Introduction
This renovated, characterful and ancient three bedroom house is built of river stone over five levels. The village is made up of around 100 properties on a hillside overlooking the river Orb, surrounded by vineyards and beautiful wooded countryside and bordering the foothills of the Cévennes. There is a separate 155 m^2 'garden' next to the river, approx. 150m from the house.
Location
Ceps is about 34km NW of Béziers, the nearest city, and approx. 50km from the Mediterranean sea. The house is in the centre of the village, with its imposing arched bridge over the beautiful River Orb, known for its swimming and canoeing.
The evolution of the stone village has resulted in the house being embedded amidst a tangle of tiny roads and walkways. The result is a secure, romantic, quiet and private house with access to light and extensive views of the village and valley.
The area
Ceps is 5km NW of Roquebrun, where there is a good, small supermarket, bakery, post office, bars, three restaurants plus pizza outlets. Roquebrun is famously beautiful and known as 'Le petit Nice'. It has a large natural beach and Mediterranean garden. In the summer, canoes can be rented for river descents, choose your distance from 5k to 20k, highly recommended.
The Mediterranean garrigue vegetation of evergreen holm oak, chestnut and Mediterranean flowers means the hillsides are always green. Wild boar roam the woodland; polecats, kingfishers, herons and egrets are to be seen by the river, and eagles and vultures soar over the hilltops. Watch them while enjoying a glass of wine from our large south-facing terrace.
You can walk to a 'private' stone river beach from the back of the house in three minutes. Use our five metre Canadian canoe, stored in the cave, to potter around 'our bit' of the river.
You have immediate, direct access to wild countryside and many beautiful, dramatic walks are on your doorstep, for example the high wooded hillsides of Mt. Caroux, dramatic Gorge d'Heric or harder walking of the Gorges de Colombières.
Stunning sandy Mediterranean beaches are less than an hour away. Nearby Béziers is a thriving city with pre-Cathars history, the Unesco locks site on the Canal du Midi and beautiful architecture.
Many local vignerons sell wines directly. Wines from the 20 villages of the St. Chinian appellation, which includes Ceps/Roquebrun, are highly regarded internationally, as are many independently produced wines.
There is 500Mb fibre internet in the house plus good mobile network coverage in the village.
Getting there
- From Bristol Ryanair flies to Béziers from April to October (45 mins drive to Ceps); EasyJet flies to Toulouse all year (two hours 20 mins drive).
- Other airports fly to Carcassonne, Perpignan and Montpellier (each is about 1.5 hours drive to Ceps).
- Travel by train: Béziers station (35km) is on the SNCF rail network.
- Drive: Calais to Ceps is ten hours 30 mins non-stop. Many ferries are available to other ports such as Cherbourg, Dieppe, Dunkirk, for example.
