Classic Farmhouse, wonderful views

" I really was blown away by how gorgeous it all is and how it made me evaluate what's really important in life - utterly wonderful. " "Wow, you're living the dream here aren't you - you've really smashed it. " Cosy, rustic, peaceful, 360º views Two hundred, five hundred, a thousand years, no-one quite knows the age of the various bits of our ancient farmhouse. The limestones, picked out of the surrounding fields and used to build our one metre thick walls, are of course millions of years old - and some have perfectly intact sea shells within them - but the ancient oak timbers, visible in the ceilings in all the rooms, and the cut stones of the windows and fireplace, have been recycled many times over the centuries. (One of our builders thinks the kitchen was once an old Roman watch tower) The farmhouse stands in the middle of our own land comprising 22 acres of gardens - which have wonderful 360º views - rolling meadows (see photos below), a pine, oak and sweet chestnut forest and farmed land. We have been here for 28 years and have tried not to change the intrinsic character that we inherited, keeping as many features as possible as they were when it was a very, very, simple farmhouse. So today it is now a rather Charleston-esque old farmhouse, not an immaculate country cottage or "villa." Nothing is new really, even most of the pictures have been painted by members of the family, but the overall feel is clean, cosy, comfortable and interesting. There are kingsize beds in the two double rooms, with Egyptian cotton sheets, so a comfortable night is assured. Family and friends regularly come for holidays throughout the year and so we have a range of activities and "Extreme" sports that we congregate around to have fun and socialise: "Extreme" Croquet, with "The Hole on the Hill", "Extreme" 9 hole "Pitch and Chip" Golf, "Extreme" Table Tennis, generally played with many people running around the table at mid-night and of course, the tennis court. Watching the sun set and the moon and starry night sky rise - we have near zero light polution - are blissful focal points for enjoyment, awe and social interaction at our farmhouse - see the 70 or so photographs below - but if the weather is not good, which is quite possible in the Bordeaux region, then we move indoors to gather around our "inside sun", the huge open fire in the cut stone fireplace, where we play games, read - there are loads of books on the mezzanine) or just watch TV! In the open hangar attached to the farmhouse we have created a stage area which we have used on several occasions to host our 4-day mini, mini music festival - see our photos below or search on the web for DORFEST - and 40m to the north of the property, in the woods, we have built a bath house with 4 loos and 4 showers to accommodate our campers or 'glampers" who attend our festival. So this Charleston-esque farmhouse, on a beautiful hill, is the perfect location for a quiet weekend break for two or a family or group of friends, or for a wedding or some other event, the organisation of which we can discuss with you and help you to manage. We hope the many photos we have posted give a good idea of its rustic appeal! Wifi. UK (BBC, ITV, Sky News) and French TV (OrangeTV). DVD player via an old mini mac connected to the TV. You have access to the gardens, tennis court, swimming pool, 9 hole "Pitch and Chip" Golf, ping pong, badminton, croquet etc. Your hosts David and Jo will generally be in the little cottage opposite the house (35m away) but we might be on our travels, in which case we will have arranged for friends to host during your stay. (The cottage and bathhouse and use of the property for an event are not included in the standard airbnb booking). We think that guests who come here will be looking for seclusion so the plan is to leave lots of information in the guestbook and leave our guests to their own devices as much as possible. But we love meeting our visitors, and very happy to chat and offer help where we can. Heating the house in an economical manner is a bit of an art form, so when heating is necessary, we will make the open fire in the morning before you rise and manage the central heating system. The house sits at the Eastern end of the Aquitaine in South West France, an area rich in history dating back as far as the Stone Age to Roman and medieval times up to modern day. Conquered by Julius Caesar soon becoming an important part of the Roman Empire, invaded