Your contact:	Paula Matthews
Telephone:	+44 (0) 1306 731 600 or +44 (0) 7717 536 770
Fax:	+44 (0) 1306 730 922
Email:	Click here to contact Coutet

Coutet is a fine 18th century stone petit manoir, with spacious accommodation for up to fourteen guests and two babies in six bedrooms on three floors. The house is set in one hectare (two acres) of private grounds, surrounded by vineyards, with a heated swimming pool which has an alarm. The grounds have lawns and many trees, including a magnificent plane tree in the courtyard. The house was built for the gentleman owner of the vineyard, and has an air of rural elegance. Inside, the rooms are well proportioned, bright and airy, and have been tastefully and comfortably furnished.

Inside, the house has retained its original character, with a finely turned staircase, original terracotta tiles, and exposed timber beams. The salon has comfortable sofas, a satellite television with some English channels. In the dining room, a large dining table seats up to twelve. Both the salon and the dining room access the poolside terrace.

A second spacious sitting room provides comfortable seating and has a VCR with a selection of videos. Garden furniture is provided for outside dining. The large well-equipped kitchen is full of character, with a large Gascon fireplace dominating the room. It is equipped with a double oven, six gas/electric burners, microwave, fridge and a dishwasher. The freezer is in the utility room, beside the kitchen.

Also on the ground floor is a games room with a small pool table, board games and many books. The house has six bedrooms. Four rooms each have a double bed, and the other two rooms each have three single beds. There are three ensuite bathrooms and one family bathroom, plus one downstairs cloakroom with WC.

The large gardens surround the house. There are lawns, shrubs and trees providing natural shade. The stone barns and outbuildings surround a large courtyard which provides ample parking. Outside guests can enjoy table tennis, basketball and badminton. The property is surrounded by the vineyards and rolling landscape of Gascony, with views stretching to the snow capped peaks of the Pyrénées (according to weather and time of year).

Special features:	• Pool on the property • Bilingual assistance available on site • Maid, Cook and Driver can be arranged on request
Swimming pool:	12 x 6 metre outdoor pool with an alarm, 1 to 2 m deep, from June to August.

Panjas is a small village, just a few minutes drive down the lane, with a small grocery shop, a post office, and a cafe. Nogaro is a bustling little market town eight minutes drive away. It has markets every Saturday and Wednesday, and has a good variety of shops, including a bakery, supermarkets, banks and cafés. Many activities are available locally: there’s an 18-hole golf course at Guinlet near Eauze, about 15 minutes drive from Coutet.

Horse riding is available at the “Centre Équestre d’Escoubet” in Eauze, a ten-minute drive away. There are three lakes within easy reach, all with fine sandy beaches and a variety of watersports. Windsurfing, canoeing and pedal boats are available at Lac d'Uby. Lac de Lupiac offers sailing, canoeing, windsurfing, rowing, fishing, and supervised swimming over the summer months. The lake at Aignon is beautifully located in a pine forest, and provides supervised summer swimming and two water slides.

There are many excellent restaurants nearby, including La Petite Auberge in Manciet, and l’Auberge des Bouviers in Lectoure, which serves fine food in warm and welcoming eighteenth century surroundings. Auch has numerous restaurants, bars and cafés; M. Garreau at Restaurant Roland Garreau is considered to be one among the top chefs of France. Le Café Gascon is very popular and serves traditional Gascon cuisine, and Le Glacier is excellent for lunch after the Thursday market.

Coutet is located in the Gers, in the Midi-Pyrénées. This is a warm corner of France, steeped in history and rich in natural beauty and gastronomic delights. Within easy reach is the Atlantic coast, the magnificent Pyrénées mountain range, and the city of Toulouse. The nearby town of Pau is stylish and has excellent restaurants. There are formal gardens and a castle to visit. From the Boulevard des Pyrénées, the mountains fill the horizon – a breathtaking sight on a clear day. In June the streets of Pau are taken over by a premiere international classic car race.

The region hosts many festivals each summer, including the Marciac jazz festival, the Latin American festival in Vic Frezensac, and a country and western festival in Mirande. There are 13th and 14th century bastide towns to explore and many local vineyards where traditional techniques are still used. The Gers is renowned for its gastronomical specialties such as foie gras, the melons of Lectoure, and the region’s specialty, Armagnac. Many of the large châteaux give guided tours and wine tastings. The Pyrénées are a superb location for outdoor pursuits and can be reached in just over an hour. Visitors can explore the diverse habitats of alpine meadows, craggy mountain-tops, and dense forests. The Parc National des Pyrénées has a visitor information centre and way-marked walking trails.

One of the two attic bedrooms	One of the attic en-suite bathrooms
The kitchen	The fireplace in the kitchen
The salon	The covered outdoor dining area
Bedroom one on the first floor, with King-size bed	The second double bedroom on first floor
Bedroom Four on first floor, with 3 single beds	Bedroom three on first floor, with 3 single beds
The family bathroom on first floor	Ensuite bathroom to bedroom one on first floor
The first floor hallway	The entrance hall
The view from the living room	The view from the balcony
The barns surrounding the courtyard	The medieval festival in Montréal
A local field of sunflowers