Fougere

If you fancy experiencing the wonders of the Dordogne region with Granny and Grandad, or even another family and their children, then this charming 400 year old barn conversion is the place to go. 

Fougère is a renovated tobacco barn situated in the grounds of a 400 year old farmhouse in the Dordogne valley - arguably the most beautiful region of France! The surrounding area is packed with prehistoric attractions, châteaux, bastide towns, water sports, local markets and great restaurants.

Ideal for a large multigenerational family or two families holidaying together. Two self-contained gites of 6 (4 double/1 triple/1 twin) and 3 bedrooms (2 double/1 twin). Sleeps 18 all together plus babies in cots.  

It is rare not have to share a gite complex's facilities with strangers, but in this case, if you do not use the spare gite, it will remain empty so you have all the facilities to yourselves. You might like to rent the 6 bedroom barn alone (please enquire for 6 bedroom prices) or rent it in conjunction with it's sister gite of 3 bedrooms too; this really is flexibility at its best and a perfect space to unwind with your favourite people around you.

How wonderful to be able to holiday with your friends or loved ones without being on top of each other.

Fougère's huge enclosed and solar heated pool, with its specific toddler section, is the ideal place for you little ones to learn to swim, something grandparents would delight to be a part of.  If you are travelling with bigger children, well, you might need a crow bar to get them out of the summer house entertainment room, with it's 8 foot cinema screen (linked to games boxes), not to mention the pool table and gym equipment!

The free 1 hour photography session is such a lovely opportunity to grab a family photo whilst you are all looking tanned and relaxed.

Fougère's Barn - 6 bedrooms - sleeps 13

The front door into this wonderfully spacious accommodation is directly into the dining area, with a lovely big solid wood dining table at centre stage; seating 12. This room leads on to the kitchen, downstairs loo and utility room (with washing machine), plus the sitting room through an open archway.

The 'shaker' style kitchen is a good size, and as well as all the smaller mod cons such as a microwave, coffee machine and toaster, etc, it is furnished with fitted cupboards, a big fridge freezer and a very large stand alone stainless steel oven.  Perfect for creating those culinary masterpieces with fresh ingredients from the local market.

The sitting room is as big as the dining area, furnished with comfy leather sofas, a big footstool full of toys, the TV (with UK freeview satellite channels) and DVD; there is also a bookshelf full of books and more toys and games for all the family to enjoy together.

Conveniently located on the ground floor is the downstairs double bedroom with ensuite shower room.  Perfect for grandparents or anyone who might find the stairs a little tricky, and with room for a cot if necessary too. The doors in this room (and its ensuite) are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair (please enquire for further details on accessibility of this property in general for wheelchair users).

Upstairs there are 3 more double bedrooms, a triple room (bunk bed and single bed) and a twin room, all accessed from the same landing space and with a big family bathroom conveniently located in the middle housing a bath, bidet, sink and loo.

You might want to put your dibs on the double room on the far left though, as this one has its own shower room!

All rooms have space for a cot except for the twin room (unless one of the single beds is vacant).

Fougere's Gite - 3 bedrooms - sleeps 6

You'll find the front door to this smaller gite at one end of the barn conversion, leading from the gravelled outdoor terrace into the open plan sitting/dining room.  It is nicely decorated in neutral tones of brown and beige, and is furnished with a sofa and two armchairs in front of the TV (with UK satellite channels) and DVD. Plus, if you are travelling during the cooler months, you'll be glad to hear there is a lovely modern log burner in the corner (with fireguard) to keep you extra cosy.

The bright, light and airy kitchen is accessed from this room and is at the back of the gite.  It has fitted units and a lovely big dresser; just like the Barn, it is equipped with all the trimmings you'd expect to see in your holiday home kitchen and has views across the neighbouring crop fields (sometimes sunflowers, which are particularly spectacular!)

There is also a small downstairs loo and power shower to the right of the kitchen, great for children who might need to dash in from playing outside to use the loo.

Upstairs there are 3 bedrooms - two doubles and one twin.

Both double bedrooms have room for a cot and the twin room consists of a single bed and a cot bed. A Z-bed is available should you wish to accommodate two older children in this room instead.

There is a family bathroom at the far end of the corridor, with a fabulous corner bath that the children are going to have so much fun in (bath toys available), plus sink and loo.

The whole barn (both gites) have central heating for any chilly evenings and have wireless internet access throughout, so keeping tabs on the office or in touch with friends and family is easy.

Parent point:

• Both kitchens have glazed doors to the neighbouring crop field running along the back of the barn.  It is advisable to keep these doors locked in order to prevent young children accessing the lower field (150m), where the train track runs along the bottom of the boundary.