by the Moors followed by the Vikings, fought over between the French and English for over 400 years followed by the wars of religion - history is everywhere. The name Aquitaine comes from the Latin "Aqua" word for "water" as there were so many rivers in the region including our Dronne River 8 kms from the house. These rivers cutting through the limestone carved out the many caves that Stone Age man inhabited and used to paint their now famous cave drawings. Not to be missed about 45 minutes away is the Grotte de Villars cave with its stunning array of stalactites and stalagmites as well as 19,000 year old paintings by Cro-Magnon man. Less than 2 km away is a Neolithic burial ground, or "dolmen" with its huge stones still in place after 17.000 years. Around half an hour away, the main city of the area, Perigueux boasts many remains from "Vesuna" as the city was known in Roman times. Many other towns - especially the ones ending in "ac" (like Riberac) were founded in Roman times. In the city of Perigueux there is also a very impressive 11th century cathedral, Saint Front, which majestically overlooks the river Isle. It sits at the end of a large pedestrian shopping area in the beautiful medieval part of the city. At 20 to 25 minutes away is the "Venice of the Perigord" Brantome, surrounded by the river Dronne. It features an impressive monastery founded by Charlemagne himself and one of the oldest belfries in France not to mention several Michelin recommended restaurants and interesting shops. The department of the Dordogne, also referred to as the Perigord is known to have more medieval castles than any department in France. Nearby are the castles of Bourdeilles, Chapdeuil, Mareuil, Chateau de Puyguilhem, Chateau L'Eveque, La Tour Blanche, Hautefort, Exideuil, Jumilhac le Grande, and Marthonie to name a few. A bit further away on the Dordogne River stand the famous castles of Baynac and Castelneau, as well as Les Milandes once owned by Josephine Baker, the medieval city of Domme and the famous caves of Lascaux. All through the region one will see signs for "site Roman". These refer to 11th & 12th century Roman Catholic churches often fortified as they served as refuges especially during Viking raids and marauding knights in the Middle Ages. The nearest one is a "Monument Historique" strongly fortified church dating from 1140 in our local village of Grand Brassac a 5 minute drive from the house. The Abbey of Chancelade which is 20 minutes from the house in the direction of Perigueux dates from the 10th Century. For wine enthusiasts South of Perigueux is the Bergerac wine country with some excellent wines. 50 minutes to an hour. About an hour towards Bordeaux is St. Emilion, very well known as a wine center. Known as one of the most beautiful towns in France, it has excellent restaurants, wine tasting etc. so well worth a visit. Bordeaux itself, one of the most beautiful cities in France is an hour and a half away. Shopping The nearest village with shops is TOCANE, 10 km away with pharmacy, boulangerie, flower shop, a great "Intermarche", several bars, and Cafe de la Place, which serves a five course lunch, inlcuding wine and coffee for 13 euros! At 17 minutes NW is the bigger town of Riberac and East is Brantome, which both have many interesting shops, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, bars etc. The main cities are Perigueux to the South at 30 minutes and Angouleme to the North at 40 minutes. Both have charming pedestrian areas with all sorts of unique shops, restaurants and bars. The museum of Perigueux holds many of the Roman antiquities found in the area. Market days are always a great cultural experience to sample local produce and handicrafts. All take place in the morning and end at 12:00 midday. Sellers come from all over SW France to sell a vast array of cheeses, meat, wine, candy, bread and local delicacies of all sorts plus apparel, household goods etc. The market days of Riberac and Brantome are on Friday mornings, Perigueux on Saturday and Wednesday mornings. Perigueux and Riberac are known as a centres for fois gras and have a number of shops specializing in duck produce and of course Perigordian black truffles. Another local food product is the walnut and one can see orchards growing them all over the region. They are to the Aquataine what olives are to Italy and Spain. Specialty stores selling these items can also be found in many of the nearby towns. Best Restaurants The Perigord is famous for its food and boast many top restaurants. Among them are: 1. Moulin Du Roc - Champagnac-de-Belair - Michelin * - Just beyond Brantome is in a picturesque old mill offering super food in a beautiful setting. 