La Bique

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Farmhouse |6 bedrooms |Sleeps 14

Clairac in Aquitaine/Dordogne

From £1250 per week |  From £250 per night

3 nights minimum stay

Changeover Saturday

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Key info  Swimming pool, balcony/terrace, car advised, private garden, may take pets - please enquire

About the home

Set amongst fruit orchards and sunflowers on the slopes overlooking the Lot Valley, this charming property is close to the mediaeval village of Clairac, with its restaurants, market and shopping and within a short drive of some of the region’s most picturesque bastides.
The spacious interior is cool, airy and light and although traditional in appearance is modern in practicality. Oak beams prevail throughout, with a degree of exposed stonework and floors of oak and terracotta. Windows and doors are large to allow summer breezes to waft through the house and the furniture is an eclectic and tasteful mix of antique and contemporary.
The terraced and fenced pool sits in a subtly landscaped acre of lawns, cypress, olive, lavender, rosemary, vines, wild flowers and woodland, which from Spring to Autumn is a riot of colour and scent.

Facilities

Further details indoors:
All bedrooms are spacious, with ample storage in wardrobes, cupboards and chests of drawers. They are simply decorated with soft lighting, comfortable beds and crisp white linen.
The kitchen is equipped for even the most demanding of chefs and our dining room comfortably sits 14 around a single refectory table. We have an additional dining tablkle that seats a further six. Ideal for kids or casual breakfasts.
The lounge is double height and almost the breadth of the house with an open fireplace and three French windows opening onto a terrace and the garden beyond.

Further details outdoors:
A secluded walled garden to one side of the house has access from the kitchen and is the perfect spot for al fresco dining, be it a casual breakfast or dinner for all. Below this the swimming pool shimmers invitingly and another terrace, accessed by a series of French windows, runs the width of the house, offering views over the garden and the valley below.
To the other side of the house lies a small lawn, sheltered by woodland on one side and an old tobacco drying barn on another, which stands as a reminder of La Bique’s history. A downstairs bedroom has French windows opening onto this secluded part of the garden.
La Bique’s outdoor furniture tastefully enhances the open air experience, be it dining on the terrace, stargazing on a lounger by the pool, or simply reading a book in the shade of a tree.

Photos

 

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La Bique

 

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The swimming pool is fenced for parents' peace of mind

 

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The outdoor dining area

 

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Our light and airy living room

The Aquitaine / Dordogne / Lot et Garonne region

The sunny South West has a greater variety of scenery than almost anywhere else in France. From the surf beaches, sand dunes and pine forests of Les Landes to the vineyards of Bordeaux; the mountains and pastures of the Pyrenees to the rolling Tuscan countryside, orchards and sunflowers of the Lot; it is truly spectacular. Add to this the world renowned food and wine, great historic cities, mediaeval towns and bastides and you have a region that will captivate and entrance even the most worldly of travellers.

The Clairac area

Clairac is a mediaeval town situated on the River Lot in the heart of Lot et Garonne. La Bique is two kilometres outside town so it is close enough for a brisk morning bread walk or a healthy stroll to one of its excellent restaurants for lunch. The region is well known for its duck, goose and fois gras but we are also in the heart of plum country with the world famous Pruneau d’Agen the local delicacy. They really have to be tasted to be believed. We are surrounded by superb dining options and a list of recommendations and contact numbers is available at the house. As you would expect we are not lacking in great local wines either. From the cheaper yet delicious Buzet and Cote de Duras, to the fine wines of Cahors and the world famous chateaux of Bordeaux. Buy it from the superbly stocked local supermarkets, caves and markets or get out into the countryside to visit the vineyards and chateaux and load up as you go. And as for a digestif how about an Armagnac (France’s oldest brandy) or a Pruneaux, both regional specialities?

