About this property
Manoir Belle Époque is a beautiful Maison de Maître originally built in the 1830s by a wealthy wine and brandy producer, as a symbol of his affluence during this opulent era.
It is now lovingly restored and decorated by its owners, talented interior designers who have turned it into a large, boutique-style modern home with plenty of original character, perfect for multi-generational families and groups of friends.
The position is semi-rural but on the edge of a lively village surrounded by sunflowers and vineyards, with a grocery shop, bakers, butchers, bar, pizza restaurant, post office and pharmacy – all just a 5-minute walk away. There is even a park with children's' slides and swings, all within pram pushing distance!
Just a 5-minute drive away is the Canal du Midi at Ventenac, with its good choice of restaurants and within easy reach are Lezignan-Corbieres and the Cathedral City of Narbonne and its high quality sandy beaches beyond. Carcassonne is just over half an hour away.
In keeping with the Belle Époque and this villa’s origins, this lovely home is designed for chilled out and good times for all, with a hint of elegant grandeur from times passed. A grand curved staircase and balustrade onto the front balcony and terrace compliment the indoor marble staircase and grand dining room.
A games room and ‘honesty wine cellar’ stocked with Languedoc wines, and a large garden full of fruit trees, hammocks, shady terraces and a big pool, keep everyone happy. There is even a fenced in shallow brook with small fish through the back garden, where you can try your luck with a line and hook or bucket.
Furthermore, new from mid-April 2023, guests will benefit from a fantastic cinema room for Netflix and sporting events with comfy sofas and even a fridge to chill your wine, plus complimentary air-conditioning can be requested in the grand dining room, the perfect spot for family feasts. A fun and exciting covered courtyard has also been created for al-fresco dining in style, named by the owners as the 'Winemakers Barn, Barbecue and Champagne Bar'!
Manoir Belle Époque will delight the senses and provide an idyllic location for a relaxing multi-generational holiday in the Languedoc.
Manoir Belle Epoque sits in a picturesque village nestled amongst the charming vineyards and sunflowers of the department of Aude in the heart of Languedoc. Here you will find boulangeries, butchers, a small grocery shop, a bar, pizzeria restaurant, post office, pharmacy, doctor's surgery, a park with children play area and even a vegetable market every Friday and Sunday mornings. Larger supermarkets are located in Lézignan Corbières (4km). In Ventenac there is a Wine Cave, perfect for getting to know the fabulous wines of the region.
The Canal du Midi is a few minutes' drive away. It offers some delicious restaurants and is a very popular area for outdoor activities lovers, with plenty of walking, biking and boat hiring options.
The imposing Corbières mountains where one can visit the fascinating Cathar castles, can be reached in just 10 minutes. Furthermore, the Mediterranean coast is a half hour journey, offering easy access to the beautiful beaches in Gruissan and Narbonne. When the beaches are too crowded, why not head to Homps and take a dip into the lake? It is a family-friendly option well serviced with a café, life guard and plenty of free parking.
Gruissan also has a pretty old town and a modern marina with a good choice of places to eat and drink. In Narbonne, the closest large town (15mins) and classified as a unesco World Heritage Site, one can take a stroll down its beautiful 'promenade', visit museums, explore its sparkling market place and relax in one one the many cafes and restaurants.
In 30 minutes you can reach the fortified town of Carcassonne, also a unesco World Heritage site. Deeply steeped in history, it is a lively citadel where myriads of events and festivals take place throughout the year.
A bit further afield is Pezenas, (about 1hr) a gorgeous medieval town with a wide selection of traditional shops, bars, restaurants and a Saturday market selling fresh local produce and clothing. In the Cote de Vermillon, we recommend visiting Collioure, nestled in a little cove and a paradise for art lovers.
Furthermore, bear in mind that the Spanish border is only about an hour away: Figueras and Cadaques are just two examples of coastal villages making for fabulous day trips out!
Finally, the property is served by 9 Airports: Carcasonne, Bezier, Perpignan, Toulouse, Nimes, Montpellier & Girona and Barcelona in Spain too!