2. Chateau des Reynats - Chancelade - Michelin * - About half an hour from the castle towards Perigueux is in a renovated 17th Century chateau, also a Hotel. 3. L'Essentiel - Perigueux - Michelin * In the old city, highly rated. 4. La Table des Pouyaud - Champcevinel - Michelin * - About half an hour away. 5. Moulin de l'Abbaye - Brantome - Michelin 3 charms- in an old mill on the Dronne river, great food beautiful setting. It is also a fine hotel. 6. Les Saveurs - Brantome - Michelin best value. 7. Hostellerie Les Griffons - Bourdeilles - Michelin 3 charms - Ten minutes away, indoor and outdoor tables, it is also a hotel. 8. Le Grain de Sel - Perigueux - Michelin Best Value. 9. Moulin de Pont - Lisle - A converted mill on the Dronne River. It's close, quite good with fresh trout they breed there on site. It is also a hotel. 10. For Pizza the best place is nearby in Creysac about 10 km away right on the river Dronne, very informal. 11. And last but not least, Cafe de la Place in Tocane, with its wonderful 13 euro 5 course menu. Things to do At the house itself in addition to the swimming pool we have a tennis court, ping pong, "Extreme Croquet", and a 9 hole "Extreme Pitch and Chip" Course. And lots of books to read too! Golf: The nearest golf course is 25 minutes away just this side of Perigueux. Paint ball: Half an hour away in the direction of Angouleme. Zip line and obstacle course: For younger children 35-40 minutes towards Angouleme. The best one for all ages is just over an hour away in the direction of Thiviers. Canoeing: Many rental sites all along the Dronne River and close to the castle rent canoes and kayaks. They will pick you up from a predetermined place and bring you back to your car. Our favourite is at Renamon which is 8 km but you can go further and kayak around Brantome. Go Karting: the nearest place is 1 hour 15 minutes away South of Perigueux. Hot Air Ballooning: One hour and a half away on the Dordogne River several hot air balloon rental companies operate. They normally hold up to 12 people for rides of an hour or more. Horseback riding: Available in Riberac, 17 minutes away and Verteillac - 10 minutes away. AÉROPORTS À PROXIMITÉ: Bergerac: 60 minutes, pas de circulation (Ryanair, Flybe, Jet2, Transavia, TwinJet) Bordeaux: 90 minutes, pas de trafic. (Easyjet, Ryanair et la plupart des grands transporteurs mondiaux) Limoges: 105 minutes, pas de trafic (Ryanair, Flybe, Air France, Twinjet) NEAREST TRAIN: TGV: ANGOULEME: 45 minutes, no traffic. PERIGUEUX: 30 mins no traffic. BUS: TOCANE: 10 minutes Mareuil: 20 minutes CAR HIRE: a all the above airports and train station BICYCLE: There are 2 serviceable bikes at the farmhouse for your use or you can hire bikes, delivered to the farmhouse for 30 euros for 2 days per bike. The weather in the Dordogne is typically warm and hot with plenty of sunshine hours. That's not to say it never rains - the thunderstorms can be spectacular. Average monthly temperatures are as follows : Jan: 7° Feb: 9° Mar: 12° Apr: 17° May: 22° Jun: 25° Jul: 27°Aug: 27°Sep: 24° Oct: 16° Nov: 10° Dec: 8° c To keep your rental costs to a minimum, bedrooms not used for a booking will be closed to guests and will not be heated, and the central heating will be turned off between mid-night until an hour before you rise, generally 7am. If the weather is forecast to be very cold, we will agree an additional heating charge with you BEFORE confirming the booking with you. There is no mobile signal in the farmhouse but there is a house phone and of course you can use the internet for web calls etc. As we are in a very rural setting we occasionally get visits from field mice. We are scrupulous about keeping them away but sometimes one will get through, so if this would be a problem for you please don't book the farmhouse. On a similar note, as you can see from the pictures it is an old oak and stone building, so even though it is cleaned thoroughly after every guest, the appearance is not one of pristine perfection such as you would get in a modern house or 'villa', and there will always be the odd spider's web woven overnight - the sitting room is very large with a very high ceiling! We also have three pet muscovy ducks who will be wondering around the whole garden investigating everything - Terry, Molly and "Dino".