Two Traditional Burgundian Farmhouses with Pool

La Vieille Maison details

Home description

Our two sympathetically restored farm houses at Le Verger, La Maison Bleue and La Vieille Maison, offer comfortable, spacious and peaceful bases from which to explore this beautiful region. The pool with its sun terrace is set in the large orchard garden.

Our friendly Burgundian village has a traditional stone wash house and an historic 15th century tax-collectors house. There are no shops or cafes in Coutarnoux but both are a ten minute drive away in the pretty village of L’Isle sur Serein. Coutarnoux is also just 20 minutes drive from the market town of Avallon with its old quarter, cobbled streets, Romanesque cathedral and spectacular rampart views across the valley of the Cousin.

The courtyard entrance to Le Verger is opposite the Coutarnoux village church while the orchard garden side of the property has uninterrupted views across fields and woodlands. The sunsets can be spectacular.

Coutarnoux is surrounded by beautiful rolling countryside offering forest walks with glimpses of roe deer and birds of prey, tracks for bike rides and great spots for picnics.

The pool with its sun terrace is set in a secluded corner of the orchard garden. The pool is surrounded by a safety fence and has a lockable gate. Sun loungers are provided and the pool has an underwater light for after dark swimming. The pool and garden are regularly maintained by our local helper.

The property is an L shape with the two houses facing away from each other at different ends of the L and with a barn in between. There is thus lots of privacy for both houses which do not overlook each other.

Guest Comments

"It was fascinating to stay in the very house whose renovation featured in the television series 'A House In France'. We felt we already knew the village!"

"We had a wonderful time. You have done the house so nicely, the furnishing, the plates, the glasses, the books, the videos, the cds - it all feels like a home and not some money-making let, which is what we have occasionally experienced. The area is also terrific. We loved the pool by the way. Oh, and we had a truly delicious meal at the Pot D'Etain. We may come again!’

‘Thank you for letting us spend a week in your wonderful Maison Bleue! While the two boys spent their time in the pool and my husband was reading one of the hundreds of books, I had plenty of time for my paintings.’

‘We are enjoying our visit so much. We are finding the house very comfortable – and the pool is divine in this heat. But we have found time to do some wine tasting and sight-seeing (Montréal was stunning). Three of us walked for 16 km in the Morvan. The week is going too fast.’

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Garden
• Scenic views
• Swimming pool (shared use)

The Swimming pool at Le Verger is shared by La Maison Bleue and La Vieille Maison.  It is sometimes possible to arrange exclusive use by one house by prior arrangement. 

Next door to our property is the village playing field which a boules pitch, a seesaw for small children and a goal post.

Accommodation detail

This property has an elegant dressed stone façade, an outside dining area and central heating. There is a courtyard with space for parking.  The accommodation comprises:

Ground Floor

• Large sitting room with stone fireplace and traditional wooden ceiling. There is comfortable seating, an antique Burgundian dresser and armoire, television (English and French channels) and a CD player with a wide ranging selection of DVDs and CDs. Cosy in the winter and cool in the summer heat, this is the ideal room to relax in
• Kitchen/dining room has a stone fireplace with a wood burning stove and a traditional wooden ceiling. It is fully equipped with electric oven, gas hob, microwave, food processor, fridge/freezer, cafetière, dishwasher and electric barbecue grill. The large wooden dining table seats eight. 
• The staircase to the first floor leads off the kitchen
• Bathroom is tiled with traditional red tommettes. It has a bath, loo, basin, bidet and washing machine
• Double bedroom with French doors onto the courtyard. It has a double bed, chest of drawers and wardrobe

First Floor

• Main bedroom has a high ceiling with magnificent original beams, a double bed, wardrobe and antique chest of drawers
• A door leads to an outside stone staircase
• Smaller bedroom has two single beds, a chest of drawers and hanging space
• Bathroom has shower, basin, lu and bidet.

About the location

Coutarnoux is a peaceful and charming Burgundian village with stone houses, a beautiful stone wash house and a church. It also has La Maison des Goix, an historic house, which dates from the 15th century. The village has only 160 inhabitants. It is five minutes drive from the attractive little town of L’Isle sur Serein, with its bakers, grocer, café, bank, post office and excellent restaurant (Le Pot d’Etain). Twenty minutes away the ancient town of Avallon with its stone facades, cobbled streets and ramparts offers a wide range of shops as well as a vibrant Saturday market, a supermarket and a railway station.

Coutarnoux is less than an hour’s drive from the winegrowing area of Chablis, from the Romanesque abbey church of Vézelay, from Alésia, the battlefield where Caesar defeated the Gallic chieftain, Vercingétorix and from the Morvan national park. Paris can easily be reached for a day trip by car or on the high speed train (TGV) from Montbard.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities nearby

Boules, Canoeing, Cycling, Drawing and painting, Fishing, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Mountain biking, Photography, Photography, Rambling, Rock climbing, Shopping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Tennis, Walking, Water sports, White water rafting, Wine tasting, Wine touring

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

Coutarnoux is five hours drive from Calais.

Alternatively you can take the Eurostar via Paris or Lille and the TGV to nearby Montbard, where you can hire a car.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.