting, this charming 18th-century farmhouse with a suspended riverside terrace, stone outbuildings and 7 hectares of land has so much to offer...

The property needs some finishing touches, but is already perfect for a wonderful family home or a holiday home, with space to create more accommodation for your friends and family when they come to visit!

Alternatively, you could rent the farmhouse out as a gîte or offer B&B to tourists, walkers, cyclists and horse-riders who come to visit and explore the Pyrénées all year round.

With no near neighbours, you could host tranquil yoga and wellness retreats, art and literature workshops... or you could transform it into a bar, a tearoom or a base for sporting/leisure activity holidays for groups...

This fantastic property also has 7 hectares of meadows, woodland and hillside pasture, a two-storey barn and even an old water turbine for generating electricity (to repair)... the potential is simply huge!

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Built in the late 18th century, this riverside Basque farmhouse has stone outbuildings, land of 69,466m² (17 acres) and gorgeous views of the surrounding mountains.

Much of the farmhouse (approx. 140m²) has now been renovated and modernised, but some final finishing touches will be required. The property is, however, completely habitable and currently used as a wonderful holiday home!

The property, which is next to a small river and has no close neighbours, is accessible via a track, which leads down from the road. There is room for parking in the shade of mature trees at the back of the building, or there is a two-storey barn that could be used as a garage.

The front door of the farmhouse opens into a small hall area with a (temporary) staircase to the upper floors. To the left of the hall area is a magnificent double-size sitting room/dining room with a wood-burning stove and French doors out to the garden. To the right of the hall area is a kitchen with wood-burning stove and a hand-crafted stone sink, which was originally a pig trough! Also on the ground floor is a utility room with a separate WC.

The layout of the first floor is flexible. Three bedrooms and a bathroom have already been created - and one of the bedrooms has a beautiful cathedral ceiling with exposed rafters. Additional space on the first and second floors could also be converted into an office, more sleeping space, a shower room...

Outside, a wooden terrace has been suspended over the river and is the perfect spot to enjoy sunny breakfasts, long, lazy lunches, moonlit suppers... It is also possible to access the river to paddle, play and fish for tiddlers - or even trout! From the adjoining meadow, there is access to a deep-water swimming hole.

The flat land and meadowland (about 6,500m²) in front of the farmhouse could be ideal for installing a swimming pool (permission required) and for a summer kitchen/barbecue area, a children’s play area, a boules piste… The rest of the land is nearby and is mainly rocky pasture - and when you explore your mountainside land, you will also discover an old water turbine that used to generate electricity!

This excellent property is located in the Soule, which is one of the three regions in the French Basque Country. The closest village, with a café and bar, is a 5-minute drive away; the market town of Tardets-Sorholus is about 10 minutes away.

Whatever the season, there are always things to see and do in this delightful area... there are mountain trails direct from the house for walkers and cyclists, ski resorts just 30 - 45 minutes away, several large rivers for exciting white-water rafting and leisure lakes, where you can hire pedalos and swim. The beach resorts on the Atlantic coast are just over 90 minutes away, where you can enjoy family picnics on the beach, as well as swim, sunbathe and surf!

THE FARMHOUSE

Ground floor:
- a double-size sitting room/dining room with wood-burning stove and French doors out to the garden
- a kitchen with a wood-burning stove and hand-crafted stone sink
- a utility room with WC

First floor:
- a bedroom with a cathedral ceiling
- two further bedrooms
- space to convert into more accommodation, such as an office, further sleeping space...
- a bathroom with a WC
- access to unconverted loft space


THE LAND AND THE OUTBUILDINGS

Situated next to a river, the property is set in land of 69,466m² (17 acres). Adjacent to the farmhouse is a two-storey stone barn (34m² x 2), which could be used as a garage, if desired.

Beyond the farmhouse and barn, there is meadowland of about 6,500m², so there is plenty of room for a swimming pool (permission required), a summer kitchen/barbecue area, a children's play area...

The remaining land extends up a rocky hillside, which is opposite the farmhouse. The land, which goes up to an altitude of about 625 metres, comprises open pasture, woodland and rocky outcrops and would especially suit goats, ponies and donkeys!

