La Vieille Grange is on the northern edge of a small hamlet. It began life as a stone barn, with the oldest parts of the building, we believe, dating from the 17th century. In its transformation to a house the original stonework and oak beams have been left exposed and it is now a spacious and family-friendly holiday home offering self-catering accommodation for up to seven people. It is an ideal place to relax and unwind, or as a base from which to explore the region by car, bicycle or on foot.
Large back windows on each floor look east over valley meadows to wooded hills. There are double doors on both sides of the ground floor – three sets to the south opening onto a terrace and courtyard which enjoy long hours of sunshine, and a set to the north opening onto a covered terrace. Herbs and, in season, tomatoes, grow near the front door; figs on the lower terrace in autumn.
Mercadiol in winter, as seen from the fields below. La Vieille Grange is at the far right, on the edge of the woods.
Ground floor
From the wide entry hall, stairs lead up to the first floor bedrooms and down to the ground floor open-plan living area. The laundry and a separate WC are also off the entry hall.
In the living area, the kitchen has a gas/electric cooker, fridge, dishwasher, fitted cupboards with cups, glassware and cutlery for up to 10 people, pots, pans, kettle, toaster, coffee makers etc. A walk-in pantry has plenty of shelving, a wine rack, food processor, table linen, and shopping bags for the market. The dining table seats up to eight, with crockery, and serving dishes in the nearby sideboard.
The lounge area has three large sofas, a pine chest used as a coffee table, flat screen TV (both French and English free-to-air stations), a CD player, landline and reference books on the local area and cookbooks.
First floor
The main bedroom has a queen-size bed, a chest of drawers, bookshelves with a selection of mainly fiction, a small sofa and an en-suite with shower and WC. Three large windows offer rural views (watch for early morning red squirrels in the oak tree).
Stairs in the corner of the bedroom lead to a mezzanine level with a cot and a desk/table (the wifi modem is also on this level).
The second (middle) bedroom, with two single beds and chest of drawers, overlooks over the courtyard and linden tree. A bookcase has a selection of children’s books.
The third bedroom, with a double bed, table and chest of drawers, also overlooks courtyard. A mezzanine level from this room, reached by a ladder, has a single bed suitable for a child.
The main bathroom is on this level and has a shower over the bath and WC.
All the rooms have electric fans and independently adjustable electrical wall heaters.
Outdoor areas
On the southern side of the building, double doors from the living area open to a terrace between the house and the parking barn (actually an old wood and tile tobacco-drying barn). There is a table seating six just outside the living area doors, and a smaller table near the BBQ under cover in the first section of the open barn (the ‘Barrel Room’).
![New LVG June 18[1]](https://laviellegrange.files.wordpress.com/2018/11/new-lvg-june-181-e1543106373130.jpg?w=641&h=851)
Courtyard in spring
The Barrel Room, a shady space for outdoor eating
The end section of the tobacco barn, the ‘Barrel Room’, provides a covered and shaded outdoor area in summer, the BBQ is here, and a metal table with seating for four. The terrace looks south and west across the courtyard to the barns and outbuildings of the old farm and a large linden tree, and east to the forests and fields below. A sloping pathway (once used to take cattle down to the fields) leads to a lower terrace where there is a fig tree that in autumn is laden with fruit, and walnut trees.
On the northern side, doors open onto a covered area bounded by a low stone wall. It is a good place to play boules (you’ll find a set in the house). Woodland and valley views.
Arrival time: Saturday 3 pm; departure time: Saturday 10 am.
La Vieille Grange 