Contents:

Homepage
General Description

The Bergerie and 
Old Stable Cottages

The Farmhouse,
East and West
Meadow Cottages

The Pool

Out and about- an 
illustrated guide

Location

Conditions and tariff.

Making a booking

What our guests say

 Check availability

  This beautiful and relaxing environment is close to Nimes (30mins) and Montpellier (40 mins) airports, an easy hour from Avignon and it's airport, a pleasant walk (or jog) to the village and just 5 minutes walk from two good restaurants. Easily accessable from the motorways.  You'll be so close to all amenities yet away from noisy roads, close to a host of famous places yet so tempting to just relax in a hammock in your own private garden or take a leisurely swim in the 6 by 12 metre sparkling pool.

                                                   Your pool, serviced daily.

  With no busy roads nearby you can practically hear the butterflies glide past. You'll arrive to clean accommodation, the beds made up, cold drinks in the fridge and a complimentary bottle of wine to enjoy at the table in your own garden or in the hammock!
  Immersed in nature with an abundance of flowers, butterflies and a super-rich abundance of varied birdlife (Click here for detailed lists) varying with the seasons,  you're only a 5 minutes walk from a choice of two good restaurants and situated ideally for touring famous cities, villages and natural sites, visiting the beach or just take a walk to nearby Sauve with its shops and restaurants and market. The Tour de France always passes close by and we can guarantee excellent cycling landscapes for enthusiasts, as Alun comments below.There are many beautiful markets locally as well as excellent regional wines. You'll be in the heart of magnificent countryside but not isolated. With no light pollution, you'll see the milky way, a skyfull of stars and meteors! Many guests just can't believe just how beautiful the surroundings are. 

                                     It's a beautiful short walk along a quiet lane to medieval Sauve . 

    The large pool is set within its own landscaped sub-tropical gardens with sunbathing areas and is securely fenced. There is safe car parking at the farm. A short walk along a tranquil lane from the Mas to the nearby village, past vineyards and vegetable gardens, ancient watering mechanisms and stone huts and then by the river, will introduce you to the increasingly rare beauty of unspoilt rural France.
   Sauve has many restaurants, (vegetarien menu available), cafes,  shops,  post office and  boulangeries and you will find it to be an exceptional medieval village set into the hill-side by the river. You'll be within easy reach of Nîmes with its superb Roman Arena and Temples(20 min), the Pont du Gard - the magnificent Roman aquaduct - beautiful beaches of the Mediterranean, Camargue, Uzes and Montpellier (45 min), Avignon and Arles (just over the hour). From here you can easily visit the Millau Bridge,( the highest roadbridge in the World) and the Pont du Gard, (the World's greatest Roman Aqueduct) which demonstrate the very pinnacle of ancient and modern engineering! Many golf-courses nearby (click here for details). Supermarkets, post office, bank, doctor, garage and most facilities are within three minutes drive. Lots of local markets. There is river swimming, fishing, exciting river canoeing and there is horse-riding nearby.There are great walks, some flat - by the river - and some into the hills, directly from your gite. 

                                            Your location, plenty of space and tranquility 
                                          - a  piece of paradise 3 minutes from the village! 

  This tranquil location, set away from busy roads in the heart of the countryside,  provides a child friendly environment and a rare opportunity to enjoy the beauty of nature without being isolated.
   Making a booking is easy and we accept payment by cheque or direct bank transfer to a UK bank, in sterling. 
   We offer a "starter pack" of food should you be arriving late and also Wi Fi internet connection, towel rental and a full cleaning service- more info. under "conditions and tariff".
               Whats the weather like?
  Well of course it's impossible to be accurate but after 18 years living here we can generalise. Sauve, as many places, has its own micro-climate, raining less than other areas nearby.
   March -May. Flowers everywhere and the freshness of a new summer. The rivers are flowing and the wildlife abundant, migratory birds arrive and butterflies abound. If you like walking and enjoy wonderful landscapes full of nature at it's freshest, now's the time. The evenings are cool and days can be hot so you need a range of clothing though it's seldom cold. Of course it's not desert here so there is some rain but it seldom "sets in" for days .
   May-September. The high grass turns to hay and the ground radiates the heat of the day with heady perfumes. Mid-July is usually the hottest period and time by the pool is an essential part of the day epecially after an excursion to the nearby beautiful towns of Nimes, Uzes, Arles or Montpellier. It's also not difficult to relax in the hammock during this time! Rain is rare. The wine tastes good, BBQ a way of life. Lie on the grass and watch the stars and meteors and see clearly the milky way galaxy in a sky free from light pollution.
   September- October. The evenings get progressively cooler and with the changing colours of the vines, the intensity of the summer heat fades. Great time for walking.The nearby Cevennes become a carpet of gold. Late October can be wet...it's the rainy season..usually.
   I hope this helps.

                        Suitability for disabled persons.
    It is impossible to generalise here. Being on one level helps everyone, but especially if you have a mobility problem or even if you have young children where steep stairs can be a problem. In the past we have had wheelchair bound guests. 
     Please contact us to discuss your needs. 

                                          Getting here.
    It's difficult to keep up with all the new routes so this may not be fully up to date. Please check.
   An easy drive from us are the international airports of Nimes, Montpellier,(about 30-40 mins.) and Avignon (an hour). Bezier and Marseilles are about 90 mins
                       Some suggestions.
Fly Ryanair to Nimes from East Midlands, Liverpool and Luton 
                  to Montpellier from Stansted.
                  to Bezier from Stansted and Bristol. 
 Easy Jet    to Montpellier from Gatwick.
 Jet2          to Avignon from Leeds and Edinburgh.
 Flybe         toAvignon from Southampton and Exeter. 
 Airports and train stations generally offer car rental. 
    Avignon is the nearest Motorail. Eurostar direct to Nimes. 
   From Dover by car it's driveable in a day on the motorways all the way to Nimes. Take either the A7/E11 via Clermont-Ferrand (over the Millau Bridge) or the A9 to Nimes. 
   We provide a detailed map of our location upon booking. We are easy to find.
  We offer a "starter pack" of food should you be arriving late plus towel rental and a full cleaning service- more info. under "conditions and tariff". 

