La Grande Bergerie

La Grande Bergerie is quintessential Provence

La Grande Bergerie is a luxury village house of beautiful 18th century stone, located in a small peaceful hamlet just 1.5km from Lourmarin (a 25min walk or 3min by car). It has the tranquillity of a country residence, but is not isolated. Originally farm buildings, it still features a pigsty!

The property extends over 300m2 and offers luxurious accommodation. Privacy is guaranteed by entry through a private courtyard and there are no visible neighbours in summer. It is surrounded by old stone walls and high hedges to block the Mistral.

Suitable for 10-12 people

The Bergerie offers 6 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms, all with WC. The property is most suited for 10 adults or up to 12 people if there are two children. Two bedrooms are en suite, one bedroom has a private adjacent bathroom, and three bedrooms share two bathrooms. All bathrooms have walk-in showers, and two bathrooms also have a separate bath. There are two separate WCs.

The master bedroom has a king bed (180cm), two bedrooms have queen (160cm) beds, and there are 2 x 90cm (twin) beds in three bedrooms, one of which could be made up as a double with adequate prior notice. Top sheets and pillowcases are antique monogrammed linen. All the bedrooms in the house have modern, quiet aircon (with a reversible heat pump).

Take the downstairs tour

Accessing La Grande Bergerie from the courtyard, you enter a hallway that goes through the house to the patio. The living room is comfortably furnished and in winter the fireplace provides a warm glow; there is always plenty of dry wood. You can enjoy listening to a large selection of CDs. The piano is rumoured to have belonged to Clara Schumann but it is almost impossible to keep in tune!

In the casual and comfortable TV room there is a large high-definition TV (with English channels on Orange) and plenty of DVDs. This is probably the oldest part of the house, with a vaulted roof and a 1.6m-thick wall that may have been the foundation for a tower. Another wall is formed from the remains of an old wine vat and still has the drain hole visible in the corner. Unfortunately, the wine is long gone.

The Downstairs bedroom (20m2) is accessed through the TV room and also leads out to the courtyard. It has twin beds that can be made up as a king-sized bed.

Cook up a storm

If you enjoy cooking, you’ll love being in Provence, with its wonderful fresh and seasonal vegetables, fruits and fish. The kitchen is the heart of the home and the owners have gone to considerable effort to equip it for gourmet as well as everyday cooking. The stove is Lacanche with five rings and a double oven. There is a Liedherr fridge/freezer/wine cabinet. There are also two sinks and plenty of implements, tools, glasses and cutlery. The kitchen table seats eight and is perfect for casual dining or food prep.

The dining room overlooks the patio and connects to the living room through a large arch. It is dominated by a large dining table and there is plenty of formal china and silverware for entertaining. You can also enjoy breakfast in the courtyard, which is peaceful and usually full of fragrant climbing roses.

Five upstairs bedrooms

Stairs lead up to a mezzanine where there is a small half-bath just off the landing. Take a few more steps up into the library, which has an eclectic collection of books, including info about the local area.

Through the library, the 3-bedroom wing faces the courtyard with its magnificent, centuries-old mulberry tree that was likely used for feeding silkworms. These bedrooms (French, Middle and Castle), the smallest of which is about 13m2, share two bathrooms between them.

The 16m2 Garden room has a view of the garden, with a queen-size bed and an en suite shower room. The Courtyard room (15m2) has a king-size bed, and its separate bathroom has a very large bath, walk-in shower, WC and a garden view.

Outdoor lifestyle

Most of life in Provence is spent enjoying the marvellous sunshine, almost all year round. Even the renowned Mistral winds that blow from time to time contribute by clearing the air and producing startling blue skies. One cannot spend all the time basking in the sun, so La Grande Bergerie provides shaded areas and, of course, the heated pool.

The patio is sun-filled for most of the day. At one end there is a covered eating area with access to the kitchen and laundry; the rest of the space is filled with tables and other seating. A herb garden yields many Provencal flavours for your meals. The BBQ and outdoor covered seating area make for great summer afternoons and evenings. 

Time for a swim

Laze on sun loungers around the 12x6m pool, which is 1.1m to 2.5m deep and has a diving board. It can be heated (by arrangement, and at an additional charge) to extend the swimming season. It is protected by a fence with gates that have child-proof handles. The pool house has a WC and there is a cold-water outdoor shower. For smaller children there is also a swing set.

Behind the pool, walk among the lavender, olives and fruit trees. There’s always a race in early summer to get to the juicy red cherries before the insects do!

Guests are welcome to use the 6-7 bicycles of various sizes that are kept under the arch; they are serviced at the beginning of each summer season. The car port is usually used to shade the table tennis table, but there is parking for three cars.

NOTE:

• Change-over day: Saturday
• Minimum stay: 7 nights
• Booking deposit: 50% of total rent
• Refundable breakages deposit: €1,500
• Local stay tax: €4.40 per adult per night