Sainte Foy-la-Grande holiday home rental with private pool, walking, disabled access, balcony/terrace, rural retreat, TV, DVD

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Les Cèdres (house)

Home description

Three bedroom, two bathroom tastefully renovated country house sleeping up to 6 persons with 10m x 5m private swimming pool. Located in an enclosed landscaped garden of 4000m² with surrounding views across the vineyards and woods of the Dordogne Valley and no immediate neighbours.

Quiet privacy guaranteed yet only 8 minutes from the mediaeval bastide town of Sainte Foy la Grande which has all the facilities you might need and a Saturday market voted one of the best in France.

Marvellous restaurants nearby and plenty of activities for all ages including walks, cycling, canoeing along the river Dordogne, horse riding, wine tasting, visits to historic châteaux and prehistoric caves to mention a selection.

Les Cèdres	The 10m x 5m private pool
The garden in spring	The entrance hall

To see more photos please visit http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/80285

The Aquitaine / Dordogne / Gironde region

The house lies just in the Gironde Department but is very close to the Dordogne and Lot et Garonne departments. This is all known as the Aquitaine region, which was an important duchy when Eleanor of Aquitaine divorced the French King and married Henry Plantagenet of England who later, became Henry II. Eleanor held title to this region and being the new English queen, Aquitaine became an English territory in 1152.

Numerous bastide towns were created during this period of English occupation; some occupied by the French and some by the English. Sainte Foy la Grande was an English bastide town, occupied by the English from 1279 to 1453. This co-existence between the French and the English lasted 300 years but led to the 100 years war which ended in 1453 with the final battle at Castillon near Saint Emilion when the English were defeated. This part of France was an important area during the Middle Ages situated where many of the old pilgrim routes to Spain converged. This has left legacies of many mediaeval churches and Benedictine monasteries.

Among the places of interest in the region are many historical Châteaux, several of which are open to the public. The English occupied many during the 300 years of English settlement. Along the river valleys there are numerous caves that can be visited, some containing prehistoric cave paintings and some having beautiful crystallisations. An example is Le Gouffre de Padirac where part of your visit includes a boat trip along an underground river.

Sainte Foy-la-Grande area

There is a good choice of excellent restaurants in the area (many in Sainte Foy la Grande) all very reasonably priced with several described in the ‘Guest Book’.

In addition to restaurants, there are various leisure facilities not far from the house. If you want a change from the swimming pool, there are leisure lakes nearby which have clean sandy beaches. They also have lifeguard supervision of the swimming area and attractions such as water slides, pedal boats etc.

Other nearby facilities include a small grass aerodrome at Sainte Foy la Grande which has facilities for paragliding and U.L.M. flying as well as tourist flights. There are several golf courses (including the championship class Château des Vigiers golf course 20 minutes away), tennis courts, ten pin bowling, discotheques, pony trekking, canoeing on the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers, potholing, fishing and there are some fine walks and cycle rides through varied countryside.

Bicycle hire is possible (suitable from 7 years to adult). If you want to visit the coast, Archachon is about 1½-hour’s drive and apart from the beach, there is a wide range of activities available and some excellent seafood restaurants.

There are many opportunities for those interested in cultural activities, particularly in Sainte Foy la Grande. Music recitals, small regional music festivals, historical spectacles and art courses take place during the summer and I leave information in the house giving details of when and where these take place. Should you have a particular interest, I will be pleased to try and obtain up to date information for you if you let me know in advance.

How to get there

This information is for guests travelling from the UK. Please do not hesitate to ask if you require alternative or more detailed information

By Train

Eurostar from London to Lille or Paris and then by the high speed TGV train from Lille or Paris to Libourne. At Libourne, there is a local train connection to Sainte Foy la Grande (7km from the house). A Motorail service is also available from Calais to Brive or Bordeaux.


By Air

Merignac Airport, Bordeaux is 1 hour 15 min away and Bergerac airport 25 minutes away. BA, Air France, Easyjet and bmibaby have flights from the UK to Bordeaux. Low cost airlines flying to Bergerac include Ryanair and Flybe flying from various UK airports. New routes are added from time to time, so check the latest information.

Car hire is available in Bordeaux, Libourne, Bergerac and the main railway stations.


By Car

Despite the existence of the Channel Tunnel, many guests from the UK use the cross channel ferries as it provides an agreeable break in the journey when you can get a good meal and, on the longer overnight crossings, a bed for the night.

The choice of ferry route depends not only on where you live, but also on the amount of driving you want to do. The short Dover/Calais crossing is not necessarily quicker and cheaper than the longer crossings when driving time and petrol costs are taken into consideration, plus sometimes the need for an overnight stop. A longer night crossing with a cabin will land you in Le Havre, Cherbourg, Caen or St. Malo first thing in the morning and will allow ample time to reach the house during the day.

If you are travelling from Scotland or northern England, there is a daily overnight car ferry service from Hull to Zeebrugge in Belgium. Zeebrugge to Les Cèdres is only slightly longer than Calais to Les Cèdres. This crossing can save you up to 300 miles of driving in England and can save the need to make an overnight stop. The fare can include a cabin, a copious evening meal and breakfast and on board you will find bars, shops, a casino, discothèque, film shows and comfortable lounges.