                               We include a few comments from guests.
Nick, Jenny,
 Thanks again for a great holiday.  It's been almost impossible to get back into our normal routine, we were so relaxed.
 We all look forward to coming back.
 Simon, Carol, Alex and Bethany.
 

Just wanted to say that we had a lovely holiday staying at your Gite (West Meadow). Having the open access to the meadow was lovely & allowed the girls a great run around space. Your hospitality was also appreciated. 
   A great get away from it all place.
     Jenny and Rick. Bristol.
         (all our gites have open access to the meadows).
 

   "Just a brief note to say how much we all enjoyed a superb holiday at Mas Astruc. You certainly made us feel very welcome.The kids enjoyed the facilities, which are as good as any we have been to in France. Of all the lasting memories that you help us create, the gentle morning strolls down the lane to the village stand out. Can I also add that we learnt so much from yourselves about the local history and customs that brought the whole place alive.
Thanks again for helping to create two weeks in "la Paradise.""
    Frank, Gale and Family. Lancs.

Keen cyclist Alun comments-
We had a good trip home.Thank you for the tip on the best route to the autoroute--fantastic scenery.We had a hugely enjoyable week with you and Pauline has now forgiven me for nearly drowning her in the Ardeche.
I`d have no hesitation in recommending the area as a cycling destination. Due to the variety of terrain it would appeal equally to serious road cyclists wanting to challenge themselves on the plentiful climbs and those preferring a more leisurely pace away from the mountains amidst the vineyards.Whichever you choose the scenery is beautiful,the road surface is generally of a very good quality with little traffic and the weather ideal.
    Hope you`re both well.
          Kind Regards,
                     Alun and Pauline, from Wales.

  Kevin, Amanda and Family from Wiltshire wrote....
   "Many many thanks for a wonderful holiday. This is truly a wonderful and magical place."
 

 " Nothing prepares you better for the richness that this area of the south of France offers, both historically and visually, than the unaffected charm and simplicity of Nick and Jenny's gites in the idyllic setting of grassy secluded meadows with the beautiful hills of the Cevennes, as the breathtaking views form your doorstep. In fact it's a while before you can drag yourself any distance away from it and then only to wonder along the river bank to the ancient village of Sauve only to hurry back with your baguette.
 This area has so much to offer and this is certainly a good place from which begin appreciating it's many charms."
    Ann and Mark. Merseyside.

Hi Jenny and Nick,
We would just like to pass on to you that our family had a wonderful stay at the West Meadow in April this year (2011). The view from the West Meadow Cottage  was outstanding ! And the location was excellent, so close to 2 small towns yet at the same time we felt so isolated and in our own little piece of Paradise. Our kids had a great time playing with the other children that were there in the other cottages so everyone was happy.
If you can remember we came the whole way from Mandurah in West Australia. We can not recommend your place enough, both you and Jenny were very welcoming and down to earth – I really appreciated the beers and Wine that was left for us .
We hopefully will return sometime in the future.

Regards,
Neale & Amanda McKelvey
 

  and Jane and Tim (Bergerie gite) from Australia wrote at length.....
   "Staying with Nick and Jenny far exceeded our expectations.  We have stayed in gites before, always ones where upon arrival we were given the key and that was the sum contact with the owners.  We were therefore expecting the same, even though it was shown on the website that the owners were resident on the property.
  We were delighted by the contact with Nick and Jenny, who quickly ascertained our interests in the area and helped with great local advice – good walking around the village, great local markets, how best to get to the historic sites we sought – yet never impinged on our stay.
  The gite is very well equipped –in Europe a stove and fridge are not necessarily to Australian size and standard, however these are.  As well there are microwave, a coffee percolator and copious pots, pans, china, cutlery, glassware – excellent if you don’t want to wash up after every meal – or between courses!  Tap water is potable – and delicious.
   Comfortable beds and adequate storage also ensured a very easy, simple not grand stay.  Outdoors we had our own private seating area, with full outdoor table and chairs, new barbeque and hammock. 
   The washing machine was available whenever we wished and each apartment has its own hot water system, so always on tap.  The shower was good (again an Australian thing, not usually found in Europe). 
   We chose the gite for its proximity to central Southern France with its Roman and medieval delights – Nimes, Arles, Aix, Avignon, Uzes and the Camargue.  But the little local village Sauve has its own marvellous medieval history.  Sommieres (10 mins drive) is another feast of Roman and medieval history, with a great market on a Saturday. 
   We interspersed our “big day” drives to the larger towns with days in the gite, walking locally or driving just a few miles to the local villages. Sauve is an easy flat walk through market gardens along a very pretty river bank.  In Sauve, there are several good restaurants, cafes, alimentaries, butcher, post office, ATM.  From Sauve there are several good walks up into the hills in national park.  And around the gite there are other easy walks to enjoy interesting scenery and wildlife – we saw a red squirrel for example (the first in twenty years!). 
   So, whilst being very easy to access via the main motorways and airports of the area and having good supermarkets and markets in the towns nearby (St Hippolyte and Quissac), the gite provided a lovely window into rural southern France.  Plus fresh eggs and local wine supplied by our host Nick for a small fee, plus a pool (in season), donkeys and goats."

  More travel information under "Location".