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Traditional Farmhouse with newly remodelled Swimming Pool

Farmhouse in France. Located 2.5 kms from Dunes, near Valence d'Agen, France

Berniol

$1,187 - $2,144 Per property per week

Ref: 3901

Contact Owner    Availability

"Stay number XIII, June 26th - 11th July 2010 Thank you for another wonderful holiday!  Said it ..."

Read more 11 reviews

Description

♦ 3 bedrooms, Sleeps 5

Suitability

♦ Non-smoking, Suitable for children over 6 only, Suitable for the elderly

Facilities

♦ Barbecue, Garden, Scenic views, Swimming pool (exclusive use)

Home description

Where is it

Tarn-et-Garonne
 

'Le Paradis en France Profonde'

Set in 2 hectares (5½ acres) of rolling park and oak woodland, 'Berniol' is a 250-year-old single storey traditional farmhouse, or 'fermette', which has been tastefully modernised and furnished to provide a very comfortable, fully-equipped holiday home away from home.

The property is surrounded by beautiful, mature gardens and grounds, which were recently awarded a Diplome d'Honneur in the 'Concours des Maisons Fleuries' organised by the local municipality.

Located barely 2km from the 13th century bastide village of  Dunes, close to the point where the départements of Tarn et Garonne, Lot et Garonne and Gers meet, 'Berniol' is a haven of tranquillity set amongst the vineyards of the Côtes du Brulhois and the fruit orchards of the Garonne valley. Berniol provides the ideal base for a relaxed holiday away from the stress of modern life and is a perfect starting point for touring the picturesque countryside and numerous historic towns and villages of the Midi-Pyrénées region. For those who prefer a more active holiday, Gascony offers an excellent choice of outdoor pursuits and sightseeing opportunities.

The ancient stone-built village of Dunes overlooks the fertile valley of the River Garonne to the east and and to the south-west it enjoys commanding views towards the rolling hills of the département of the Gers, with its many fortified farmsteads and hilltop villages. Gascony is steeped in a rich history dating back to the Visigoths and the Knights Templar, the Hundred Years war, the Wars of Religion, and, more recently, the activities of the German troops during WW II.

Boat trips and kayaking are popular activities on the rivers Lot, Baïse and Aveyron, and cruises along the Canal Latéral a la Garonne or the Canal du Midi are unforgettable experiences. The fascinating and unique 'Pente d'Eau' at Montech, which replaces a flight of five conventional canal locks, warrants a visit and boat trips can be arranged to experience first hand the phenomenon of ascending or descending the quirky 'Water Slope'.

The variety of natural beauty of the region is breathtaking, with the spectacular mountains of the Pyrenees to the south, the Garonne, Lot and Tarn valleys and the Gorges d'Aveyron to the east, the plateau of Les Causses and the rolling green hills of the departement of le Gers offer endless possibilities for touring.

Accommodation detail

Indoors

Outdoors

About the location

Annual Local Events

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

How to get here

From the major ferry ports the French motorway network is largely complete, enabling visitors to drive to Berniol in just under a day. However, if you have time to spare, take the excellent Routes Nationales and explore the towns and villages along the way - a much more pleasant option and no Autoroute tolls to pay!

Local Airports:

Local Train Station:

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

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Reviews

Jon Champs & Paul Roghan
8/31/10

Stay number XIII, June 26th - 11th July 2010

Thank you for another wonderful holiday!  Said it all before, so over to "Petkins"....................

Thanks for keeping up with our hectic lifestyle of reading and lazing by the pool, and for my fabulous birthday meal at Le Carre Gourmand. The curse is broken!

5/5

 

Anne, Richard, Francesca and Alicia Clark
8/31/10

Thank you for being such excellent hosts and providing such a wonderful place to recharge our batteries. We have not slept so well in ages! Our oldest daughter particularly appreciated your historical recommendations and we all enjoyed exploring the area. The market at Valence d'Agen on Tuesday morning was excellent, but we should have bartered a bit harder!

It was a joy to stay at 'Berniol' - what a wonderful place to live.  Cannot blame you for leaving the UK!  We'll be back! With very best wishes from, Anne, Richard, Francesca & Alicia.

P.S. The wonky 'whirlygig' works just fine!! (comment refers to newly and hurriedly installed rotary washing line)

5/5

 

Fiona Macpherson, Chris & Nikki Bouman, Sally Widers
8/31/10

Thanks for a very relaxing week and all the helpful hints about the surrounding area.  We can recommend visits to various hilltop villages to the south (ask Ian), Larressingle for kids and Monflanquin to the north is beautiful.

The swimming pool was a real luxury and Nikki (aged 5) enjoyed having next door neighbours she could drop in on all week!

Nice to experience a decent shower in France too! (we have come across far too many broken ones in the past)

4/5

 

Val Bowen, Michaela & Charlotte Lazenby
9/8/10

The 'Ladies from Leeds' are here again!!!
5th visit for me and, as usual, we've had a wonderful time - although eaten far too much cheese!

We will be back.

5/5

 

Laura Craston
9/9/10

We have holidayed in France for many years and have had some wonderful holidays but nothing comes anywhere close to the fabulous times we have had a Berniol ( we're at 4 and counting!) Beautiful countryside, wonderful pool and gardens. The house is beautifully decorated and appointed - a real home from home. Ian and Michael are perfect hosts and we now consider them as friends.

Berniol is ideally situated with many of the 'Dordogne-shire' tourist attractions within driveable distance, Bordeaux and Toulouse are just over an hours drive away. Or you could just slob out by the pool and enjoy the fabulous summer weather.

As a last point, If you are checking out Berniol on a satellite map website please don't be put off by the apparent closeness to the motorway. You don't see or hear it from the house!

5/5

 

Ann & Peter Fenwick
9/23/10

Many thanks again for such a wonderful stay at Berniol. The weather was glorious and we really enjoyed swimming every day in your swimming pool. It is a lifestyle we could easily get used to!

Thanks you especially for arranging the visit to the A380 assembly factory and going in the Concorde used by Valery Giscard d'Estaing. What amazing planes, both from the past and the present!

We will return home to Sussex full of pleasant memories of wonderful scenery, delicious meals and the best hospitality possible.

Very many thanks again, love to you both.

5/5

 

Chris McNabb
1/5/11

This has been our 8th stay at `Berniol` in as many years and that should speak volumes in itself.

The owners, Ian and Michael do all they can to make you feel welcome and at home at `Berniol` and will be as involved with your stay as you want them to be, an excellent source of information on restaurants, shopping, local sights and local history. On each visit we have made new friends and acquaintances, seen new things and visited new places. The quiet here is quite amazing, although the toll motorway can be seen from the property ( just!) it is rarely heard and not intrusive in the least, it is also about fifteen minutes away to the nearest entry so excellent for accessing Bordeaux, Toulouse, Cahors or Bergerac.

The property is delightful, set in rolling French countryside aside vineyards, with gardens, a small wood and an open air swimming pool all within the property. This is the perfect getaway for those wanting to escape, the nearest village is Dunes, which is about 2 miles and that has a bakery, small supermarket, post office, bar and excellent restaurant. The village is quite historic and like many of its type in the area, well worth a wander! Do go to the Restaurant `les Templiers` and ask Ian about other local gastro haunts!

Enjoy the property, it`s peace and tranquillity, the superb hosting and affability of the owners and the rich heritage and history for which the area is so renown, take in the slower pace of life and enjoy the superb local food and wine, relax and eventually, like us, return time after time, thanks Boys, see you again soon!

Chris` deux

5/5

 

Helen Tully
7/25/11

Berniol, the owners (Ian, Michael and Jackson), and the surrounding area was just wonderful. We stayed for 1 week and got to see plenty of the surrounding villages Valence D'Agen, Agen, Auvillar, Donzac and Dunes. We even managed a trip to Toulouse for the day.

On the days we stayed at the cottage we spent the day relaxing by the pool, playing boules, and walking the beautiful gardens picking fresh fruit from the trees. An extremely relaxing holiday - wished we could have stayed longer, would certainly consider returning to explore some more.

4/5

 

Jo & Leigh
8/18/11

Relaxing, beautiful, peaceful environment to spend a week away from work!  Fabulous hosts, lots of wonderful food and great restaurants within easy driving distance to eat at.  House and pool very well equipped and comfortable; and vineyard close by that provides some fab wine.  Journey from Toulouse - 1 hour easy drive.  Watching shooting stars and satellites in the night sky was quite special!  Can't recall if it was my 5th or 6th visit but it certainly won't be my last.  Thanks Ian and Michael for a great week (as always).

5/5

 

Jack Foster and Bruce McIlveen
9/4/11

After London and Paris, we badly needed to re-connect with the solitude of country life. We couldn't have asked for better than Berniol. A bucolic country French home with charm by the wine-barrel full. It seemed to have it all. A beautiful large pool, meals poolside, cocktails in the parlour, movies that we never seem to have time to watch at home, walks to the village of Dunes where we had the most incredible French cuisine. (Paris eat your heart out.) Two weeks went by like two days. We left re-charged to say the least. And you know what? These people DO live better. Kudos and thumbs up. We'll be back.

5/5

 

Natalie Macmillan
10/27/11

We had a fabulous week at Berniol in August 2011 with our two girls Ella (8) and Hannah (6).

We really can't recommend this place highly enough; we all decided at the end of our week that if we could change our plans and stay for a second week rather than moving on to our next location we would have done - with no hesitation at all from any of us.

Highlights for us were the huge swimming pool, the beautiful gardens and that Ian and Michael are on hand when you want them to be (tips for outings, firewood for the barbie or the loan of an essential ingredient for that night's meal) but otherwise leave you to your own devices.

If you can drag yourself away from the pool, there's plenty to do in the area, but we quickly settled into a pattern of relaxing by the pool and cooking fabulous French food with a few trips out to the local bastide towns. Next time we'll check out the local restaurants which get rave reviews in the guest book.

5/5

 
 

Facilities

Facility Details
TypeFarmhouse (Self-catering)
Bedrooms 1 single, 2 double
Bathrooms 2 bathroom(s)
Separate toilets 2
Capacity 5
SuitabilityNon-smoking, Suitable for children over 6 only, Suitable for the elderly
Linen All bed & household linen included
Changeover day Saturday
Facility Details
Internal facilities Board Games, CD player, Central heating (electric), DVD player, Electric heaters, English satellite TV, Exclusive rental, Fans in rooms, Hairdryer, Hi-fi system, Internet access (broadband), Owner on site, Radio, TV, VCR, Wood burning fire or stove
Kitchen facilities Combination microwave, Cooker, Dishwasher, Electric hob, Electric oven, Fridge-Freezer, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Washing machine
External features on site Barbecue, Garden, Scenic views, Swimming pool (exclusive use)

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Availability & rates

Changeover day: Saturday

Availability last updated on: - Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Rates

31 March 2012 - 1 June 2012 €900.00 per property per week
(£756 $1187)
2 June 2012 - 6 July 2012 €1,250.00 per property per week
(£1050 $1649)
7 July 2012 - 31 August 2012 €1,600.00 per property per week
(£1345 $2111)
1 September 2012 - 5 October 2012 €1,250.00 per property per week
(£1050 $1649)
6 October 2012 - 2 November 2012 €900.00 per property per week
(£756 $1187)
22 December 2012 - 4 January 2013 €1,350.00 per property per week
(£1134 $1781)
6 April 2013 - 7 June 2013 €950.00 per property per week
(£798 $1253)
8 June 2013 - 5 July 2013 €1,300.00 per property per week
(£1092 $1715)
6 July 2013 - 30 August 2013 €1,625.00 per property per week
(£1366 $2144)
31 August 2013 - 1 November 2013 €925.00 per property per week
(£777 $1220)
21 December 2013 - 3 January 2014 €1,375.00 per property per week
(£1155 $1814)
 

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Additional price information

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Book now - contact the owner

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To contact owner directly

Ian Lister

(Advertising since December 2002)

Tel: + 33 (0)5 63 29 11 27

Languages spoken by owner English, French

If requested by the owner you can print out a booking form here .

Please mention French Connections.

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