Carbou is a lovely spacious home built of limestone in the traditional local style of the late 19th century . Situated in the tiny hamlet of St Quintin with nearest neighbours a quarter of a mile away, the house has 4 acres of land and overlooks a small valley of fields, woods and vines . St Quintin is a cul de sac so there is very little traffic and the overall ambiance is one of great peace and quiet .
The very comfortable accommodation comprises 3 high ceilinged double bedrooms, a big loft conversion with single beds (popular with children), 2 large bathrooms and a fine kitchen/dining room overlooking the valley below. A short walk past the outbuildings leads to the private pool . The house has wi-fi and lots of books .
The surrounding countryside just north of the Tarn valley is a mixture of gently rolling hills and small valleys mostly given over to arable farming with fields of sunflowers, apple and plum orchards as well as vineyards of the famous local Chasselas grape .
Carbou is very close to the GR 65, one of the ancient pilgrim paths to Santiago de Compostela. The GR 65 starts in Le Puy en Velay in the Massif Central. The nearby towns of Montcuq, Lauzerte and Moissac were all staging posts on the path and retain agreat charm, all well worth visiting . The nearest is Lauzerte, just over 10 minutes by car, a beautifully preserved hilltop Bastide important during the Hundred Years War. A little further west lies Moissac with its famous Abbey and Cloisters. Moissac hosts a great market on Saturdays and Sundays throughout the year with a fabulous selection of locally produced meat, cheese and vegetables.
The nearest shops are in Cazes Mondenard, 5 minutes by car. There is a boulangerie, small Casino supermarket, bank, newsagent/ tabac and bar/restaurant (new owners, reports please !).
You will find a larger Intermarche supermarket in Lauzerte which also has a good pizzeria half way up the village and two bars and restaurants in the very attractive square at the top of the hill . There are panoramic views of the countryside from here and also lots of food events during the summer holidays.
Moissac is a larger town to the west on the Tarn, fifteen minutes in the car. The Abbey and cloisters are famous and deserve a visit. There are several reasonably priced restaurants nearby. On the eastern approach there is a large Intermarche with good fresh fish, meat and cheese counters. The weekend markets have lovely fresh local produce as well as some clothing and bric a brac stalls .
Montauban, 30 minutes eastwards, is the capital of the Tarn et Garonne departement and is well worth a visit with a central pedestrianised area of ancient streets with a great variety of shops and the recently refurbished Place Nationale which has a fine selection of bars, shops and restaurants . There is also an impressive museum by the river Tarn, mainly dedicated to the artist Jean-Auguste Ingres, a native of Montauban.
If you're feeling active there is plenty to do at Carbou and nearby. Apart from the lovely swimming pool, there is table tennis , a set of boules and a small collection of bicycles. There is a tennis court at Cazes Mondenard which you can rent at the Tabac in the village.
You will find a full list of things to do including local restaurants, markets and sites of interest at the house .
