THE FACTS ABOUT FLOS FELIX

France

This six-bedroom house on the edge of the tiny village of Vallabrix is available to rent for the first time this year. Recently restored, Flos Felix has been well-decorated and furnished with a mix of antiques and more contemporary pieces; and had just started to settle into the newly-landscaped gardens last summer. The new 50-metre swimming pool and sunbathing area are complemented by a pool house with its own kitchenette and bathroom. But the hub of the house is the enormous ground-floor kitchen-diner, walk-through pantry and dining room. The kitchen has clearly been designed for sociable and large-scale cooking with its central island, two dishwashers and a gas and electric double- oven stove. The air-conditioned second floor is tailor-made for children, with a large playroom and two children's bedrooms as well as a more adult-friendly double; the first-floor master bedroom has a huge adjoining dressing room and en-suite bathroom. Vallabrix has no shops, but a bakery van comes past the house every morning with fresh croissants. The closest village for supplies is Saint Quentin La Poterie, 5km away, where there are four bakeries, a couple of butchers, a newsagent and a small supermarket, plus a farmers' market on Fridays. Eight kilometres from Vallabrix is Uzès, one of 500 protected villes d'art in France, and increasingly popular with wealthy Parisians looking for weekend retreats. The old town is impressively stocked with churches, medieval streets and a Renaissance palace, Le Duche; there are also antiques shops and markets, and the Nuits Musicales d'Uzès festival in July attracts musicians from around the world. SLEEPS Seven adults and five children comfortably PRICE £2,800-£3,500 per week, including maid service. A cook can be arranged CONTACT Western & Oriental (020 7313 6600; www.westernoriental.com) FLY Ryanair (0871 246 0000; www.ryanair.com) to Nîmes (40km away)