£1713 - £2955
(€2000 - €3450)
Per property per week
Maison de Maître, sleeps 10, 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms
Contact the owner
Contact the owner directly
Ron Alldridge
(Advertising since February 2024)
Tel: + 33 (0) 649375788
Please mention French Connections.
Pool and part of the garden leading to the house (1 / 39)
Front of the house looking on to the village \'Place\'. (2 / 39)
The pool is 7 x 3.5 meters (3 / 39)
Back of the house with the terrace next to the kitchen and serving hatch (4 / 39)
The entrance hall with vaulted ceiling and flagstone floor (5 / 39)
Entrance hall with iron work created by a local blacksmith (6 / 39)
Semi-professional kitchen with plenty of space to prepare meals together (7 / 39)
The kitchen has two stone sinks and a LaCanche \'piano\' gas burner (8 / 39)
The dinning / living room with \'discovered\' stone window from 1530. (9 / 39)
Stairs to the upper floors (10 / 39)
(11 / 39)
(12 / 39)
(13 / 39)
(14 / 39)
Little stairway from the bedroom to a bathroom (15 / 39)
The one bathroom with a bath and brass power show unit (16 / 39)
Solid brass shower unit (17 / 39)
Each bathroom has a basin designed and made by the potter in the village (18 / 39)
One of the \'flower head\' brass shower units (19 / 39)
The village \'lost\' amongst endless oak forests, olive groves and vineyard (20 / 39)
View of the local bar from the house - ideal for a relaxing drink (21 / 39)
The village underground water source straight from the alpes. (22 / 39)
Market day! (23 / 39)
\'Brocantes\' or \'flea markets\' are still big in the area (24 / 39)
An hour west is the ex-capital of the south the beautiful Aix-en-Provence (25 / 39)
... and Varages has a rich history of pottery and fine china production (26 / 39)
It is also well known for celebrating it\'s distant past (27 / 39)
(28 / 39)
(29 / 39)
25 minutes north is the famous \'Gorge du Verdon\' - 25 kms of lakes & rive (30 / 39)
The \'Gorge\' offers water sports galore (31 / 39)
... and hiking, white water rafting, bird watching, etc (32 / 39)
(33 / 39)
(34 / 39)
(35 / 39)
The beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence - culture capital of the south (36 / 39)
(37 / 39)
An hour south is the glorious and sophisticated Cote D\'Azur. (38 / 39)
A stone plaque commemorating the completion of the house 31st March 1609 (39 / 39)
The property
The property offers luxury spacious accommodation for 10. Built in 1609 it has flagstone floors, vaulted ceilings, exposed stone walls and large light-filled rooms. As you step onto the flagstone floors of this 400 year old ‘Maison de Maitre’ you’re immediately aware of history and luxury. From the vaulted hall you enter into
- A stylish living/dining room which is separated by an archway from the large and well-equipped kitchen.
Both have access to the charming courtyard (great for outdoor eating and use of the barbecue) which leads into the walled garden. In this oasis of calm, where you would hardly realise that you are in the centre of the village, you sunbathe on the terrace, find shade under the fig or apricot tree or take a dip in the roman-basin style pool.
Throughout the house, the décor is simple and stylish with the original features having been carefully restored with local materials in authentic Provencal style.
Bedrooms
- Each of the five double bedrooms is very light and airy, and has its own private bathroom with power shower, solid brass fittings and hand made basins (by the master potter next door). There is a roll-top bath in one of the bathrooms. Each of the bedrooms can be made up with either two single beds or (when they are put together) a king-sized double bed. The bed linen is quality professionally laundered white cotton from The White Company in the UK. Bed linen is included in the rental. There is a modest charge for house (not for the pool) towel sets.
- For the children there are two cots, two small beds and two high chairs available.
- Air-conditioning is supplied in the 4 top floor bedrooms.
