French homes, Property France, Properties, Midi Pyrenees, Tarn Garonne, Aveyron

Situated in the Northern half of the Tarn département, Cordes is perhaps the best known of the bastides (fortified medieval towns), built dramatically on a hill in the Cérou valley. It is fascinating to wander round; in fact it is one of the region’s prime tourist attractions, and is well served with shops, facilities and cultural activities. It is near here that our Tarn office is located.

The Gaillacois, the wine-producing area around the town of Gaillac, consists of rolling countryside largely given over to vineyards, pretty villages, and fine rural properties built of limestone. With its proximity to Toulouse, and its popularity with the wealthier classes, this is premium price territory, especially the so-called ‘golden triangle’ between Cordes, Gaillac and Albi.

Albi is the main town of the Tarn where the prefecture is located. It is also a pleasant town to visit, with its famous cathedral built entirely of local bricks, and the surrounding old town being well supplied with shops, boutiques, and restaurants.

To the south west of Albi, is an area of rolling agricultural land with the Black Mountains as a southern backdrop. Lautrec is probably this area’s Cordes, a medieval town in a scenic setting. To the east of here is higher ground with wooded hills and steep valleys, known as the Sidobre. It is probably the wildest part of the Tarn, an area of lakes and woods popular with walkers and canoers.

East of Cordes in the area around St Antonin-Noble-Val (Tarn et Garonne) the scenery becomes more dramatic with the Gorges of the Aveyron, and the thickly wooded hills bordering the Aveyron valley. Again this is prized territory with some finely restored properties. The scenery between here and Najac (Aveyron) is more open and wild with fine views. Here you will find villages like Verfeil and Parisot.

Where the Aveyron and Viaur rivers meet is the village of Laguépie, a local communications centre with a weekly market, a good range of shops and a train station.

To the north and east of Cordes you come into an area known as the Ségala, with rolling farmland, mainly used as pasture for cattle. This area covers the northern reaches of the Tarn and into the Aveyron, and is known for its veal and for its chestnuts. It is criss-crossed by steep wooded valleys, notably the Viaur valley, where time almost seems to have stopped. Here you will find ruined castles clinging to the valley sides. It’s a more rustic area where your money will go further, but you are still not far from the urban attractions of Albi.

Apart from its magnificent scenery, the highlights of our part of the Aveyron département are Najac, a fine medieval village and castle set on a saddle of land, Sauveterre-de-Rouergue with its magnificent colonnaded market square, and Villefranche-de-Rouergue, known for its excellent weekly market, which fills its streets every Thursday.

It’s hard not to get distracted by the scenery, in a region where the next bend might reveal a fortified chateau topped with turrets looking like witches’ hats, or perhaps a flock of Lacaune sheep – source of the world-famous Roquefort cheese. But Aveyron is no longer quite as isolated as it once was with direct flights from London Stansted to Rodez, Aveyron’s chief town with Ryanair. What better way of arriving in la France profonde?

My normal route into Aveyron takes me across the River Viaur, a steeply wooded valley that feels almost untouched by the passage of time. This was once the front line in the religious war between the true Catholics in Rouergue (the old name for this part of Aveyron) and the heretic Cathar Albigeois. Romantic ruined castles, like that of Roumégous, stand silent witness to seven centuries of rivalry, fortunately now limited to grievances about the Albigeois invading on sunny autumn Sundays to pick mushrooms and forest fruits. The Viaur valley has few roads either along or across it, so preserving its ‘out of the way’ feel. You can walk the randonnées, or canoe down the river, appreciating its beauty in peace.

Najac, an exquisite village dominating the Aveyron valley, has had its share of strife in times gone by. It’s no accident that the castle dominates the village, for it was built in medieval times by the nascent French crown to intimidate and subjugate the wild people of Rouergue. Now it looks out over a tranquil valley well appreciated by French and foreigners alike. It’s a place on the summer tourist trail, with excellent restaurants, and a large open-air swimming pool – making it a perfect staging post for walkers following the grande randonnée running north from Cordes, or for travellers aboard the picturesque rail line that runs between Toulouse and Brive.

Following the railway and the Aveyron valley north, you come to Villefranche-de-Rouergue, an ancient fortified town with narrow cobbled streets and a wonderful arcaded square, all of which become crowded every Thursday morning by one of the largest street markets in France. There are treats on the stalls to whet your appetite, or maybe even to turn your stomach – depending on your tastes!

The land to the east of Villefranche is known as the Ségala, an area that transcends departmental boundaries extending from North Tarn to Southern Lot. It is named after seigle (rye), the only crop – apart from chestnuts – that would grow in its acid soil before the use of lime. Nowadays it’s an area famed for its beef and veal, with pastureland crossed by steep wooded valleys, and wide open vistas that, on exceptionally clear days, stretch from the volcanoes of the Cantal to the Pyrenees – a distance of 250 miles. The English have been here before – the last time burning churches in the 13th century, but all that seems to have been forgiven.

North of Rodez you come to the Marcillac valley, a climatically favoured place where vineyards cling to the steep slopes above bustling villages with sandstone houses matching the colour of the soil. Where there’s wine, there’s wealth, and fine manor houses and chateaux show that this was once an economically favoured part of an otherwise poor département. Again this area provides good walking and sightseeing. Its sights include the abbey town of Conques, one of the architectural treasures of France, which lies on a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.

Property values remain reasonable compared to other better-known areas of France, but you may have to be prepared to do some work on the cheaper properties, as their condition is often quite rustic.

With its new transport links, its natural beauty and its traditions, Aveyron is a département with immense appeal – particularly for British Francophiles in search of their share of rural peace. For practical information on the département, including areas not covered in this article, why not take a look at www.aveyron.com?

We also get properties in the southern part of the Lot département around the Lot valley and the charming little town of Figeac on the river Célé. Away from the river valleys, this is primarily limestone causse country with oakwoods – great for wildflowers in springtime – and good for typical limestone Lotois houses with pigeonniers.

A final word of advice: it's impossible to convey the diversity of this rich part of France. It's a good idea to visit and get an idea for yourself of what it's like, and where you might wish to be before visiting properties. It's perhaps the most enjoyable part of your research!

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