Accommodation
1) 7 bedrooms only - excluding bedrooms 2 and 9 (14-person price)
2) 8 bedrooms only - excluding bedroom 2 or 9 (16-person price)
3) 9 bedrooms (18-person price)
Manoir Interiors
Lower Ground Floor
- Fully equipped kitchen with 2 dishwashers, microwave, hob, oven, coffee machine, breakfast bar, 2 fridges, 2 freezers, a small dining table, an I-Pod docking station and Satellite TV (access to front courtyard)
- Well-stocked “Honesty Wine Cellar” with some of the best wines from the Languedoc
- Utility room with washing machine and drying racks
- Games room with a full size ping-pong and pool table as well as French bar-style table football
- Cinema room (from mid-April 2023) for Netflix and sporting events with sofas, fridge and area for making drinks
Raised Ground Floor
- Grand hall
- Dining room with complimentary air-conditioning (on request), table, sofa and I-Pod docking station
- Living room with 2 sofas, 2 armchairs, decorative fireplace, Wi-Fi box
- Terrace overlooking the courtyard
- Family bathroom with a shower and bath
- Bedroom 1* with large double bed and en suite WC and sink
- Bedroom 2* (best suited to children/teens, adjoining bedroom 1 but also with own entrance) with twin beds
* available from mid-April 2023
First Floor
- Bedroom 3 (master suite): sleeps 4 - 1 hotel extra large double (can be split into 2 singles), day bed for 1 child (and option of a pop-up bed for an additional child) and en-suite shower room with W.C. and double sinks
- Bedroom 4: sleeps 2 - 1 hotel extra large double (can be split into 2 singles) and en-suite shower room with W.C. and sink
- Bedroom 5: sleeps 2 - 1 extra large double (can be split into 2 singles) and en-suite shower room with W.C. and sink
- Bedroom 6: sleeps 2 - 2 singles (can be made into a large double) and en-suite shower room with W.C. and sink
Top Floor
- Bedroom 7: sleeps 2 - 1 standard double
- Bedroom 8: sleeps 3 kids as kids' dormitory with 3 single beds or 1 large double (splitable) with single day bed
- Bedroom 9: sleeps 2 - 2 single beds (can be pushed together)
- Shared large family shower room with double sinks
Outside Grounds
- Private heated swimming pool (shape: rectangular/ size: 9x4.5m/ depth: 1.6m) with full EU child-safety barrier and locking gate
- Large poolside terrace
- Shaded terraces
- Private walled courtyard
- Courtyard covered terrace 'Winemakers and Champagne Barn' (new for 2023) with Weber barbecue, table and chairs for al-fresco dining and wine cooler
- Garden with fruit trees (1 acre)
- Children's play area
- Shallow brook (fenced in)
- Front courtyard (from mid-April 2023) with water fountain, casual tables and chairs
- Garage (on request)
- Secure parking (with further open parking across the road)
- Trampoline with safety barrier
- Two full size village tennis courts are located opposite the house just 200 yards away
Facilities
- Wi-Fi
- Air Conditioning (on request)
- Heating (on request)
- Electric fans
- Satellite TV
- Cinema room (from mid-April 2023) with Netflix and for sporting events
- Barbecue
- Hair Dryers
- Iron
- Ironing Board
- Washing machine
- Drying racks
- Table tennis
- Table football
- Pool table
- Boules pitch (opposite Le Manoir)
- Selection of children's toys
- Hammocks
- Bike hire locally
Reviews (11)
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Kathryn
We had a fantastic week staying at this beautifully restored home. Our party ranged from 20 months to 60 years but there is something for everyone with lots of extra thoughtful touches by the owners that mean that you can completely relax. The stairs are all gated, and stair gates on every floor or doors to close off unsafe areas meant adults could all relax. There are lots of toys for all ages, books to read and games to play. The bathrooms are modern, kitchen and laundry room really well appointed with a huge range cooker that makes family cooking a pleasure, two dishwashers, lots of crockery and glasses and also plastic plates, cups and bowls for little ones. I really appreciated the basics such as salt, washing up liquid, cleaning clothes and a few dishwasher and laundry powder to tide us over until we could get to the supermarket.Jay and Melanie are excellent hosts, very responsive before travelling to all requests, and Jay met us on arrival to take us over the house in detail so we could appreciate the beauty as well as understand how to make best use of all the facilities on site and locally. The pool is a really good size and the design works well for families with steps and not too deep, with floatiesand lots of sun beds and umbrellas. Bath and swimming towels are provided. The gardens are well kept with lots of shade , and the trampoline and swing kept our toddler amused for hours. Although booked well before Covid it was a bonus that we existed in our own little bubble, with everything readily available locally. The local baker makes the most fantastic croissants and cheerfully produces birthday cake on request. Don’t make the mistake we did and pick up wine on the way there in case the honesty bar was too pricey- the owners' choices are excellent value. The very tall will need to duck regularly on the ground floor. We opted to have the air conditioning package on the top floor only- but in the heatwave at the end of the week I wish we had invested in it as the usual precaution of closing shutters and windows by day and opening by night wasn’t quite enough. I can fully understand why people rebook time and time again and would happily revisit. Reading over the reviews from previous guests with hints and tips looks like everyone who holidays here feels as we did.
