Charming Rural Gites with Pool in Scenic and Tranquil Dordogne

Van Gogh details

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Swimming pool 14m x 6m saltwater pool

Ariel view of whole site

Home description

We are situated on the edges of the Dordogne/Charente/Gironde borders that provide a touch of rustic French charm with all the comforts that we all desire from our holidays. Original and traditional exposed oak beams give character and atmosphere in all the rooms. You will find clean, spacious bedrooms and living areas in all the properties plus private patio areas for that all important alfresco dining.

There is a spacious well-equipped kitchen, in fact everything you will need to make a picnic to a 3-course meal. To make your time with us as easy as possible we provide you with bedding, bed linen, towels and tea towels. The hardest things you have to do are snooze by the pool or turn a page as you read in the garden. Alternatively you can pour a glass of wine and put the world to rights around the 14m x 6m salt-water pool. Unlike chlorinated pools you'll find our pool kinder to your skin and costume, with no harsh chlorine to affect it, your eyes or your hair! There is an outside shower for rinsing off too.

For those very hot or inclement days we have a communal games room with table tennis, table football, jigsaws and other games to occupy all ages plus a very extensive DVD / video and book library. For those balmy summer evenings there is also a Boules court in the garden for those of you who would like to try the traditional French game. Traditional charm combined with all the comforts of home, designed to provide spacious, comfortable accommodation for families, couples or groups of friends who want to holiday together but also like their own space.

This is a superb location to relax and get away from it all as well as the perfect base for exploring the surrounding countryside of meandering rivers & quaint market towns. The local area is quiet and unspoilt with many beautiful places to visit, we are lucky to see France as it really is with all the sights, sounds and smells that you will take away to build your holiday memories. We have superb views across the Dronne valley and are surrounded by trees and fields, just what you need to unwind from the stresses of the daily grind. One thing you will notice is how quiet it is and how bright the stars are at night.

There are many picturesque lakes for swimming, fishing and entertaining the kids or for the more energetic there is canoeing, VTT tracks (mountain bike), golf or horse riding and much more close by. 

La Maison Grange is ideally placed for many facilities in fact 5 minutes walk away is "Le Paradou" a local leisure park. Here you can have a drink and a bite to eat, swim in the lake, fish in the other lake, use the play area, play tennis, go to the Saturday night disco (July and August only) and meet some of the locals plus other holiday makers.

We are very near to Chalais in the Charente (10 km) where there is a famous Monday morning market with everything you could wish for with an authentic atmosphere.  There is also the renowned Chateau Tallyrand restaurant placed on the hill overlooking the town. 

La Roche Chalais in the Dordogne is only 8km away with some small shops, a cinema, 2 supermarkets, 2 restaurants and a bar. Parcoul, our local village (2 kms) has a good restaurant "The Flamingo", a small shop where you can buy your morning bread and croissants, a hairdressers and a library. The river Dronne is 2 kms away and has a superb canoeing centre on the riverbank in Parcoul.

External features on site

• Barbecue
• Boating lake
• Fishing lake
• Garden
• Scenic views
• Tennis Court
• Swimming pool (shared use)

Badminton raquets and a boules court.

For your security our pool is also completely fenced in and adheres to the French security regulations. 

Accommodation detail

Master bedroom

Twin room

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Newly converted into a 2-bedroom accommodation, Van Gogh, has a comfortable and rustic feel with all the mod cons that you would expect from a holiday home, in fact from your own home. Some of the decoration comes from the oak that was in the original barn.

Tastefully decorated in a minimalist style, Van Gogh provides you with a comfortable living and dining room complete with comfy seating and dining for 4. There is a DVD and CD player complete with speakers to give you the best sound possible whether you are listening to James Blunt, Elvis Presley or watching your favourite DVD's.   Televisions for viewing DVD's and video players are available on request at no extra charge.

• The light and airy kitchen is fully equipped to allow you to create mouth-watering dishes to your hearts content from traditional French cuisine to sandwiches and salads. We have installed a washing machine; full sized cooker, a fridge/freezer (to keep that white wine cool), a microwave and a programmable coffee maker so you can wake up to that fresh coffee smell in the morning.
• The French door leads directly to the courtyard garden and is an ideal spot to forget the rest of the world and contemplate how your book is going to finish! The courtyard garden is secluded and surrounded by traditional stone sheds plus a real wishing well! The 14m x 6m salt-water swimming pool is just down the path to the rear garden.
• Outside you have your own decked private patio area with seating for 4 plus 2 sun loungers plus a BBQ to cook up those tasty steaks, juicy chops, succulent prawns or simple sausages and burgers
• The shower room, complete with toilet and hand basin has a hydro jet shower, which will give you an exhilarating experience.
• Both of the bedrooms lead off from the main living space.
• The master bedroom has a double bed, wardrobe space, a chest of drawers and a large window over looking the pool area; this room has traditional exposed beams and is tastefully decorated.
• Bedroom two has twin beds and has views over the courtyard garden and wishing well. There are also many exposed beams in this room plus a wardrobe and chest of drawers.

All rooms come with a standard 2 pillows per person but more are available on request, all pillows and duvets will be hollow fibre or hypoallergenic. Bed linen and towels for use in the home are provided; please bring towels to use around the pool.

About the location

Being on the Dordogne/Charente/Gironde border puts us in easy reach of some of the most beautiful parts of France, such as Bergerac, St Emilion, medieval Aubeterre, Cognac and Sarlat.

The specialities of the region will have your senses reeling whether it is the excellent choice of fresh seafood (oysters, mussels and fish) to regional specialities, foie gras, duck and many local tempting cheeses. Then there are the wines! There are so many to choose from whether it be Bergerac, Bordeaux or wines from the Charente. We are surrounded by vineyards where you can visit, taste and buy the wines direct as well as trying Pineau (a local aperitif) and of course Cognac. We have a local Wine Cave that sells a very reasonable Bordeaux Superior for less than 2 euros a litre.

Shopping is one of the joys of being in France, we have many colourful local markets in most villages that provide top quality fresh produce plus other traditional French items, some of the largest are Chalais (10 kms), Riberac (29 kms), Coutras (15kms) and St Seurin (10 kms). For the locals the market is more of a social event rather than a shopping trip. There is nothing nicer than wandering around soaking up the sounds and atmosphere, breathing in the rich and varied smells whilst experiencing the vivid colours of the fresh fruit and veg stands, then stopping at a typical French bar for a coffee, chocolate chaud (hot chocolate), Pineau or beer.

There are also supermarkets and hypermarkets close by as well.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

Activities near by

Adventure park, Bird Watching, Boating, Boules, Canoeing, Cycling, Fishing, Golf, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Photography, Rambling, Riverside activities, Shopping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Walking, Wine tasting, Wine touring

See Activities and attractions for more information on nearby activities and places of interest.

How to get here

By Ferry – There are many companies from the UK to France

Brittany Ferries, L D Lines, Sea Link, Condor Ferries and P & O Ferries.

By Rail – Our main stations are Angouleme and Libourne, you can catch the TGV from Paris to Augouleme takes approx. 2 hours.

By Air – There are three main airports close to us

Angouleme / Cognac – Ryanair, GB Airways (starts spring 2008) - 45 mins

Bergerac – Ryanair, Flybe – 60 mins

Bordeaux – British Airways, Easy Jet, Flybe, BMI baby – 60 mins

All these airports have Hire Cars readily available

If you are bringing your own car or hiring a car we will provide you with detailed directions from your arrival point in France.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.