Information & Activities

The hamlet

Our house in Les Monedes is situated in one of the small hamlets which skirt the village of St. Paul le Jeune & overlooks the village with the forest as a backdrop. The village provides everything you would need including; bakers, butchers, outdoor market, restaurant, pizzeria, bank and chemist. St. Paul le Jeune is situated between the two market towns of St. Ambroix and Les Vans. There you will discover many colourful stalls selling locally grown fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, olives, spices, sausages and cheeses.

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Places to visit nearby

The historical towns of Nimes, Arles and Avignon are within easy reach. Nimes and Arles famous for their magnificent amphitheatres and alleyways crowded with boutiques and cafes, Avignon for its Palais des Papes and famous 'Pont'. Close by is the Pont du Gard, the impressive aqueduct, built to supply the Romans in Nimes with water.

The Mediterranean sea , with its numerous beach resorts, fishing villages such as Sete, and the Carmargue with its flamingoes and horses, is just two hours drive away.

Nearby towns hold weekly markets selling locally produced fruit & vegetables displayed alongside stalls with baskets of olives, nuts & spices. The bars provide a welcome break from shopping with a cool beer or a coffee & croissant and a chance to relax and watch market life.

The historic town of Barjac holds a bi-annual antique market & is just 20 minutes drive away. Slightly further afield is the town of Uzes, with it's charming Saturday market.

To the south is Montpellier, a lively student city with a spectacular mixture of old & new architecture.The enormous Place de La Comedie has the opera house dominating one end & beautiful gardens with fountains situated at the other. All along the Place de La Comedie there are cafés & restaurants & street entertainment to give a wonderful ambiance.

The mediterranean coast offers the modern sea-side resort of La Grande Motte with its strange triangular shaped hotels & apartment buildings in contrast to the 12th century town of Aigues Mortes, a walled city dating back to the Crusades.

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Walking, cycling and swimming

The forest leading directly from the garden provides peaceful walks. In Spring-time there is an abundance of butterflies, flowers and birds. Close by a track leads to an old gold mine and a disused viaduct, all but lost and reclaimed by nature. In another direction there is an area called Paiolive with its amazing limestone outcrops, like Henry Moore sculptures, a favourite spot for testing climbing skills or to find a flat rock to lie down on and watch the occasional cloud form and change shape.

Walkers & Ramblers: St Paul le Jeune is situated on a geological fault which shows significantly in the vegetation. One side of the valley is calcium where the Dolmens are sited & the vegetation is typically stunted oak trees, juniper and box bushes and there are cultivated olive trees. On the other side of the valley where the village has developed, it is sandstone & until 50 years ago the hillside was dominated by chestnut trees. These were cultivated for the sweet chestnuts but after they became diseased & there was a decline in the working population the land gradually became dominated by pines. The chestnut trees still exist but are no longer cultivated commercially. The pines are kept at bay by routine deforestation but grow quickly enough to provide a home for wild animals, boar, small deer, squirrels and ramblers! The village of Banne has the ruins of a chateau, the top part of which was destroyed by fire the year after the French Revolution. At this site there is an orientation table
There are at least 6 walks leading directly from the house varying in length from 1 to 4 hrs. You do not have to drive anywhere. There are many routes to follow of varying degrees of difficulty. Two walks through the village and into the forest are historic in that they show the lavoirs (communal laundry basins) and sources of water which were used until the early 20th century, at which time the houses were supplied with water. Another route takes you further back in history to see the Dolmens which date to 4000 or 5000 years. In the printed guide it says the dolmens were built at the time of the pyramids but are,'more modest'. This route traverses the limestone on the opposite side of the valley & there are several burial sites, plus a shepherds shelter. The limestone can also reveal fossils. Another walk leading directly from the house climbs to a small chapel, St Sebastien which was built by the commune of Courry as a thanksgiving for having escaped the plague in the 14th century.

Cycling groups and clubs - Cycle the circuits of local races such as the Etoile de Bessèges, La route des Helviens, Barjac and the Boucles Sud-Ardèche - see our self catering & half board offers here.

The famous Ardèche Gorge with its spectacular Pont d'Arc is 20 minutes drive away. This gorge is also the site of the recently discovered Chauvet Caves dating back 35 000 years. Other local rivers include the Cèze, Chassezac & Gagnieres.

Within the lime-stone of the Ardèche there are natural pot-holes and cave systems with spectacular show caves at Aven d'Orgnac and La Cocaliere close by.

Tennis courts are available to hire in the village or try your hand at boules. In a neighbouring village there is also horse-riding.

Local architecture and history

Most local buildings are made of large random stone (gris), a type of sandstone ranging in colour through beige, grey to pink which compliment the pantile roofs. Viewed from above these roofs form exquisite patterns. Skilled masons have often achieved tall, complex structures melting into the hillside. These skills were passed down over hundreds of years. Vaulted cellars were used for the storage of wines as the base of the house would quite often have a one metre thick wall which kept these cellars constantly cool.

The small hamlets of a village have an organic nature, old roof lines can often be seen in the walls. During the prosperous period when silk farming was in vogue the houses were extended to accommodate the industry. The buildings are always full of character with unusual angles inconceivable on the drawing boards of modern architects. Arches are in abundance, often supporting terraces. Wooden shutters at every window are closed tight against the midday sun. Meals are eaten outside on these terraces or in cool enclosed courtyards under clear blue skies.

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Rural life and weather

The terraced land is jigsawed by generations of divisions and little gardens appear deep in the forest wherever there is an easy source of water. In the fields the orderly vines look like dark contorted figures during winter, exploding into green at spring-time and turning red and gold by autumn. After offering up their rich fruit in September they are pruned ready for the whole process to begin again. In the surrounding forests the pines remain green throughout winter, but in contrast the sweet chestnut trees create brown and purple patches in the landscape. In February the first signs of Spring appear with the yellow blossoming mimosa followed closely by the almond and the snow-like showers of the cherry. May and June are lush with new vegetation after the spring rains but warm with the promise of summer. In June/July the fields of sunflowers smile out closely followed by the purple haze of lavender. Come July and August work is restricted to mornings and evenings. The middle of the day is reserved for eating and a siesta.Time to search out a place in the shade.

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Art courses

For those interested in sketching or painting there are an abundance of sites within walking distance of the house to inspire you. Colin is a practising artist and you would be welcome to look around his studio and view his work. We organise Residential Art Courses for individuals or groups which include board & lodging. For further details go to Art Courses.

Our premises can also be hired for groups, business conventions, company courses & private clubs who require board, lodging & a peaceful environment. We have a studio/lecture room situated beside the pool which provides a space for groups to paint or write, to hold lectures & presentations or to study & discuss. We offer half or full board & lodging to groups The price would include pick-up & return to the airports (Nimes or Montpellier) or rail stations (Nimes or Avignon) and a mid-week trip to a site of interest. Outside the peak summer season we are willing to offer a mid-week start and finish date. Please contact us to discuss further.

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For further information, to check availability and to book this property contact Jill & Colin Baxter.