One of a kind riverside house in Ribaute, between Fabrezan and Lagrasse. Two old villages house merged into one and renovated to a high quality. As the house is built into the old Chateau walls some parts date back to the 11th century. The walls vary from 30 centimetres to 120 centimetres in thickness.

Starting on the "river" house side. The entrance from the passage leads into a living room/study with a wood-burning Godin stove and a small terrace over looking the river, a stair way on the right leads down to a kitchen and a large terrace over looking the river, from the terrace a spiral staircase leads down to the river bank.

On the right in the living room a stone curved staircase leads up to the landing with a toilet and a large bedroom over looking the river, a short corridor leads to a shower room with a mezzanine double bed and clothes storage. Two veluxes ensure that this room is well lit from above. A shuttered window overlooks the passage way that this room bridges onto a 16 century arch.

The kitchen is equiped with a haologen four hobbed cooker, and is plumbed in for a washing machine.

Beneath the "village" house is a huge cellar, cave, with three rooms, one an old piggery complete with trough, a large storage room and an abandoned wine vat now used as a wine cellar.

The total living space, excluding the cellar as there is no living space there unless you are a pig, is 200 square metres, approx 2,000 square feet.

Separate from the property at the edge of the village is a large garage on a small piece of land, this can be included in the deal or sold as a lot. Very useful for storing wood and getting the car off the street.

Ribaute is a quiet village, 4 kilometres down river from Lagrasse, apart from a post office and a primary school the village has very little in the way of facilities. The main shopping centres are Lezignan (15 minutes), Narbonne(30 minutes) and Carcassonne(30 minutes). The village is dominated by wine with a number of independent chateaus, most notably Pech Latt. We also have two bee keepers, an organic vegetable grower- can be found in Lezignan market every Wednesday, and an enterprising villager who keeps us all supplied with fresh home raised eggs and seasonal fruit and vegatables from local producers, as well as organically raised chickens, pork and beef. Two bread vans pass daily 7 days a week. The village has three festivals a year, one for midsummer night and two for the tourists in July and August. ADSL is available in the village from all the main suppliers.

We have lived here now for eight years and it is with great relunctance that we are now looking to leave. The reason is that we have bought a tumbled down domiane in the high Corbieres and we need to re-fit out the buildings with solar power, water filters, and if Caroline has her way a natural pool. None of these come cheap.

In agents it is being advertised at between 267,000 and 275,000 euro without the garage, buying direct from the us allows us to come down a little from there.

Access
By Air
Ryanair to Carcassonne-40 minutes drive.
Ryanair to Perpignan- 60 minutes drive
Ryanair to Montpellier 70 minutes drive
Air France, BMI, Flybe and British Airways to Toulouse 90 minutes drive
By Train to Narbonne, Lezignan or Carcassonne-car hire necessary SNCF
By Car exit Lezignan Corbieres A61 10 minutes.

Nearest large Town Lezignan 15 minutes, Narbonne 30minutes, Carcassonne 30 minutes

Beach nearest Gruissan 30 minutes

Ski Resorts 90 minutes Les Angles and Ax-les-Thermes

Barcelona is two and a half hours drive
Gerona is two hours

Contact the owners direct
Peter Shield or Caroline Coles
Tel