DOUBLE GITE, PRIVATE POOL (12x6), INCREDIBLE VIEWS

Enjoy perfect tranquillity and breathtaking views of the 12th century Tours de Merle from our spectacular gîte, with a large private swimming pool and set in 40 acres of your very own woods and meadows. TWO GITES IDEAL FOR TWO GROUPS Located in the beautiful Dordogne River Valley in the department of Corrèze, Crozat Haut is to be found on a hillside above the Maronne river and is blessed with fantastic views across the landscape. The beautiful and romantic Tours de Merle are directly below us, visible from the gîtes and the terrace; your very own castle ruins at the bottom of the garden! A long private drive leads to the two gîtes, set in the middle of 40 acres of our own woods and wild flower meadows, offering perfect seclusion. The countryside surrounding the house is full of wildlife: expect to see deer, foxes, and a wide variety of birds. On a clear night the sky is simply stunning, and you are bound to hear lots of owls and see the bats which live in the castle towers! The gîtes themselves are a charming 200-year-old farmhouse 'Crozat Farmhouse' and neighbouring 'Le Four Cottage'. Both houses have exposed oak beams and thick stone walls keeping them cool in the summer heat. Crozat Farmhouse has a large living room with comfortable sofas around a traditional cantou fireplace. The kitchen-dining room is fully equipped with gas oven and dishwasher. The bathroom is downstairs, and has an excellent shower with lots of hot water. The master bedroom has a large double bed and the second bedroom has three single beds. Le Four Cottage is the original bakery, which has been converted into the second gîte. The downstairs is open plan, with comfortable sofa and armchairs, dining table and a modern fully-equipped kitchen area with gas cooker and dishwasher. The bathroom is on the ground floor and, again, has a decent shower with lots of hot water. The separate toilet is next door to the bathroom. In the two bedrooms upstairs there is a double bed and three singles. The large 12m x 6m pool sits in a sun trap just below the farmhouse and faces south, receiving sunshine all day long. If your children need supervision, it is reassuring to know that the pool is visible from both gîtes. To comply with safety requirements, the pool is surrounded by a lockable security fence. The shallow end is 0.9m deep and extends about a third of the way across the pool, and the deep end is a maximum of 2.5m deep. There is also a 0.9m deep ledge all round the perimeter of the pool so children can safely stand at the edges. The gîtes are also sometimes available to rent individually and you can find details and book either gîte here on Airbnb or by clicking on my profile picture. You will have the pool to yourselves! You are free to walk our 40 acres of land, and kids can go camping in the grounds, build dens and explore. The spacious games room, in a separate building, has a table tennis table with bats and plenty of balls for guests to use. We usually stay on site but, if not, we are only a phone call away. We recommend the Contes de Bruyères restaurant, run by Marina in nearby Servières-le-Château, for an excellent for lunch or dinner. We are happy to call to reserve a table for you. Our nearest village is St-Cirgues-la-Loutre, a 5-minute drive, where you will find a decent restaurant and a quaint café / bar which also serves food (sometimes!). St Privat is our nearest town, a 15-minute drive away, and has all the amenities you will need. It has a decent sized supermarket, a small Friday market, as well as lively cafés and some good eateries. There is a small (unsupervised) swimming lake at the camping ground which also has a children's play area. The nearby Lac de Feyt is excellent for swimming or canoeing, and children will enjoy the beach. Argentat is a picturesque town, well known for its old-style cobbled riverside quay with its traditional wooden galleried houses and its historical town centre. The town was once a port on the Dordogne, and from here you can hire canoes or kayaks for memorable trips down the river. There is a market here every Thursday. Escapade Nature Pays d'Argentat is an adventure company which has an office in the town and from here you can organise outdoor activities. Their multi-activities day is for 8 to 17 year olds and the day-long programme includes canoeing, stand-up paddling, wall-climbing and tree-climbing, with each activity lasting two hours. The stretch of the Dordogne river from Argentat to Beaulieu, and the Maronne itself, are famed for their trout and grayling and are popular with anglers. Just outside Argentat on the banks of the Dordogne is "Le Splash" water park. It is great for a day out and also has sports facilities, tennis, gym, bowling and fitness trails if you are feeling energetic, and a bar if you are not! We are lucky to have more than our fair share of 'Les plus beaux villages de France' nearby, and it is possible to take in three of them - Curemonte, Collonges-la-Rouge and Turenne - in one day trip. The gîte itself is surrounded by some lovely countryside and there are lots of walks which start right on the doorstep. You'll find maps of these in the gîte. Our favourite will take you to the Tours de Carbonnières via the ruins of a deserted village. A 15-minute walk down a wooded track will take you to the Tours de Merle themselves. It's well worth a visit, offering great views of Crozat Haut from the towers! There is a lovely picnic site beside the river and during the summer months the castle hosts many events such as nighttime bat watching, medieval re-enactments, gold panning and archery. There is lots going on locally, especially during the summer months. We have a information pack in the gîte which has details of local markets but keep a look out locally for signs advertising one-off events. The Tourist Office in St Privat also has good information. We have links to many of the things to do locally in our 'Guidebook' section. Unless you are a very keen cyclist, a car is essential. A cleaning charge is not included in our price, therefore we kindly ask you to leave the gîtes clean and tidy on your departure.