In the heart of the Châtaigneraie

Come and spend a spring, summer, autumn or winter holiday in « Elveden » / « Le gîte des lutins » , a gite that combines traditional charm with modern conveniences. Suitable for four people, it has a large garden at the rear with a playground for children and plenty of parking-space outside just in front of the house. The property is situated at the end of a little road just outside the pretty village of Omps, in the northern part of the Châtaigneraie, that area of the Cantal (or Southern Auvergne) where the Romans planted chestnut trees 2,000 years ago.

The gite is two-and-a-half km away from the neighbouring village of St-Mamet-le-Salvetat, where there is a bakery, a butcher, a pharmacy. a doctor’s surgery and a small supermarket. But the departmental town of Aurillac, with its Saturday market and shops of all kinds, is just at 15 km to the north-east, and the charming market town of Maurs is just at 20 km to the south.

The gîte was originally a small barn and is built of exposed stone walls. It has recently been converted into a restful holiday home whose tasteful interior features include honey-colored wood, lime-washed walls, stout oak flooring, hand-made furniture and wrought-iron fittings.

The gite has two bedrooms. One, in the alluring style of a log cabin, is on the upper floor in a converted attic. Please note, however, that this room is not suitable for children aged five years and under as it has to be reached via an open-plan staircase and is only partially enclosed by banisters. The other bed-room is not so large, but has a small balcony and is reached by means of an outside stairway.

The attractive modern kitchen is well-lit and practical. It is equipped with a self-cleaning oven, a microwave, an induction hob, a dish-washer, an extractor hood, good-quality china and utensils.

The well-designed modern bathroom is painted with warm, restful colors and includes a good-sized shower and heated towel-rail.

The sitting room downstairs is equipped with a large flat-screen TV with a Blu-ray and DVD player. It also has a large sofa (for three persons) and an arm-chair. Guests have unlimited access to the internet by means of a WIFI box or cable. During winter, it can be heated by a stove that burns wood pellets, it produces a gentle heat, and it is easy to use.

From the sitting room you can see a pleasant courtyard in front of the house, which leads to a terrace and a garden at the rear. Both features are paved with handsome granite blocks and furnished with a garden table, a Weber barbecue, a parasol, and deckchairs with attached sun-shades. The terrace is partially enclosed by a curved stone wall.

The gîte shares a heated, south-facing swimming-pool with the neighbouring house - where the gite’s owners live. Measuring 11 by 4½ meters, the water is not chlorinated and is kept clean by a salt-based filtration system.

The house and garden look out over hills to the south, east and west, and mountains to the north, and the garden at the rear contains the residue of an old orchard, with walnut trees, lime trees, chestnut trees and apple trees. You can find a picnic table and benches, offers shade and is secluded by a low, dry-stone wall.

Don’t forget the beautiful surrounding countryside with its broad vistas, its rolling meadows, its lakes and dramatic autumn colors with magical evening light, or the picturesque villages, the friendly atmosphere of the local street-markets, or even the seven or eight varieties of local hand-crafted cheeses! In summer, you can go swimming or boating in the large lake of Lacapelle-Viescamp about six km up north of Omps or even sunbath on its  sandy beaches. A tree climbing trail (parcours) has recently been added to the facilities there to be used by older children. During winter time, there are skiing facilities in the mountains at Le Lioran, about 50 km. to the north-east.

The Cantal is a very rural French Department and most of the north is in the mountains of the Massif Central. The Cantal has less than 150,000 inhabitants; it is less densely populated than many British towns. In the north, its mountain paths are ideal for walkers, ramblers and naturalists; in the south, it is crossed by the Lot River; and if you are looking for peace, quiet and unpolluted air, then the entire Department is just the place to spend an unforgettable holiday.

To our regret we do not accept dogs.