Department: Gers
Commune: Castelnau D’Auzan/Labarerre
Area: 2.4 hectares (Campsite, chalet, outhouses, workshops plus fields)
Classification : Agricultural/Tourism
Owners House: 3 beds/ 1 bath/ open plan living area with wood burner
Introduction:
Domaine Le Poteau, winner of 2020/21 French Campsite of the Year, is a beautiful little campsite in the wonderful Gers department in Southwest France, halfway between Bordeaux and Toulouse. It sits on a hillside, overlooking vines, ancient woodland and the local village with its ancient church spire. The Gers is pretty special, famous for its gentle rolling landscape, ancient woodland, winding lanes and beautiful bastide villages. It is, of course, also the region of Armagnac and is very highly regarded for its gastronomy.
We stumbled on this area quite by chance and instantly fell in love with it. It offers so much to both residents and tourists. Over our 7 years here, we have built up a very faithful and regular client base who describe their regular returns as ‘feeling like they’ve come home’. Whoever purchases the site will benefit from this loyalty; a significant amount or repeat business, a healthy order book and a great reputation with stellar online reviews.
It has been a joy to run. We have enjoyed so many wonderful moments. It is an extremely flexible business and can easily be managed by a couple, or expanded through income growth and new products.
The campsite and chalet:
The campsite is licenced for 15 pitches, but we have several additional to allow for pitches to rest after long stays. The new owners could seek to increase the licence by an additional 10 pitches, without the need for any further development. There is a main upper site with 12 large, level pitches and a new, 2-bedroom chalet. The facilities have been upgraded to a very high standard with 3 showers, a washroom and 4 toilets in separate units. We also have a lower site which we market as “Slightly Wilder Camping” which has own toilet block. There is a natural spring on the land which is we use for all watering of plants.
Le Poteau attracts people who love the relaxed, welcoming feel of the site and the quirkiness and authenticity of The Gers. In summer, we offer very popular evening meals which we usually serve in a covered area in the orchard. These ensure that our guests get to meet, chat and share stories. Lifelong friendships are formed, and we now have an established group of loyal clients/now friends of ours who meet up here annually.
Domaine Le Poteau was originally a small farm with livestock and a vineyard. There is a house with several outbuildings. The 3-bedroom house has been significantly refurbished. New electrics and plumbing throughout in 2018. Wall and roof insulation. New kitchen, bathroom, flooring (mainly oak and travertine) and hand-crafted replacement double glazed French doors. It is a very economical house to run. In winter the house is cosy as the log burner is extremely efficient. In summer, thanks to the insolation and a large, covered terrace, the house remains cool. The quarry tiled terrace, overlooking a vineyard, is a wonderful asset, away from the campsite, it is a great place to eat and meet with friends. While the house is close to the campsite, our garden is private, and you are not disturbed.
The outbuildings have been repurposed in a number of ways. Most have been re-roofed Several house the toilets and showers. In another, we have a professional kitchen – completely refurbished in stainless steel in 2021, a washing shed, storage shed, tractor shed and workshop plus various other outbuildings with potential and all in good condition. We are currently completing an area for indoor eating and events. The site has a very good website and online booking system.
Income streams:
• Camping pitches
• Chalet (booked until 2027)
• Evening meals
• Liquor licence
• Bread delivery
Potential;
This is a very well-established business with good income. Although we have increased the revenue 5-fold over 7 years, there remains significant potential for increasing further. We have deliberately operated Le Poteau as a ‘lifestyle business’, focusing on creating something we enjoy, are proud of and which allows us to benefit from life in a truly wonderful part of the world. A greater focus on the income potential of this campsite will yield even greater return and growth. It is relatively easy to get an alcohol licence III via a 2 ½ day course “Permis d’Exploitation” This means that you can serve alcohol with food to residents and non-residents – thus allowing for events in winter if you want to extend the offer.
Potential buyers can check out our website and reviews. Please note that we are not selling our gites which are separate and remote from the campsite and chalet.
Life in the Gers
One of the many charms of The Gers is that it’s the only region in France with no autoroutes. Fortunately, the local road network is good and very quiet, perfect for walking and cycling. It also means that we have the best air quality and highest life expectancy in France. Most guests opt for long stays of weeks rather than days, but we get a significant number of people en route to Spain and Portugal seeking a shorter stop over.
In summer there’s plenty to do. Night markets, village fetes, VineArt (open days at local vineyards with tours, meals and music), music and dance festivals/events. Castelnau D’Auzan has three restaurant/bars, a great boulangerie, a grocery store, hairdresser, pharmacy, a fantastic, heated swimming pool, tennis and padel courts and is very welcoming.
There are numerous social events in winter. Local associations provide activities and classes to suit all interests. There are community meals and from November to March almost weekly events at vineyards celebrating the distillation of Armagnac. Most local bars and restaurants stay open all year round. We also have very good, supportive relationships with neighbours, local businesses and our mayor. It is extremely easy to network and meet like minded people.
To get a feel for the area we recommend the book Duck Season by David McAnnich. It is an excellent and accurate depiction of life in this region.
Contact:
Alasdair & Fiona Downes
[email protected]
www.le-poteau.com
00 33 (0)6 48 08 27 261 Route Du Seguret,
32440, Castelnau d’Auzan,
Gers,
France
GPS coordinates: 43.949097 / 0.077050
Seach for Domaine le Poteau on Googe, Trip Advisor, Pitch Up, Camper Contact, Hip Camp (previously Cool Camping) to read our glowing reviews.
