Restored 18th Century Catalan Mas - Vallespir

A fully restored stone Mas of 18^th century construction but with elements dating back to the middle ages. The house is set in an estate of 6 hectares including pleasure gardens with large swimming pool, kitchen garden, orchard and woodland. The Vallespir is a sunny and sheltered valley South of Perpignan and close to the Spanish border, with access to the coast and ski resorts.

The house is in excellent decorative order and has almost 300 square metres of habitable space, plus numerous outbuildings, storage and utility rooms. This Mas has a large living area of over 80m² incorporating open fireplaces and original bread oven alongside a newly-renovated kitchen with granite worktops and top quality kitchen appliances. The main part of the house has two large bedroom/sitting room/bathroom suites. Three other bedrooms can have separate access, so could be ideal for guests, letting, or for live-in staff. There is potential to convert a two-storey barn area and the pigeon tower into further accommodation. The entire Mas has dual Gas/Woodburning central heating – we heat the house completely from home-grown wood.

The house is on the outskirts of the village of Corsavy but is accessed from fully metalled road, and then a tarmac drive to the house. Corsavy has the advantage of very low local taxes and ,although small and very quiet, it has a grocer and two typically French restaurants. For shopping trips, Perpignan is an hour by car and the fascinating Spanish cities of Figueres and Girona are 60 minutes and 75 minutes away, respectively. Both Barcelona and Toulouse can be reached in just over 2 hours and are great centres for a day out in the city.

The grounds are watered by a stream and also the river, and there is a 15 metre waterfall which could be harnessed to provide hydro electricity. The established gardens include lawns, shrubberies and a woodland garden with Rhododendrons and Japanese Maples. The kitchen garden and orchard produce figs, apples, pears, apricots, raspberries, strawberries, asparagus, and the slightly acid soil yields amazing potatoes! The 10x5 metre swimming pool is fed by soft water from the stream and runs on a salt system, which avoids the need to buy chemicals, it is also virtually maintenance-free.

The forest surrounding the house borders the Pyrenean National Park and is one of Europe’s most unspoilt areas. It’s great for hiking, hunting, fishing – and the air doesn’t come any fresher than here.

Local airports: Perpignan, Girona (Barcelona)