The discreet yet friendly resident owners and their children live in the farmhouse on the other side of the shady parking area (at one end of the property's grounds). They are on hand to help you with any problems or questions you might have and ensure you have a wonderful holiday using their 9 years of insight into local life; from booking a riding lesson to dealing with an emergency, Sarah and David will be happy to help.

The facilities have been designed for safe family holidays; the garden is enclosed with a lockable gate so that you don't have to worry about toddlers running off while you enjoy a glass of wine on the terrace with your friends and family, and the pool has a special child-safe latch to bar unsupervised entry.

After a big day visiting the wonderful sites on offer, or even just a full day swimming in the pool, why not have a delicious BBQ on the terrace, get the children to bed, put your feet up and watch a movie in your own private cinema, all within range of the baby monitor?

The fabulous separate summer house with table tennis, darts, mini-gym and 8 foot cinema screen will truly wow the children, so no fear of getting bored if it rains one day.  

The huge private 'L' shaped swimming pool (45' x 18') and adjoining paddling pool (15' x 15') is a fabulous spot for everyone to come together for some fun in the sun. The toddler section is accessed by generous Roman steps, meaning nervous children have plenty of opportunity to gain their confidence before actually getting in.

Set in a big enclosed terrace which gets the sun all day long, but has a roofed area for shade as well, you'll find plenty of time to just sit back and relax on the numerous loungers whilst the children burn off some excess energy.

Both gites have a gravelled terraced area outside their front doors, furnished with outdoor table and chair sets and surrounded by the enclosed garden which runs alongside the building.  

The huge bricks and mortar style Wendy house, furnished with role play toys and curtained windows, is also situated here so children can while away many an hour in their own imaginary worlds whilst you relax in the sun on your well deserved break.

There is also a big field on the other side of the enclosed pool area (accessed via a gate on the pool terrace) which has plenty of space for a kick about and a couple of swings to boot.

Parent points:

• The back field should only ever be accessed by children under strict parental supervision, as it is not enclosed and there is a railway line in close proximity to the boundary. The trains are infrequent and it is far enough away not to be a noise problem, especially from indoors.  The gate from the pool area to the field has a self locking mechanism set right at the top of the gate, so children are unable to access this area of the property alone, but parents should be vigilant that it automatically closes behind them.
• Parents may want to be vigilant that the gate from the enclosed front garden to the car park area is kept shut and locked at all times as the road through the village is approximately 20m from the entrance to Fougere, which is an open archway.
• There is a rockery area within the enclose pool terrace. Parents may wish to keep an eye on young children who may be tempted to try a little rock climbing!
• Young children should be supervised in the summer house as there are lots of wires for electrical equipment, plus the gym equipment should only be used by adults.

• Enclosed garden
• Solar heated swimming pool with toddler pool
• Wendy house
• Stairgates 
• Cots (1 large wood cot, 2 cot beds (can be cots), one travel cot)
• Sheets / blankets / mattress protectors
• Highchair x 3
• Booster seat 
• Potty 
• Pram (large 3 wheeler Quinny, plus umbrella stroller)
• Baby monitor (2km range)
• Plastic steps
• Baby baths and newborn bath support 
• An extra Z-bed
• Childrens indoor toys
• Cupboard locks
• Hand held blender
• Bedguard 
• Bumbo
• Plastic cutlery / cups / plates 
• Changing mat 
• Socket guards 
• Non slip bath mat 
• Bath toys
• Cupboard locks
• Night lights 
• Baby gym
• Baby bouncer chair  
• Art & craft box for rainy days 
• A dressing-up box 
• A sand pit plus buckets and spades/beach toys - also great for taking to the lake beach. 
• Slings for newborn to 2yrs (ring-sling, front and back carrier - with a refundable deposit)
• Children's cookbooks in English plus supply of kiddie sized baking equipment
• Games room - table tennis, darts and cinema (8 foot screen) with play station & Xbox linked up
• DVD library adult & childrens
• Bedtime stories/childrens books 
• DVD player and satellite TV channels in both gites, including the all-important CBeebies channel!  
• 8 bikes (1 for under 5s, 1 for 5-7, 2 for 7-9 yr olds, 4 adult)

For the parents:

• FREE 1 hour photo shoot with a professional photographer with the opportunity to book more for a nominal fee per extra session 
• Free baby pack - wipes, lotion, cotton wool, nappy cream, small selection of nappies, towels and changing mat (not including food)
• Complimentary bathroom miniatures
• Walking distance from the river Dordogne for fishing 
• Limeuil lake beach only 7minutes drive away
• Baby sitting service 10 €/ hr
• Extra cleaning service during stay 15€/ hr
• Walk out cleaning service 85 €
• Wi-Fi in all rooms
• A welcome pack comprising bread-based products (e.g. croissants, pain de lait or madelaines), local preserves, juice, fruit, cheese, mini cakes or biscuits, milk, tea and coffee
• Beauty treatments by English speaking beautician on site
• Reiki treatments available onsite by a qualified Reiki Master (please enquire for more details)
• A family friendly restaurant guide
• Basic photography lessons available with owner David (a professional photographer) - please enquire in advance

Centrally situated in the region known as the Perigord Noir, famous for its fabulous countryside, wine, truffles, Fois Gras, walnut groves and prehistoric sites, Fougère sits nestled in a loop of the Dordogne river. A rural location, yet only about 15 minutes away from two small towns (Le Bugue and Lalinde, both with supermarkets), makes this lovely barn conversion ideally placed for everything you should need from a family holiday in France.

In addition, there are lots of small pretty villages with shops, cafes and restaurants such as Trémolat, Paunat, Pezuls, St. Alvere and Limeuil nearby. If you are looking for a somewhere to eat with the children, just check out the house guide to choose a local family friendly restaurant.

Only 3 minutes down the road, Trémolat boasts a fantastic 'Bistro', Pizzeria, and a 5 star restaurant "Le Vieux Logis". There is also a mini-market, bakery, post office and tennis courts. It is also the home of La Bassin Nautique, a beautiful lake and one of France's top water sports venues, where you can try your hand at water skiing, canoeing or just relax on the beach with a bucket and spade from the house.

Every day of the week one of the local towns or villages hosts a market in the morning; your hosts can provide you with a timetable to make sure you don't miss a thing. Throughout the summer there are also ‘marche gourmands' in the evening - like a street party - where you can join the locals in a bottle or two of wine and a choice of excellent local food...but you have to get there early to get a seat!

This part of the Dordogne is on the eastern edge of the massive wine-growing region that stretches all the way from Bordeaux. Wine here is cheap and plentiful, and you could spend weeks touring the wine Chateaux.

There are a great many family activities on offer in the region. Canoeing is very popular on both the Dordogne and Vézere rivers. Or there is another lake beach at Limeuil 10 minutes down the road.

You can also explore the local countryside by bicycle, on a Land Rover Safari or go horse riding.

Fishing is a popular pass-time here - there are some smallish carp lakes nearby. The whole of the Dordogne river is fishable and it's just a 5 minute walk from your accomodation.

Archery is another of the fabulous activities on offer and David your host will be happy to guide you to the right places; he and his son compete in local and national events so there's no better time to give it a go than on holiday here.

Bergerac Karting has great facilities for adults and children alike.

The Dordogne area is unbelievably rich in history, which can be seen in the architecture of the local towns (Sarlat, Bergerac and Périgueux) as well as the chateaux (of which there are more than 5,000 in the area!); and not forgetting the pre-historic caves and paintings such as the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Lascaux, as well as examples of gallo-roman sites in Périgueux.

In addition to the area's historic attractions, there are a number of parks in the area which make great days out for families with children, such as the Plan D'Eau at Lanquais, the Etang du Bos water park, the Aquarium du Périgord Noir or the Foret des Ecureuils (Squirrel's Forest) adventure playground.

For rainy days there is also a soft play centre in Bergerac called P'tit Castors.

For many families, going away for less than a week may not be practicable. Closer to home though, short stays can be a great option and the calendars will allow you to select anything from 3 nights or more where this is available. If you are travelling outside of the school holidays (which of course we recommend if you can), consider arriving and departing on non-standard days (why not try 11 nights for example) as you can get some great deals both on your accommodation and on flights.

Before booking, please read our Terms and Conditions.

Fougere is available without the gite - price range from £1405 to £3280. Please enquire for more details, the gite is not available to rent alone though.

Start dates at this property are on a Friday giving the added advantage that travel costs are typically a lot cheaper and the roads less congested. However, if you would prefer a Saturday-Saturday let - or indeed any other dates, please do enquire and the owners will try to accommodate you.

Price includes: linen, towels, mid stay clean and change of sheets for bookings of two weeks or more, standard end of stay clean, electricity and heating.

Free 1 hour photography session with each booking (prints purchased seperatley see below).

Additional services/ charges: Prints from photography sessions will be available to purchase seperatley. Reiki sessions bookable in advance and payable locally at a cost of €50 per session