Several of Lot et Garonne’s forty bastides (the most in France) are visible on the ridges to either side of the Lot Valley. These fortified hilltop towns were the “New towns” of their day and were constructed to a specific model centring not on the church or town hall but on the market place. The majority of them were built just before or during the Hundred Years War, between 1222 and 1307. They are all worth a visit for the architecture and views alone but many of them house superb restaurants and great markets. A list of the local bastides, their market days and restaurants is available on our website www.,labique.com.
With its rolling hills and valleys, the countryside here has been compared to that of Tuscany. Mediaeval villages, fantastic views, quiet shaded roads, fields of sunflowers, fruit orchards and rivers make travelling here a pleasure and you’ll need no reason to get out and about. Choose between car, bicycle, boat or foot and get out and explore. You never know what’s around the next corner.

Within a reasonable distance of La Bique we have Fishing, Golf, Horse riding, Boating, Canoeing, Ballooning, Walking, Cycling, Tennis, Wine tasting, Shopping, Antiques, Museums and Theme Parks. Details of all of these activities are available on our website, www.labique.com. Alternatively drop us a line with any enquiry and we’ll be pleased to help.

At La Bique itself we have the pool, table tennis, boules, board games, cards, DVDs and books.
For more regional information and activities check out the Lot et Garonne Conseil General website; it is superb: www.europa47.org/anglais

How to get there

What's nearby: Attractions Restaurants Click map icons for more information

Map showing the Clairac areaReset Map

Air

Airport to La Bique Airlines
Agen 45 mins Aerocondor flys from Orly Sud (Paris) 3x daily
Bergerac 70 mins Ryan Air, Flybe
Bordeaux 90 mins Air France, Aer Lingus, bmibaby, British Airways
Toulouse 100 mins Air France, Aer Lingus, BMI, bmibaby, BA, Flybe, Easyjet

Train

Station to La Bique Line
Tonneins 11 mins Local train from Bordeaux to Agen
Marmande 30 mins Local train from Bordeaux to Agen
Agen 45 mins TGV from Bordeaux
Bordeaux 90 mins TGV from Paris

Ferry

Port to La Bique
Calais 10 hrs
Boulogne 9 ½ hrs
Cherbourg 8 ½ hrs
Le Havre 8 hrs
Caen 7 ¾ hrs
St Malo 7 hrs

If bringing your car we recommend Brittany Ferries overnight sailing from Portsmouth to St Malo but make sure you book a cabin. You’ll wake up in St Malo fresh, well fed and ready for an early start and you’ll be at La Bique by mid afternoon.

Car Rental

We’ve always found Europcar to be the cheapest and most convenient but rental brokers tigercarrental.net, holidaycars.org and francecarrental.com have recently come to our attention and they appear to offer discounted rates on Budget, Europcar, and Avis rentals from destinations not necessarily covered by those companies. They have rentals from all of the airports and stations listed below.

Travel Links

www.mappy.com
www.voyages-sncf.com
www.aerocondor.fr
www.tigercarrental.com
www.francecarrental.net
www.renault-rent.com
www.holidaycars.org

Activities near Clairac

Rental prices

Prices for group size 14
Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
	27 Aug 11	24 Dec 11	2000€ 2000	400400	400400	3 Nights
	24 Dec 11	2 Jan 12	2500€ 2500	500500	500500	3 Nights
	2 Jan 12	5 May 12	1500€ 1500	300300	300300	3 Nights
	5 May 12	2 Jun 12	2000€ 2000	400400	400400	3 Nights
	2 Jun 12	30 Jun 12	2500€ 2500	500500	500500	3 Nights
	30 Jun 12	1 Sep 12	3000€ 3000	0-	0-	1 Week
	1 Sep 12	29 Sep 12	2000€ 2000	400400	400400	3 Nights
	29 Sep 12	22 Dec 12	1500€ 1500	300300	300300	3 Nights
	22 Dec 12	5 Jan 13	2500€ 2500	500500	500500	3 Nights

The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights

NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.

Availability

See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here

Contact the owner

* Required fields Please check the following errors: First name * Last name * Email *   Did you mean ""? Yes / No Phone number Arrival date Departure date   Ignore calendar - enquire anway No. of adults No. of children Message * Email me special offers and holiday ideas T&Cs

You are contacting Andrew Cawte Landline n/a Mobile n/a Web Visit site Payment accepted Credit cards accepted Languages spoken The owner is based in Hong Kong and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2012. This farmhouse has received 9 reviews from previous guests.

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