Tresbos Farmhouse

Set in glorious Gascony countryside, this hippy-deluxe farmhouse offers a pool and bucolic gardens for 4-6 adults plus children

This is the French dream in a nutshell: a glorious 19th-century manor house with a pool worthy of St Tropez, a garden filled with lavender that would put Provence to shame, and a hippy-deluxe house with dashes of Parisian style. Drowsy bees weave in and out of apricot, white and dusky pink roses in the 15-acre garden, hedgehogs snuffle under bushes at night, and you can feel your stress evaporate as you relax on loungers by the pool, which is big enough for lap swimming if you get the urge.

Tresbos has 4 double bedrooms and is an ideal house rental for a large family or group of friends, ideally with children, for celebrations, holidays and everything inbetween. In a lesser-visited part of France, an hour and a half from Toulouse, it’s imbued with a gentle pace and the finer things in life: sunshine, wine and delicious French cheeses.

Inside, coloured chandeliers hang over bright patterned tile floors, armoires, Chinese cabinets and vases filled with roses. Fairy lights decorate the semi-open barn, ideal for alfresco dining, and sleek storm lanterns stand in corridors. There’s a wall of antique gilt framed mirrors on the bathroom wall and bookshelves filled with holiday reading, DVDs and children’s books. It's so lovely you won't want to leave.

Highs

• Set in one of France's most unspoilt regions, within reach of the Pyrenees and some pretty towns, and fantastic for countryside fans
• Exceptionally family-friendly, with cots, highchairs, a sun tent, steriliser, baby monitor, pushchair, ride-on toys and a toddler-proof pool
• Prices are extremely reasonable
• Well equipped for self catering, or you can hire a chef to whip up a feast
• Selection of books, DVDs, games, a PlayStation and table tennis, just in case the weather fails you
• An easy drive from the airports: 60 minutes from Pau, 90 from Toulouse, 40 minutes from Lourdes, 2 hours from Biarritz

Lows

• There are no shops, bars or restaurants within walking distance; the nearest auberge is a couple of kilometres away
• It's not as dependably sunny as, say, Provence or Languedoc, but was fantastic when we visited in May
• The downstairs lounge with TV only seats 4, so it's difficult to watch a DVD as a big group in here
• There's a slight old house smell in some rooms
• The area experiences frequent power cuts, so you have to be familiar with where the trip switch is