Kitchen
- The exceptionally well equipped kitchen on the ground floor has been designed with communal cooking in mind … it has six meters of work surface, two spanish-stone sinks, and a ‘La Canche’ five burner piano style gas cooker.
Garden
- The garden is walled on all sides which gives it a lovely secluded feeling.
- There are two terraces ... one just outside the kitchen, the other at the end of the garden. Clients normally eat all their meals outside; at breakfast the air is beautifully fresh (before the Mediterranean sun becomes intense) and the evenings are wonderfully long and balmy. There is a fig and apricot tree in the garden which offer good shade for those that seek it, and delicious fruit when the season is right. There are six luxury loungers around the pool.
- Well behaved pets are welcome by arrangement with the owner.
Parking
- There is free public parking for 30 odd vehicles 2 minutes walk from the house. The parking is equipped with electric charging. Unloading and loading can be done right one meter from the front door of the house.
Resident
I am resident at La Maison du Faiencier (with my dog Duke) all year round. I live in a self-contained apartment, out of sight and sound of my guests. This is a large house and it has been renovated it in such a way as to allow me to have a separate unseen internal staircase leading off the garage to my apartment which comprises of a salon, double bedroom and showerroom. This means we all share the main outer entrance door, but once in the entrance hall, my guests have their own inner entrance door which takes them through, at ground floor level, to the main part of the house, the garden with pool and to the central stairs with their five bedrooms and five en suite bathrooms on the first and second floors. Being ‘sur place’ means that I am available should you ever need any help or advice.
Step out of the front door and you know immediately you’re in the south of France: the sights, sounds, slow pace of life. The heat is relaxing, light intense, colours vibrant. A few paces away is the cafe terrace - the ideal place for a leisurely drink.
The village has everything you need within a short walk - baker, butcher, restaurant, pizzera, bar, grocery shop for forgotten essentials, pharmacy. There’s a large supermarket ten minutes away. You can order on line. The vast village park, seen from the house, has tennis, boules, table tennis and an extensive child’s play area.
Provence loves street markets. In front of the house, once a week, villagers sell their fresh veg, eggs and cheese. Surrounding towns have markets that take the morning to visit. The city of Aix has a ‘Place’ for every produce - flowers, handicrafts, antiques, fruit and veg and fish.
Aix-en-Provence, an hour west, is the south’s capital of culture: art, music, exquisite architecture. But we’re spoilt for choice here. Visit the area’s hill-top medieval villages with magnificent panoramas or go south to the classy Mediterranean coast.
Finished with sun bathing by the pool or hiking/cycling through the endless forrest olive groves and vineyards go north 25 minutes to the ‘Gorge de Verdon’. At the foothills of the Alps it has 25 kms of lakes and rivers offering an array of water sports.
One activity for those keen on mounting biking is the EuroVelo8 route which passes just 5 minutes from the house. It is part of a network that now exists all over Europe and apparently route '8' goes from the border of Portugal to Greece
Local amenities
Nearest bakery: You Can See It From The House!
Nearest supermarket: Ten Minutes From The Village. On-line Ordering Pos
Nearest market: Every Thursday Morning In Front Of The House.
Nearest pharmacy: Three Minutes Walk.
Nearest bar: Next To The Bakery And Village Restaurant
Tourist information: Best To Ask The Owner
Varages on the map
Property 175374 –
Nearby place of interest
How to get to La Maison du Faiencier
- Airports - The area is served by Marseille, Toulon and Nice airports (all a drive between 1h and 1h45),
- Train - The TGV train service (1h) which takes you to Paris in 3 hours,
- Car - and though the village feels as though it is ‘lost in the hills’, you can join the A8 motorway in 20 minutes. It takes you from Italy in the east to Spain in the west.
