The facade - an artist's impression.

An artist's impression of the summer house.
The pool is now installed in front of the Summer House.

Another `nook' for a read or an aperitif in the evening sun.

My wife and I own three cottages which are available to rent for most of the year. They are in a small hamlet about half a mile from a village between Riberac and Aubeterre, Dordogne/Charente, France - peace & tranquility without isolation. 

The hamlet only has three resident families two French (one of these acts as our caretakers) and one English - 60 to 250 yards away. There are four other family-owned holiday cottages, one French and three British. There is a renovated mill house straddling the hamlet stream, which used to serve power and water to one of the ancient paper mills of France. There were about 300 until recent times. 

This one only stopped producing its specialised paper in 1969. It is now a wood mill. The millstream is about 100 yards downhill from our cottages and there are gentle walks along its banks and across the fields to a small river where paddling and limited swimming are possible. There is excellent river and lake swimming - all with sandy beaches - at several places nearby. More details of these and other activities (riding, golf, tennis, canoeing and fishing, for example), plus information on nearby places of interest and good restaurants are in folders in the cottages.

All cottages have full and efficient central heating, and cottages 1 & 2 have open fires as well.  The open fires need only be used for their traditional, cheering effects. All cottages in their individual gardens have garden furniture, parasols and simple barbecues. The cottages also share about an acre of grass garden and woodland - complete with “Victorian” summerhouse. The cottages are simply but adequately furnished for family holidays.

With the exception of the school holidays from mid July to the end of August, should you rent one of our three cottages, it is likely that you will be the only guests in residence. This is because tourism, outside those main summer months, is sporadic. This is a pity since the weather from April through until mid November is usually a delight. July and August can be very hot indeed. Our central heating makes even a visit in December and January comfortable. 

Our caretakers, either M or Mme Planet, will see you in and give you the key. 

The local village provides for most needs. There is a small supermarket, another food store, a pharmacy, two good butchers, a bread shop, a hairdresser, a newsagent, two cafes (one does great `workmen' meals), a post office and a hotel which does good meals and snacks.  

The market town of Riberac is about 7 miles east, and market day (Friday) is an experience not to be missed. The stalls pack up at midday so get there early. About 5 miles west is Aubeterre, a medieval hilltop village, officially classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. It has a fascinating monolithic church built into the hillside. Aubeterre also has river swimming with a good sandy beach, very safe for children. About eight miles south there is a large freshwater lake - Lac Jemaye. This also has sandy beaches and the water is usually very warm. Windsurfers and pedalos can be hired there. Both Aubterre and Lac Jemaye have life-guards on duty during the summer holidays.

Angouleme, the nearest city, is 25 miles north. The sea at Royan, with its sandy beaches, is an easy day-trip and en route you pass through Cognac where you can tour the brandy distilleries. Bordeaux (the nearest airport) is a ninety-minute drive, and on the way you can visit the best winemaking districts in France and sample their produce. Poitier and Bergerac airports are also quite`local'.

There are many  interesting and historic places to visit within easy reach - for example, the prehistoric caves with their wonderful paintings and stalactites and stalagmites, as well as the chateaux of the Dordogne valley. Or you can simply relax and enjoy the peace and serenity of the surrounding miles of unspoilt countryside. 

We ask for a deposit of a third of the total rent, payable on booking, the remainder to be paid 6 weeks before the start of the letting period.

If you wish to book, we suggest that you e-mail first to make sure that the times you require are still available. If you don't have email, send me your name, address and telephone/fax number. I will then send you a reservation form for you to return together with your deposit, as soon as possible. I hope you will understand that this deposit is non-returnable and we strongly advise you to take out holiday insurance, which includes cancellation cover.

If our cottages are not available or don't meet your needs, why not visit http://www.franceonecall.com/ for other possibilities. Please mention our membership No. 9969