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Kathryn
We had a fantastic week staying at this beautifully restored home. Our party ranged from 20 months to 60 years but there is something for everyone with lots of extra thoughtful touches by the owners that mean that you can completely relax. The stairs are all gated, there are lots of toys for all ages, books to read and games to play. The bathrooms are modern, kitchen and laundry room really well appointed with a huge range cooker that makes family cooking a pleasure, two dishwashers, lots of crockery and glasses and also plastic plates, cups and bowls for little ones. Jay and Melanie are excellent hosts, very responsive before travelling to all requests, and Jay met us on arrival to take us over the house in detail so we could appreciate the beauty as well as understand how to make best use of all the facilities on site and locally. The pool is a really good size and the design works well for families with steps and not too deep, with floatiesand lots of sun beds and umbrellas. The gardens are well kept with lots of shade , and the trampoline and swing kept our toddler amused for hours. Although booked well before Covid it was a bonus that we existed in our own little bubble, with everything readily available locally. The local baker makes the most fantastic croissants and cheerfully produces birthday cake on request. Don’t make the mistake we did and pick up wine on the way there in case the honesty bar was too pricey- the owners' choices are excellent value. The very tall will need to duck regularly on the ground floor. We opted to have the air conditioning package on the top floor only- but in the heatwave at the end of the week I wish we had invested in it as the usual precaution of closing shutters and windows by day and opening by night wasn’t quite enough. I can fully understand why people rebook time and time again and would happily revisit. Reading over the reviews from previous guests with hints and tips looks like everyone who holidays here feels as we did.
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Kathryn
We had a wonderfully relaxing and fun week at Manoir Belle Époque. The house is very well set up for families of all ages and a lot of thought has gone into every detail. Although sensitively restored keeping lots of original features, the areas where you really want 21st century comfort are all there - new bathrooms, a well appointed kitchen, two dishwashers, two fridge freezers including an ice maker and washing machine. Most of the rooms are very large with high ceilings although tall adults need to remember to duck on the lower ground floor at various points. I really appreciated the basics such as salt, washing up liquid, cleaning clothes and a few dishwasher and laundry powder to tide us over until we could get to the supermarket. There are lots of crockery and glasses, but also brightly coloured plastic plates cups and bowls for little people. Bath and swimming towels are provided. Our 20 month old loved the play area, trampoline, swings and the wide range of toys, and stair gates on every floor or doors to close off unsafe areas meant adults could all relax. All three generations appreciated the pool which was not too deep and with a step all the way round for extra safety, lots of sun beds, umbrellas and safety fencing. The garden is very pretty, has lots of shade as well as plenty of room to run around. Adults played pétanque, pool and table tennis well into the night. Melanie and Jay are excellent hosts. Melanie is very helpful in the run up, answering any queries quickly and was in touch within hours of our departure to tell us we had left something behind which she posted back within 24 hours. Jay met us on arrival and walked us through the house, giving us the history as well as a practical run through. After 12 hours travelling we were very grateful for the snack and drinks they provided! The wine in the Honesty Bar is great value and quality with red, white, rose and sparkling. There is a great local bakery that opens early, supermarket and chemist in easy walking distance and good local restaurants. If you are going in high summer I recommend investing in the additional air conditioning package - we had it for the top floor but we should have added on our floor as the last three days were very warm at night. After a stressful six months we couldn’t have asked for more. I wish we had booked two weeks and I am not surprised they are booked up so extensively in advance and have already pinged the link to several friends.