Lose yourself in a little French oasis

Castelnau d'Auzan, Occitania, France

About this campspace #s007821

Your host

Alasdair & Fiona

2000m²
24 pitches

Come and experience some Le Poteau magic. Our little campsite and gites provide a warm welcome, great facilities, and a few touches that we hope make us just a bit special. We aim to ensure a relaxing, chilled holiday with just enough on offer to ensure you won’t be bored. Many long-term friendships are forged at Le Poteau. To enhance your experience, we have established relationships with lots of local businesses – some for you to visit, others who come to us.

Delicious meals in the orchard using mainly local produce
Great local wines
Daily bread and pastries delivered
Our small but charming swimming pool
A weekly bio veg stall on-site (grown 50m away)
Appointments on-site with a lovely local masseuse
Lots of suggestions on where to go and what to do in this beautiful, undiscovered part of France

Perfect for...

Those seeking a corner of France where the magic remains. For people who love tradition, great hospitality, vibrant markets, amazing local produce & beautiful countryside and villages.

Ways to spend the night

Tent
Caravan
Van
Motorhome
Lodge
Equipped tent (Tipi, safaritent, bell tent)

Stay warm & dry 🍂🔥

Fire basket
Available for all guests
Hot shower
Available for all guests
Rain shelter
Available for all guests

At this campspace

Animals

Chickens
Our free-range chickens are old ladies which we rescue from battery farms and which would have been put down otherwise. We just love them (so please keep dogs on a lead when in the campsite)

Landscape characteristics

Orchard
Our orchard is used to serve our evening meals and as a chill-out area for guests
Vineyard
Our swimming pool is located beside the vines and there is a nice, short walk around the vineyard

This campspace offers

Shared amenities

Food and drink

Drinking water
Drinking water is available on-site and at the dish-wash areas
BBQ
A BBQ is available for guests in our orchard, or one can be hired for use on your pitch
Hot water
Piping hot water is available in all of our facilities
Refrigerator
We have a free fridge available for guests, or one can be hired for use on your pitch
Dishwashing sink
With loads of hot water
Dining table
We have both a table undercover and out in our orchard available for our guests to use

Comfort & Fun

Fire basket
Available for hire, although we also use fire pits in the orchard some nights - usually accompanied by singing and guitars
Decorative lights
We have sloar lights throughout the site, but try too keep it low so that you can enjoy the wonderful night sky we get here
Swimming pool
We have a 7m above-ground swimming pool located between the vineyard and our wooded area
Hammock
We love hammocks and have them dotted around the site for guests
WiFi
We have a good, free wifi available throughout the site

Sanitation

Toilet
Since we arrived, we have upgraded our toilets and we're very proud of them!
Hot shower
Spacious, spotlessly clean, warm and welcoming
Cold shower
If you really want one!

Electricity

Electricity
10A outlets at each pitch
Phone charging station
Just plug your phone in and charge it for free

For RVs

RV Dump station
Available 1KM away

Pet-friendly

Pets allowed
We have a large, fenced dog walking field. We ask that pets are kept on a lead in all other areas as we have free-range chickens wandering round the site

In case of rain

Rain shelter
We have 2 covered areas with tables for visitors to use if it does rain

Family-friendly

Animals on site
Over the years we have rescued a nuber of animals which otherwise wouldn't be enjoying their retirement! We have free-range chickens, donkeys and cats who have decided that they live here now

Parking

Parking on site
Close to the pitches

Views

Sunrise view
The sun rises over our village's church spire
Sunset view
Sunset is over the vines which surround Le Poteau
Forest view
Not a forest, but like all of the Gers, there's trees, tress, trees everywhere
Field view
We are surrounded by vineyards

Seating area

Picnic table
Located in our orchard - feel free to help yourself to our apples, plums, pears, figs, grapes etc
Outdoor seating area
Located in our orchard - feel free to help yourself to our apples, plums, pears, figs, grapes etc

Not included

Food and drink

Wood-fired oven
Kitchen
Gas stove
Cooking basics
Dishes and cutlery
Electric kettle
Coffee maker
Coffee and tea