Activities near Sainte Foy-la-Grande

Facilities

Further details indoors:
The entrance to the house takes you into a pleasant entrance hall which leads to the various other rooms. There is a spacious Kitchen cum Dining Room which has a range of fitted kitchen cupboards on one side and a dining area in front of an open fireplace on the other side. Incorporated into the cupboards are a double bowl sink, cooker with 4 cooking plates (three gas and one electric) and an electric oven, a microwave oven, 2 door refrigerator, dish washer and washing machine.

The Lounge, which leads off the Kitchen/Dining Room, has an exposed oak beamed ceiling. One wall is stonework and another wall is clad with hardwood panelling in a recess. The room is comfortably furnished for reading and relaxing and has a pair of double glazed doors opening out to the swimming pool at the rear of the house.

For entertainment, there is a TV with two satellite receivers, one receiving French and other European channels, and the other receiving a wide range of English language channels including BBC and ITV. There is also a video cassette player with a selection of English language videos and a DVD player. For music, there is a music centre with cassette and CD player together with a selection of 100 CD’s. Reading matter is also provided in the form of magazines and a selection of English and French novels.

There are three double bedrooms and all necessary bedding is provided. One of the bedrooms is in a small extension to the house and has its own entrance. It contains a double bed and built in wardrobe and it also has an en suite shower room with shower, toilet and wash basin.

The other two bedrooms are in the main part of the house, one having a double bed and the other twin single beds. The twin bedded room also has its own washbasin. There is a spacious bathroom containing a bath, separate shower, wash basin and bidet. There is a separate WC.

Further details outdoors:
At the front of the house there is a sunny terrace with a covered pergola under which is a garden table and 6 chairs. The pergola has lighting for dining outside after dark.

The house stands in its own private grounds set well back from the road with access via a stone driveway. The garden of about 4000m² contains a wide range of mature trees providing lots of shade and there is also a small fish pond. A mixed hedge including honeysuckle and pyracantha surrounds the property. Beyond the boundary hedge are open fields, mostly of vines but also grass meadows and woods.

The 10m x 5m swimming pool is 1m50 deep throughout. There is a small plastic paddling pool for families with small children. A paved area, ideal for sunbathing surrounds the pool and sun beds and small tables are provided. The pool area has lighting if you want to have a midnight swim.

Being completely surrounded by a hedge and behind the house, the swimming pool affords total privacy for swimming and sunbathing.

Further details

The property is my home and I move out to stay with friends 7km away during the letting season. I am therefore available if you have any queries or problems.

Conditions

A booking form will be sent to you following your enquiry. A booking deposit of 250€ per week booked is required when booking with the balance payable 8 week before the starting date. A security deposit of 200€ is also required which is reimbursed within a week of your departure.

Rental rates

Period	From	To	Weekly	Nightly rate		Minimum  stay
				Weekday	Weekend
Low	28 Mar 09	16 May 09	400£ 364	0-	0-	1 Week
Mid	16 May 09	6 Jun 09	500£ 455	0-	0-	1 Week
High	6 Jun 09	10 Jul 09	600£ 545	0-	0-	1 Week
Peak	16 Jul 09	29 Aug 09	1000£ 909	0-	0-	1 Week
High	29 Aug 09	26 Sep 09	600£ 545	0-	0-	1 Week
Low	26 Sep 09	24 Oct 09	400£ 364	0-	0-	1 Week

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

A refundable security deposit of 200€ is payable with the final payment. This can be refunded in pounds if you wish.

If you leave the house as you find it, there is no cleaning charge but if you require cleaning carried out on departure the cost is 20€ per hour.

Guestbook for Les Cèdres

We are over 700 miles from home but it could be a million. An idyllic retreat from the rat race. We really enjoyed our holiday here in this fabulous house and its quiet relaxing surroundings.
Jane & Alan Shoesmith

What a magnificent location, a super kitchen and an excellent terrace for dining.
Ann Gray & family

We have had a marvellous holiday. We have found the house peaceful and relaxing. The local area is very picturesque and the nearby town of Sainte Foy la Grande catered for all our needs.
Barry Williamson & family

One of the best highlights was a long horse ride through the countryside and in the River Dordogne. We took off the saddles and swam bareback on the horses in the river. An unforgettable experience.
Helen Williamson

La maison de Simon est un petit coin de paradis au milieu des vignes. Nous y avons trouvé le calme que nous recherchions, siestes sous les arbres, baignade et bronzage au bord de la piscine, diners et petits déjeuners sur la terrasse.
Patricia et Didier Hubert

Availability

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

Send Enquiry

To contact this advertiser please visit: http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk/80285

Contact details for the advertiser of home 80285
Name:	Simon Ferrey
Tel:	+33 (0) 5 57 41 35 67
Be aware of time-zones Please mention Holiday Lettings when contacting this advertiser
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Advertiser joined: Jan 2009