Where the French give us a welcome

By Mary Gold
Posted: 2010/08/20

THE English may sometimes earn a bad reputation abroad but in one corner of France they are more than welcome.

THE English may sometimes earn a bad reputation abroad but in one corner of France they are more than welcome.

The Tarn, east of Toulouse, is in the MidiPyrenees, one of the most traditional regions. Less well-known than celebritydotted Provence and Languedoc, its rolling landscape is sparsely populated and appeals to buyers looking for rural tranquillity and stunning 13th-century bastide towns such as Cordes-sur-Ciel.

But were it not for the English, this heritage landscape would be falling into ruin.

Paul Salvador, mayor of Castelnau de Montmiral, said: "This was a beautiful country of castles and grand houses, all of which owed their wealth to the vineyards. But then the wine market collapsed because of wines from the New World.

"I watched as the place started falling apart but it is beautiful again now because of the English coming. Without them, whole villages would be lost."

Mr Salvador added: "The English buy the best houses in the Tarn and renovate them with style and good taste. Unusually for the French property market, the local people are not jealous, just grateful."

One British developer to earn Mr Salvador's respect is Hugh De Meyer, who bought the rather run-down belle epoque Chateau de la Durantie and 32 acres near Castelnau de Montmiral to build a small holiday village, converting the chateau and outbuildings into 13 apartments and adding 54 homes in a meadow.

Mr De Meyer, who has been selling chateaux for decades, said: "Many buyers like the history that goes with these old estates but they are put off by the cost of renovation and maintenance. This way they can spend time here without the hassle."

The estate will be managed by 360 Hotels and Resorts, the co-investor, and to keep standards stylish and high, buyers will need to buy the Durantie
furniture package from OKA, which costs around £12,500.

Prices at Durantié range from £191,375 to around £300,000 for an apartment in the chateau, which are all more than 1,100 sq ft. The three-bedroom meadow houses, due for completion in 2012, will cost £292,500 for 1,200 sq ft.

INFORMATION:
0800 311 2193/www.chateaudeladurantie.com www.tourisme-tarn.com