Profile information
Host rating
100 %
Last replied
1 Aug 2024
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 1 day
Feedback
21
Email verified
Badges (3)
Details
Description
We're Anne and Crosbie, ex-UK based rat racers, now happily living the rural life in beautiful South West France with our horses, dogs and bees! We always welcome help with gardening and land tasks, light painting around the property and horses to look after. We offer self-catering accommodation in a simple self-contained gite. We have found that our work and accommodation suits couples or friends who are workawaying together very well. We're looking for some help in January/February 2026 .
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
Animal Care
General Maintenance
Interests
Pets
Vegetarian or vegan
Technology
Writing
Carpentry
Drawing & painting
Performing arts
Art & design
Animals
Nature
Mountain
Hiking
Cycling
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
Anne is an ex Human Resources and Marketing professional and is happy to offer advice on job hunting and interviews in English. She taught English as a second language for five years. She will also happily share her knowledge about horses, bees and wildlife and looks forward, at the same time, to learning about these subjects from like minded people. Crosbie is an IT professional specialising in software development and trouble-shooting for PCs. We are both politically and culturally aware people who enjoy and good discussion putting the world to rights!
Help
We would welcome help with tasks inside and out, depending on the weather. Outside you can help us with light gardening, land tasks (fencing, bramble bashing, cutting back branches, hedging etc.), wood gathering, chopping and stacking and some outdoor painting. In June\July we always need help with hay making (hauling, stacking etc.). Inside, some painting and decorating if the weather is poor. I love my horses, but am also happy to take a break from their daily routine if you'd like to take this on - two cheeky ponies, and a magnificent spotted draft horse. I like to take them for a drive if the weather permits and with help, this is more fun :-)
Languages
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
French: IntermediateThis host offers a language exchange
We are both keen to improve our French at every opportunity.
Accommodation
We offer a self-catered experience in our independent two bedroomed gite, with some shared meals! We stock the gite with food and drink, which you can supplement of course, and we offer shared meals as and when depending on what suits you and us. (Anne is a vegetarian, so if you enjoy cooking veggie meals, she's happy to turn the kitchen over to you from time to time too!)
We ask you to treat the gite well when you're in it and leave it clean and tidy.
What else ...
We're nestled in a secluded valley in this beautiful and unspoilt part of the French Pyrenees. It is just the spot if you're looking for somewhere peaceful to live life a bit differently for a while. We're located between the bustling market town of Boulogne-sur-Gesse and its pretty neighbour, Castelnau-Magnoac, renowned for its history as the founding base for the French resistance in the second world war and as the home town of renowned French national rugby player Antoine Dupont.
A great place to read or paint and an ideal base for more active pastimes. There are endless lanes and tracks to walk, run or cycle and, for the very adventurous, a local airfield with flying lessons and parachute jumps! The mountains provide scope for more serious sport including hillwalking, trekking, white water rafting and, in the winter, dog-sledding, skiing and snowboarding. We have pushbikes you can borrow.
For bird watchers the Ornithological Reserve at Puydarrieux is just 15 minutes drive away and has 200 recorded species for your spotter book! Here in the garden we regularly see Hoopoes, Black Redstarts and have Red and Black Kites circling above.
We carriage drive with our draft horse occasionally do land work and logging with him, something we enjoy doing and which you can help with if you like!
Crosbie is a software engineer and enjoys the odd computer game if you want a break from the outdoors!
Finally, we have three well maintained working pinball machines on site - tournaments a must!
There is little public transport to speak of, so you need to want to be tucked away. The nearest shop and bar are 4kms and the nearest towns - with more shops and bars and restaurants - 7kms. We can lend you a cycle!
Nearest airports are Tarbes (Lourdes) and Toulouse.There is a good and very cheap coach service from Toulouse to a nearby town Boulgne-sur-Gesse. There is also a train service to Lannemezan. We're happy to pick you up from Tarbes, Lannemezan or Boulogne.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
Can host digital nomads
The independent bungalow has WIFI via fibre
Space for parking camper vans
You're welcome to bring your camper - we have plenty of space.
Can possibly accept pets
We have two dogs. We are happy to talk to you about whether your dog would be happy here.
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Polo (5 years)
Welsh A x Appaloosa - fluffy little snowball (only has one functioning eye, but manages very well)
Parker (6 years)
Britsh SPotted pony - sweet and cheeky
Mo
Freki (7 years)
Female Dalmatian - obedient
Scooter (2 years)
Male Dalmatian - rescue dog, cuddly and kind
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (10)
The time was a great educational and inspiring exerience for me, mostly thanks to the hosts, who were willing to share their culture, skills and knowledge with us.
They offered us a self-contained gite with all… read more
Photos
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback
These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.
Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
The time was a great educational and inspiring exerience for me, mostly thanks to the hosts, who were willing to share their culture, skills and knowledge with us.
They offered us a self-contained gite with all… read more
We stayed with Anne and Crosbie 3yrs years ago for a month and enjoyed it so much that we've just stayed with them again for 2 months. They're two of the nicest people you're likely to meet and will do everything possible to make sure the stay is an awesome experience. They involved us fully in their social life, meeting… read more
