La Maison de Blauzac

A gorgeous 18th-century village house with staggering views, pretty garden and a pool close to medieval Uzes

Welcome to Blauzac, sleepy, tiny, undiscovered, utterly lovely. Stone houses climb the hill, the odd dog snoozes in the shade. Pass the church and the chateau, both dating to the 12th century, and you find La Maison tucked away behind a modest door. Into the courtyard and you leave the modest world behind. This impeccable 18th-century house has mellow stone walls that curve round to the front door. Not that you’ll enter; veer away instinctively, pass under the big cypress tree , saunter across the lawn for the finest of views. The village drops away to lush pastures below, to St Maximin 7 km away, to Mont Ventoux in the far distance. It’s hummingly beautiful, a moment of elation.

The rest of the house is equally gorgeous: a walled pool with laurel, olive and jasmine for company; exposed stone walls and a piano in the salon; an ancient stone staircase that spirals up to a library where you find sofas from Java, tapestries from Burma, rugs from Turkey and Iran. The rooms are not only wonderful, they are a steal. Christian and Pierre couldn’t be nicer. A perfect ten for those in search of country style and silence.

Highs

• The staggering view, the sense of peace in an unspoilt corner of Provence
• The walled pool, the lovely garden
• The stylish rooms, the airy interiors
• The larger rooms offer great value for money
• The personal touches
• A short drive away to the fabulous old town of Uzes

Lows

• No restaurant - you’ll have to drive out to eat - Uzes is 10 minutes by car
• Few mod cons in the bedrooms (you get satellite TV, but no minibars, phone or internet connection, though you can use their Apple Mac in the salon)