Comfort & Fun

Hot tub
Sauna
Fireplace
Fire bowl
Firewood available
Swimming pond or river
Trampoline
Sports and games gear
Towels
Bed linen, pillow and duvet

Electricity

EV car charging

For RVs

RV electricity hookup

Heating

Electrical heating
Wood burner

In case of rain

Covered kitchen

Family-friendly

Playground for children

Views

Lake view
River view
Sea view
Hill view
Mountain view

Seating area

Indoor seating area

Ways to spend the day

Alasdair & Fiona's tips

We're convinced that the world's best-value restaurant is in our village.
Visit the circular medieval bastide town of Fourcès, Its circular plan makes it unique in the Gers

In the area

Hiking
Fabulous choice of beautiful walks through ever-changing landscapes either directly from Le Poteau or within a short drive
Cycling
Quiet roads, beautiful scenery and towns with great restaurants. Either bring your own bikes or we can arrange bike-hire direct from the campsite
Wine or beer tasting
Wine, Armagnac and Floc - directly from the small artisan producers who love to welcome visitors
Horseback riding
There are a number of stables in our immediate vicinity
Swimming
Either in our own pool or there is a wonderful, outdoor, heated pool at the village
Sightseeing
There is hidden beauty around every corner. Explore this hidden gem.
Visiting nearby towns
Lots of 'Plus Beau Villages' and market towns surround Le Poteau.
Wildlife watching
Deer, red squirrels, wild boar, bee catchers, coypu, owls, woodpeckers, hoopoe - and that's just on the campsite!
Fishing
A very good (and cheap) fishing lake within a 5-minute walk of the campsite

On the campspace

Wellness and sauna
We have a wonderful local masseuse who will visit you on-site
Sports like pingpong or volleyball
The elite athlete can enjoy a game of boules and darts
Board games and puzzles
A selection is available for all guests
Outdoor cooking
BBQ in the orchard

What you can find in the area

Landscape characteristics

Lake
Our lovely little village has a large fishing lake with a lovely path all the way round (with a bar/cafe for a drink at the end)
Mountains
The beautiful Pyrenees are only a 90 minute drive away
Urban area
1 hour drive to the nearest 'big' town. 2 hours drive to Bordeaux & Toulouse
Forest
The Gers is famous for its forested areas
Vegetable garden
We have a fabulous organic vegetable garden just 50m away. Once a week, they provide an organic vegetable stall in the campite
Vineyard
We're surrounded by vineyards which provide great wines, Armagnac and Floc

Animals

Birds
The range of wild birds in the area is fabulous. Bring your binoculars

Surface

Nature Pitches

Grass

Etoile - 2 bedroom gite

Grass

Hirondelle - 1 bedroom gite

Grass

Spacious Equipped Tent

Grass

Sustainability practices

Waste separation
Self-grown food
Food products from locals in the region
Solar panels
Green power
Organic cleaning products
Water-saving measures

The flowers, plants and grass on our site are only watered using recycled water and non-drinking water.

Your host, Alasdair & Fiona

We are a Scottish couple who took over Le Poteau in January 2017, after falling in love with it one early Autumn afternoon in 2015.
Alasdair has had two careers before arriving at Le Poteau. Pursuing his love of food, he started off as a chef and then moved into hotel management. His second career saw him become a director of a number of education companies, mainly looking to help learners to develop and access worthwhile careers.

Fiona started her career in software marketing. She learned a lot – including the fact that she didn’t want a career in software marketing. While making up her mind about her future career, she made a sudden and fairly random decision to find a job in France. She spent a challenging (having to learn French from scratch) but amazing year working for a lovely family near to Lyon and formed lifelong friendships. This instilled in her a love of France, it’s wonderful culture and kind, welcoming people. On returning to the UK she trained as a teacher. For the past nine years she has been Head Teacher of a Primary School near Newcastle; a great job, working with incredible children.

Rules

We try to keep rules to a minimum, please keep your dog on a lead, respect the site and relax and enjoy yourself.

Cancellation Policy

Guests who cancel at least 14 days before check-in will receive a refund of the amount paid by them (excluding Campspace fees). If they cancel between 7 and 14 days before check-in, they will receive a 50% refund. Otherwise they will not be refunded.