Access options
Taxi from train station, Taxi from airport, Car Essential
Nearest airport
The nearest serviceable airport is Marseille [MRS]
Stayed here? Add your review >
Ron's house is incredible. Centrally located on a pretty little square, almost the only one in Varages, with a bar with comfortable tables and chairs, tall trees providing shade and the
thursday market for local products, where locals queue with their wicker baskets to fill. Around Varages is all countryside, which makes travelling pleasant and relaxing. There are
neighbouring villages all with the same characteristics: beautiful colours, nice bars in the shade of the trees, beautiful fountains typical of the area, lots of excellent rosé and local
handicrafts. Varages is also a good location for visiting larger towns like Aix-en-Provence or Marseilles. But Ron's house, with its huge, well-equipped kitchen and its garden enclosed by ancient ivy-covered walls, encourages you to stay half the day at home to relax by the pool and enjoy the spacious, finely furnished rooms and the coolness of the large walls of a 1609
mansion. Ron is very welcoming and helpful and gave us great advice on what to see, where to eat and what activities to do. Just a few kilometres from Varages are the famous Gorges du Verdon, which add a splash of nature to the trip to the small towns of Provence. A trip to do again without a doubt: same place, same houseGuest rating:
On our YouTube channel there are 11 short videos of conversations between the property owner (previously a reporter for BBC Radio) and some of the previous guests. They are of various nationalities, situations and holiday expectations. The guests give their candid opinions on the house, the garden and pool, village life and the surrounding area. To view the 11 videoed conversations clink on the following link https://www.youtube.com/@LaMaisonDuFaiencier
Guest rating:
| Property type | Maison de Maître (Self-catering) |
| Bathrooms | 5 |
| Bedrooms |
3 double bedroom(s) 2 twin bedroom(s) 2 childs bed(s) 2 cot(s) |
| Occupancy | 10 |
| Suitability | Suitable for children, Suitable for the elderly, Unsuitable for wheelchair access, Non-smoking, Pets welcomed |
| Linen | The cost of linen is included in the rental. If the rental is for 2 weeks or more the linen is changed free of charge each Saturday. |
| Kitchen facilities | Dishwasher, Fridge, Cooker, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Washing machine, Gas hob, Gas oven, Fridge-Freezer |
| Internal facilities | Air conditioning, English satellite TV, Exclusive rental, Internet access (broadband), Owner on site, TV, Hairdryer, Wi-Fi Broadband Internet, Internet Access |
| External facilities | Garden, Swimming pool (exclusive use), Barbecue, Tennis Court, Courtyard, EV Charger for electric vehicles |
| Activities nearby | Yoga, Wine tasting, White water rafting, Water sports, Walking, Tennis, Table tennis, Swimming, Squash, Sightseeing, Shopping, Sailing, Rock climbing, Riverside activities, Rambling, Pottery, Photography, Museums, Mountain biking, Kayaking, Horse riding, Hiking, Gourmet dining, Golf, Go karting, Drawing and painting, Cycling, Ceramics, Canoeing, Boules, Boating, Bird Watching, Archery |
Changeover day: Saturday
Last updated on: 12th February 2024
| Available | Booked/Unavailable |
|---|
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| Accommodation rental period | Price |
|---|---|
| 04 May 2024 – 31 May 2024 |
€2000 Per property per week
(£1713 / $2143) |
| 01 June 2024 – 28 September 2024 |
€3450 Per property per week
(£2955 / $3697) |
| 29 September 2024 – 26 October 2024 |
€2000 Per property per week
(£1713 / $2143) |
Additional price notes
- Parking - There is free public parking for 30 odd vehicles 2 minutes walk from the house. The parking is equipped with electric charging. Unloading and loading can be done right one meter from the front door of the house.
- Cleaning - If your stay is for two weeks or more the cleaning team will spend two hours on each Saturday morning cleaning the kitchen, bathrooms, bedroom and changing the bed linen. This mid-stay clean is free of charge.
There is an 'end-of-stay' cleaning charge of €200 - Security Deposit - Refundable (adhearing to T&C) €1000 deposit
- Pets - €50 per week per cat or dog.