You will also discover an old water turbine that you might be able to repair and use (in theory!) for generating electricity...


THE POTENTIAL!

Although in need of some finishing touches, this adorable farmhouse has immense potential! If you intend to use the property as a family home or a holiday home, you will have more than enough room to invite friends and family to stay. If you hope to work from home, you could use one of the bedrooms as an office, or there is unconverted space on the first and second floors.

The property could also be used as a gîte for short-stay holiday rentals or for long-term rentals. You could also use one or more of the bedrooms for accommodating Bed and Breakfast guests, who will be delighted to stay in this tranquil, rural setting. In anticipation, you might want to create an en suite shower room in at least one of the bedrooms... As well as walkers and cyclists, you may also get requests for B&B from horse-riders following the "Route d'Artagnan" - a trans-European bridleway, which passes close by. Horse-riders not only hope to find charming overnight accommodation for themselves... but they hope you will welcome their horses, as well!

Along with delicious breakfasts, you could offer hearty suppers and even picnic lunches filled with local Basque and Béarnaise delicacies. You could also arrange leisure activities for your clients, such as art, photography, cookery, wine-tasting, yoga and mindfulness workshops. Guided walks and bicycle rides might also be popular to explore the surrounding countryside direct from the house... and the installation of a swimming pool would be an added attraction (permission required).

If you prefer to create a "gite de groupe", you are allowed to accommodate up to 15 people per stay. It might even be possible to convert the two-storey barn into additional accommodation (permission required). With authorisation, the property might also be suitable for small events or to transform into a bar, a country restaurant, a charming tearoom...


SERVICES & TECHNICAL

Electricity
Heating: two wood-burning stoves + wiring ready for electric radiators
Water: supplied by a spring + recently tested
Septic tank (conforms to regulations)


THE LOCAL AREA

Located in the Basque Country, the farmhouse is not far from the lively town of Tardets-Sorholus (approx. 10 minutes), which has a good choice of shops, schools and local amenities. There are also direct buses from Tardets-Sorholus to Mauléon-Licharre, St-Palais, Bayonne, the Basque coast and Ikea - and during the summer months, there are buses from Tardets-Sorholus to St-Jean-Pied-de-Port via the Chalets d'Iraty!

This lovely area is extremely popular with tourists all year round for hiking, mountain-biking, horse riding, white-water rafting and fishing. The region also offers a choice of winter sports, including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Issarbe (30 minutes) and downhill skiing and snowboarding at La-Pierre-St-Martin (30 minutes). For beach-based activities, the famous resorts on the Atlantic coast are just over 90 minutes away, with family beaches at Hendaye and St-Jean-de-Luz... and surfing at Biarritz, Anglet and Hossegor.

If your interests are gastronomic, you will love exploring the many farmers' markets throughout the Basque Country and the Béarn, where you can sample locally produced Jurançon and Irouléguy wines, tasty Bayonne ham cured using salt from Salies-de-Béarn and fabulous Brebis, (a cheese made from ewes' milk), which is normally eaten with delicious black cherry jam from Itxassou!

Airports: Pau, Biarritz, Tarbes-Lourdes
Train: Oloron-Ste-Marie, St-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Pau (TGV)
Coach: Pau, Bayonne
Ferry: Bilbao, Santander

Ski: La-Pierre-St-Martin, Issarbe, Iraty, Somport, Eaux-Bonnes, Gourette, Formigal (Spain)...
Beaches: Biarritz, St-Jean-de-Luz, Hendaye, Hossegor...

Attractions: Gorges de Kakuetta, Passerelle d’Holzarte, Grotte de la Verna, Grottes de Bétharram, Grottes de Sare, Parc'Ours, Le Petit Train d’Artouste, Le Train de La Rhune, Aqua Béarn, Base de Loisirs d’Orthez-Biron, Golf de Salies-de-Béarn, Thermal Spas, Casino, Route d'Artagnan trans-European bridleway...
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Information about risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr