£705 - £1057
(€800 - €1200)
Per property per week
Village House, sleeps 4, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Contact the owner
Contact the owner directly
Eliane Goursolle
(Advertising since December 2009)
Tel: + 33 (0)5 53 54 87 85
Tel 2: +33 (0)6 30 80 87 95
If requested by the owner you can print out a booking form here
Website: visit owners website.
Please mention French Connections.
House and Pool (1 / 19)
living room (2 / 19)
Living room (3 / 19)
Dining room (4 / 19)
looking out into the garden (5 / 19)
Kitchen (6 / 19)
kitchen (7 / 19)
Master bedroom (8 / 19)
Twin bedroom (9 / 19)
Ensuite bathroom bedroom 1 (10 / 19)
View of the House from the Garden (11 / 19)
Our street. The house is up left. (12 / 19)
Our street leads to this castle (10 min walking) (13 / 19)
Garden and terrace (14 / 19)
Terrace (15 / 19)
Garden and terrace (16 / 19)
Summer roses next to the terrace (17 / 19)
Swimming pool (18 / 19)
swimming pool (19 / 19)
N.B. Please note that this property is unsuitable for children under 6 years of age.
In the Dordogne, South West France: Beautiful Maison de Maître with large Heated Pool situated in Villars, a picturesque village of the Périgord Vert near the famous little town of Brantôme.
In a quiet part of the village,near a magnificent Renaissance castle, this large stone house with mature gardens offers a delightful self-catering French gite for holiday rentals.
The alarmed 11 x 5m heated salt water swimming pool with its roman steps is located in a secluded part of the garden which has its own sunny private terrace in which to relax when not out sightseeing. On occasions the owner may wish to use the pool, though only when guests are not in residence.
The south facing terrace has garden furnitures and a barbecue for relaxing and dining alfresco, whilst enjoying the view of the wonderful gardens and listening to the numerous song birds.
There is parking on the road outside the property, also more sheltered parking can be found on the square more or less opposite the house.
This traditional French property is tastefully furnished throughout with antiques and has the atmosphere of a “maison de famille”. Its thick stone walls help maintain a comfortable temperature inside the house.
The downstairs accommodation in this beautiful french property has very old exposed oak beams,large stone fireplace and traditional terracota tiled floors.
From the entrance hall you can access:
- The living/dining room, which is a sunny room having an open fireplace, that provides ample comfortable seating where you can relax listening to music on the CD player, enjoy French or English (sky) television on a wide screen, watch DVDs or browse through a wide selection of reading books, together with an interesting range of guide books, which can be found on the book shelves. Also available is an internet connection (Wifi access). Large dining area. Another appealing feature of this room are the French doors through which you have immediate access to a large sunny terrace overlooking the south facing private gardens.
- The kitchen, which can be accessed from both the living/dining room and the entrance hall, is modern and well equipped with dishwasher, fridge/freezer, gas hob and electric oven, microwave, toaster and kettle and all the necessary utensils and equipment you would need to cater for up to four persons. Everything is in perfect conditions.
- There is also an outside utility/boiler room, which houses the washing machine and the water softner.
Upstairs there are:
- Two large comfortable ensuite bedrooms, one double bedded (160x200cm) and one twin bedded (90x200cm); with both having panoramic views of the garden (6000 m²) and the surrounding countryside. The bedrooms have been subjected to recent renovation, creating light and airy comfortable rooms, whilst still maintaining their traditional features, and both now offering modern en-suite facilities.
- Well equiped solid wood kitchen.
- Flat screen TV.
- Several shelves with english books and tourist guides.
- Queen size bed in master bedroom. Each bedroom has his own bathroom.
- The terrace
- Parking available
Local Shopping in Villars and Surrounding Area : Brantôme 12km, Thiviers 15km, Nontron 15km, Périgueux 35km.
Boulangerie (2 min walking) – in front of the church – they also stock a selection of groceries; Vival Supermarket – in Villars.
Two restaurants in Villars: "Le Pas de Chat" and" Le Trincou".
The nearest Butchers and Pharmacie are 4km away in Champagnac de Belair. There are larger supermarkets further afield and plenty of other shops within a 15km radius of Villars – in Nontron, Thiviers and Brantôme.
There is a Doctor in Champagnac-de-Belair at four kms from Villars and the nearest hospital is in Périgueux.
Local Markets
- Brantôme: Tuesday and Friday mornings
- Périgueux: Wednesday and Saturday mornings
- Thiviers & Nontron: Tuesday and Saturday mornings
- St.Pardoux-la-Rivière: Sunday morning; During the summer there are several night markets arranged more in line with the English Fairs.
Restaurants
Restaurants in the Dordogne are numerous and for every occasion and a few are listed below in categories. (1) inexpensive (2) middle of the road (3) gastronomic (***) highly recommended:
- Villars: le Trincou (1), le Pas de Chat (2)
- St.Pardoux-le-Rivièrè: l’hotel de France (3), Pizzeria (1)
- Agonac: La Maison Saint-Martin (3)
- Périgueux: le Bienbon (1) le Clos St Front (3) Pizzeria les Coupoles (2) , l'Essentiel- One Michelin Star (***)
- Champagnac de Belair: le Moulin du Roc – One Michelin star (***)
- Brantôme: Les Saveurs (2),le St Pierre (2) les Frères Charbonnel (***)
- Sorges: Auberge de la Truffe (***)
- St Jean-de-Côle: Le temps des mets (2), le St Jean (2)
Farm Visits can be arranged with tasting of local produce.
From June to September there are many cultural events arranged. These take the form of music concerts in the Romanesque Churches. There is an international festival of ‘mime’ (Mimos), which is held annually in Périgueux at the beginning of August. Irish music festival at Tocane (30 minutes), 3rd week of July.
Local amenities
Nearest bakery: In Villars 5mn Walking From The House
Nearest supermarket: Brantôme 12km
Nearest market: In Villars 10mn Walking From The House
Nearest pharmacy: In Champagnac 4km
Nearest bar: In Villars 10mn Walking From The House
Tourist information: In Brantôme
Villars on the map
Property 153069 –
Nearby place of interest
How to get to La Sérénelle
The Perigord is readily accessible with flights direct from the UK to Limoges (1h drive) and Bergerac (1h30 drive) or Bordeaux (2h). By car, Villars is approximatively 7.5 hours from the Channel ports.
Nearest train station is Thiviers (15 km). Taxi available to continue to Villars or ask owner.
You can also take the highway from Paris to Angoulême and the road from Angoulême to Brantôme , Champagnac-de-Belair and Villars.
Access options
Car Essential, No public transport available, Taxi from train station
Nearest airport
The nearest serviceable airport is Limoges [LIG]
Stayed here? Add your review >
We stayed here with our two children 9 and 10 for the perfect family holiday.The gite is just up the road from a chateaux, in a lovely quiet village. The property and garden are beautiful, photos do not do it justice! Lovely peaceful days by the pool and many activities and places to visit within a 15 minute drive such as kayaking, skywalks and river beaches- two weeks just wasn't enough! Eliane and Jean-Claude, the owners who live next door, couldn't be more welcoming, and go out of their way to help you arrange and do everything you wish during the holiday.Guest rating:
Villars is one of the nicest villages in Perigord Vert. It has its own boulangerie (about 100 metres from the property) and a small friendly bar and restaurant that is very popular with the locals at lunchtime. La Sérénelle is located just off the village square on the road up to the C16 chateau. It forms part of a large maison de maitre that probably dates back to the C17 and is entirely self-contained with its own front door and private garden. Downstairs, in the combined dining and living room there are the original exposed beams and stone fireplace with comfortable modern furniture in the sitting area. Upstairs there are two newly-refurbished bedrooms and two modern bathrooms (one en suite with the main bedroom). There is a large, beautifully maintained garden, with a terrace with magnificent views across the valley. La Serenelle provides a haven of tranquillity with some spectacular walks in the surrounding countryside and within easy reach of the major tourist attractions of the Dordogne. The owner, Madame Goursolle, is extremely kind and helpful; she is also a wonderful cook!
Guest rating:
I would like to recommend La Serenelle to anyone who desires a genuine French experience coupled with real comfort. I have vacationed at La Serenelle each summer for the past five years and each time I find a peaceful atmosphere with beautiful gardens, a lovely swimming pool in a small typical French village with an amazing hostess. Not many tourists have discovered this peaceful oasis so there are no crowds to disturb the tranquillity, but it is not far from the wonderful markets of Brantome and Perigueux.
Historical sites are everywhere, with country vistas to invite walking or bicycling excursions. And the owner and hostess of La Serenelle is very knowledgeable about local and regional sites and history. There are numerous restaurants in nearby towns with fantastic French cuisine and wine to die for! In addition to speaking good English, Mme Goursolle is also fluent in Spanish and Italian! Housekeeping and maintenance are immaculate, and since this house has been in her family for over one hundred years, she takes great pride in keeping it as perfect as possible. Any problem is quickly resolved. La Seronelle is my choice for vacation in France and I am already looking forward to next year!
Guest rating:
We and our friends from Savannah, Georgia have stayed at La Serenelle twice. Whether you are a hardened Francophile or a first timer in France this place and the village of Villars will not disappoint.This large and comfortable villa is attached to the owner's home and is outstanding in the style and comfort it affords-----for example, you have your own full size heated pool and ironed sheets. Imagine La Serenelle as the centre of a wheel with spokes that lead to unique country landscapes, ancient architecture, starred restaurants, outdoor sports, caves, goose farms, and farmers' fresh produce. We took advantage of all that our charming hostess, Eliane Goursolle, had to offer, although not obtrusive, she was there for us in planning our days and helping us get the lay of the land. On several occasions she led us to excellent vendors in the market towns of Brantome and Perigueux. She expertly helped us choose the best cheeses, foie gras, duck breasts, and assorted vegetables and accompaniments---as well as good wines. The best part of these gastronomic adventures was coming back to La Serenelle and cooking a la francaise with her at our side. If we chose to not venture away from Villars, simpler activities were just as enthralling: walking the paths to nearby hamlets past truffle farms, hunting for cepes in the woods, discovering an ancient Celtic cross in a field on a bike ride, or just picnicking in a pasture. All in all, La Serenelle is a wonderful experience and a great value.
Guest rating:
We returned from a week at La Serenelle at the beginning of September. What a wonderful week and a great taster of what the Dordogne has to offer….. a week is simply not enough for all of the fabulous places you have to visit. Eliane the villa owner lives next door, she is delightful!! She does not over impose herself but is extremely helpful in offering guidance to assist with travel plans during your stay, is keen to ensure you have everything you need to make your visit comfortable and even invited us round for evening drinks and nibbles, which we thoroughly enjoyed. The villa itself is stunning, more than spacious enough for the three of us and in a traditional French style, that Eliane has created for her guests. The gardens and the pool area are wonderful to spend time in and are well maintained. The property has everything you would need including facilities for washing and drying your clothes, a dish washer, microwave etc. The master bedroom is enormous and such a characterful room, it really did appeal to me. The village is a small traditional French village with a patisserie just down the road, a couple of moments walk, where you can purchase you croissants, and all your essentials, a really enjoyable stroll in the early morning sunshine. This villa has so much to offer and is steeped in history. We will definitely return when our daughter is older. Thank you Eliane so very much for your kindness during our holiday.
Guest rating:
Our stay at La Serenelle in the Dordogne was the most perfect French holiday experience we could have wished for. We stayed here for 10 days at the end of September, where we enjoyed the heated swimming pool and fabulous sunny garden with a view that was idyllic. The house itself is picturesque, with a large sitting room and dining room and the most beautiful bedroooms. The kitchen has everything to self-cater which we did most evenings, although we did BBQ when the weather was good.
It's located 100 yards from the local Boulangerie (closed Mondays) and two minutes walk from a small shop which sells the essentials and cafe/bar (only open until 7 o'clock when we were there, it closes on Sundays and Mondays).A bonus at La Serenelle was the free wi-fi connection (and English freesat TV). A luxury which we were grateful for as we are self-employed and needed to access our emails.
The house is perfectly located for visiting numerous tourist attractions. We recommend Chateau Hautefort (40 minutes), village of Sarlat (1 hour 45 mins) and the Fortress Baynac with it's amazing view of the Dordogne. The beautiful village of Brantome is 15 minutes away by car, where there is a Carrefour with 24 hour fuel. We visited most days to walk around and have coffee because it was so nice.What really made our stay so perfect was the thoughtfulness and attention to detail Madame Gourselle gives to her guests, extra blankets provided when temperature dropped, to vegetables and herbs from her own garden. We were made to feel that our holiday was exactly that, a holiday. We look forward to returning.
Guest rating:
A beautiful property - comfortable, elegant, beautifully-furnished and very well-maintained, with a lovely garden and an excellent, clean swimming pool. Madame Goursolle was friendly and welcoming and made us feel at home. The village is quiet and pretty and the boulangerie fifty yards walk down the street was a big advantage!
The countryside around Villars is very pretty and Brantome is a really beautiful town (make sure you hire some kayaks on the river.) Chateau Villars, just along the main road from La Serenellle, is a great place to have a blow-out meal on your final night - the food is superb, the owners are fun and friendly and the chateau is very pretty.
La Serenelle is really good value-for-money and we felt we found a gem!
Guest rating:
We enjoyed a fortnight at La Serenelle with our children (aged 8 and 10) during July and August 2012. We have rented properties in different parts of France for a few years, and this property and area rates highly with us as a family. It was the first time we had rented a property adjoining the owners' home and we were made to feel very welcome. Eliane and Jean-Claude were a discreet and friendly presence during our stay.
La Serenelle is a beautiful property, well decorated and maintained, with personal touches and facilities that made us feel at home. The rooms are generous in size, and importantly the beds are very comfortable! The large garden and pool area are lovely, with a sunny terrace for evening dining and a wonderful view of the surrounding countryside. The owners kindly provided both pool and garden toys for our children, which they thoroughly enjoyed.
The property is situated in a quiet and peaceful part of Villars, just off the village square. The boulangerie is moments away down the lane in one direction, and the chateaux a short walk in the other. We enjoyed pleasant walks around the village in the evenings. The picturesque town of Brantome is only 15 minutes away by car. We can highly recommend hiring canoes from Brantome Canoe, which we did several times and found it great fun, especially when navigating the weirs! Also recommended is a trip to the local caves just outside Villars, where there is cafe and outdoor play area for the children. On the owner's recommendation we also had a day out on the Velo-rail. Great fun, and thankfully downhill all the way back! We had a very enjoyable holiday and this is the only property in France to which we all agreed we would like to return. Many thanks to Eliane and Jean-Claude for helping to create many fond memories for us.
Guest rating:
A pretty and well equipped house in a lovely quiet area of the Dordogne. Pool fabulous and the owner Eliane and her family were very welcoming and made us feel at home throughout our stay.
Guest rating:
La Serenelle is a lovely property, beautifully furnished in keeping with the age and style of the house. The pool is delightful. The owners are a charming and friendly couple.
Guest rating:
La Sérénelle is a beautiful stone house, with attractive gardens in a quiet village. It was a lovely peaceful spot in which to unwind. The owners are very hospitable and helpful. We would recommend it to couples and can't wait to visit again next summer.
Guest rating:
| Property type | Village House (Self-catering) |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Bedrooms |
1 double bedroom(s) 1 twin bedroom(s) |
| Occupancy | 4 |
| Suitability | Suitable for children, Suitable for the elderly, Unsuitable for wheelchair access, Non-smoking |
| Linen | All linen furnished expect towels for the pool. |
| Kitchen facilities | Dishwasher, Cooker, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Tumble dryer, Washing machine, Gas hob, Electric oven, Fridge-Freezer |
| Internal facilities | CD player, Central heating (gas), DVD player, English satellite TV, Exclusive rental, Hi-fi system, Internet access (broadband), Low allergen environment, Owner on site, TV, VCR, Weekly maid service, Radio, Hairdryer, Wi-Fi Broadband Internet, MP3 Player, Internet Access, Tea/Coffee making facilities |
| External facilities | Garden, Scenic views, Swimming pool (exclusive use), Barbecue |
| Activities nearby | Bird Watching, Boating, Boules, Canoeing, Caving, Ceramics, Cycling, Drawing and painting, Fishing, French tuition, Golf, Gourmet dining, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Mountain biking, Photography, Pottery, Rambling, Riverside activities, Rock climbing, Shopping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Theme parks, Tree adventure park, Walking, Wine tasting, Wine touring |
Changeover day: Saturday
Last updated on: 28th February 2020
| Available | Booked/Unavailable |
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| Accommodation rental period | Price |
|---|---|
| 04 April 2020 – 03 July 2020 |
€900 Per property per week
(£793 / $980) |
| 04 July 2020 – 28 August 2020 |
€1200 Per property per week
(£1057 / $1306) |
| 29 August 2020 – 16 October 2020 |
€1000 Per property per week
(£881 / $1089) |
| 17 October 2020 – 25 December 2020 |
€800 Per property per week
(£705 / $871) |
Additional price notes
- Weekly cleaning if required:25 euros
- Long renting possible from October at a very special price, if you are interested an arrangement will be done with the owner.The house is very confortable in winter too (gas central heating and fireplace in the living room). Warm atmosphere..
- Possibility of cooking classes in the house to make duck specialities like foie gras and confits in January and February. Many very good products at the markets within 15kms from the house.