House in Durfort , Tarn , Midi Pyrenees

Front door into porch and through to
Large living room with wood pellet burner, under-stairs storage, access to:
WC, streamside terrace and lower garden level and
Spacious kitchen with double doors giving onto a further patio

From living room, stairs up to:
Spacious and sunny landing area with access to upper garden level
Shower room/WC
Bedroom 1 with en suite bathroom
Office with platform above, ladder access
Bedroom 2 with built-in wardrobe

Outside there is access to a boiler room housing oil boiler, electric water heater for the summer months, and fuel tank. At the other end of the house is the pump room and tool shed housing the pump which supplies the crystal clear water from the stream to the house. Some locals take their drinking water from the village spring, others directly from the stream. Another, larger, outhouse could be a studio, shed or workshop. Away from the house, along the bank of the stream, is a small wooden summer house.

Nestled in a deep valley, surrounded by forest and with direct access to wonderful routes for exploring the Montagne Noire and the surrounding area, this quaint home is a dream for anyone who loves the country life, perhaps entertaining in the rambling garden with drinks and a meal by the rushing stream. Ideal for summer get-togethers, the garden is on several levels and guests can gather in the various patio spaces, explore the river bank and lengthy garden or paddle in the refreshing water. If you prefer a quiet life, then close the gates and feel closed off from the outside world. The house turns its back on the little country lane and faces the water and the forested far bank.

For those with children, the garden has areas fenced off from the water and the local schools are only a few kilometres away. Buses link the village with schools in nearby towns.

Shopping for necessities can be done in one of several villages nearby or the larger town of Revel with its popular weekly market, medieval arcaded central square and lively social life. Revel also offers all amenities as well as the nearby Lac de St Ferréol with swimming, sailing, restaurants, tennis, picnic and play areas.

Durfort itself has an active creative community which welcomes new members.

Whether as a main residence or a holiday home, this house is packed with charm. Fling open the shutters and listen to the birds, the water and the rustle of leaves. Close them all down again to enjoy a cosy evening in front of the pellet burner, safely cocooned by the recently renovated and insulated roof and the centuries-old stone walls.

Read on for a little love letter from the current owners to their home:

Martinet de la Peyre was our home for 12 years and we loved living there. We married in Durfort and, six years ago, brought our twin girls back from the maternity hospital to this house for the first three years of their lives. It's a very happy place, with a welcoming "soul", where we created lasting memories.

This character-filled house was warm in winter, cool in summer, right in the heart of a beautiful landscape, and we filled it with laughter and music. It is isolated enough that you can lock yourself away to enjoy the serenity, wildlife and lush landscape (or play your music at full blast!), yet close enough to the rustic village of Durfort that we could be involved in the community, and use the services of authentic nearby French towns.

It is such a unique property that we had lots of visitors. Our parties were legendary, with barbecues and fire pits by the river, or late-night chill-outs on the upstairs terrace, lying back in a lounger, to watch showers of comets in the vivid night sky. There is no light pollution.

The river is a constant part of life at the house, bringing fish and birds in abundance, plus dancing dragonflies and hummingbird moths. We would watch dippers and wagtails bobbing on the rocks and herons standing patiently, waiting for a morsel to come into view. It's thrilling to see a kingfisher flash by. You'll occasionally see a pine marten, and there are red squirrels in the chestnut trees. Deer and wild boar stay a little further afield, but they are there.

Others came, by invitation, to fish in the gin-clear river for brown trout. French neighbours would leave fresh catches, fruit and veg from their gardens, or even works of art as a thank-you for the access. We made lifelong friends this way, and even learned some "real" French. The River Sor, by the way, is controlled by a dam some miles upstream, so it never flooded.

During our time there, we improved the house with a new insulated roof, double-glazed windows and doors, and solid wood flooring upstairs, made of locally sourced chestnut. There is a recently installed fuel boiler, and a new, ecologically-approved pellet burner in the lounge.

The martinet is five minutes from the handsome old village of Soreze and ten from the typically French town of Revel. You will find it difficult to find a better, more authentic, Saturday market in all of south-west France. Carcassonne, with its fairytale castle, is 45 minutes by car and the formidable pink city of Toulouse is only an hour away. Both have good airports.

Up the hill from the house is Lac Saint-Ferréol, a beautiful spot for lounging on the beach and swimming. There are water sports and lots of bars and restaurants. Revel also has a superb outdoor pool. There are walks right from home, ranging from gentle rambles to lung-bursting excursions up the likes of the Montagne Berniquaut. The Tour de France often passes close by and cyclists love the challenges of the local hills, including the Route de Malamort at the front door.

We would often go skiing at Ax-les-Thermes, about one and half hour's drive away or other Pyrenees resorts. Go a little further and you are in Andorra. The skiing is good and the pistes are quiet and well maintained. In the summer you can drive to the coast in roughly the same time, with great places like Collioure and Setes easily in range for days out. One day we swam in the sea in the morning and skied in the afternoon, just to say we'd done it!

The village comes to life in summer, with American and British expats returning to their Durfort holiday homes. It becomes an artistic hub, with fêtes, salons and live music, an outdoor cinema and tourists arriving to paint and create.

We miss the lifestyle and the house a great deal and grieve how the pandemic forced our move back to England, leaving our beloved home empty. Our hope is that a buyer will be out there, who will fall in love at first sight as we did, and bring back the soul to Martinet de la Peyre.

Denis and Lesley, 2023

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Information about risks to which this property is exposed is available on the Géorisques website : https://www.georisques.gouv.fr