Ideal for a very large family, two families, or a family with grandparents or a nanny.
Sleeps up to 10 (plus 2 babies in cots) in 5 bedrooms.
At a glance Stunning views Heated, enclosed pool Welcome pack provided Baby pack available on request Plethora of baby equipment English speaking babysitting available Abundance of indoor and outdoor entertainment for children of all ages including a bouncy castle!
What Nancy thinks... Chez Vue is a delightful converted barn, set on top of a hill, with panoramic views over beautiful countryside. Its proximity to numerous villages means that this property combines rural tranquillity with the convenience of shops, bars and good restaurants.
If top of your list for a great holiday home is that the children have plenty to do so you can relax and ‘flop around', then this place is ideal. It has got an exceptional array of indoor and outdoor entertainment for children or all ages making this property a kiddie haven! Imagine sitting back and relaxing on the huge covered terrace with your G&T, quietly surveying the acre garden with its outdoor bouncy castle and numerous sports facilities such as golf, table tennis, badminton, petanque, and of course the enclosed and (always) heated swimming pool. You wouldn't need to bring a thing if you had a baby either, they really have thought of it all, and there's no shortage of a cuddly toy or two!!
The dedicated owners live on site in the farmhouse next door with their two children (however, you will have sole use of all the amenities). They will not only be willing to share their vast knowledge of the area and things to do with the children, but will also give you a taste of the goodies they grow in their huge veggie patch.
The bedroom layout in the house is great for two families and a nanny/ grandparents as each family would have close access to a bathroom and the nanny or grandparents would be slightly separate from the rest of the party by using the bedroom downstairs. If you did happen to want to venture further than the back garden (it'll be a tough choice!) Chez Vue is also perfectly located to visit all the various attractions of the Perigord, from historic interest to sports activities.
Inside The main entrance to the property is directly next to the car parking area around the back and accesses the sitting room, staircase, downstairs double bedroom and kitchen. The downstairs double bedroom to the left of the entrance hall has a tall narrow French window leading out to the front of the house with net curtains and a roller shutter (cutting out lots of light and allowing you those vital lie-ins if it's your turn!) The decor is neutral with an exposed beam ceiling; all the furniture is wooden and the linen bright and colourful. There is room for a cot.
The ‘country' style kitchen / dining room is accessed from the right of the entrance hall and through big double doors from the living room. It is extremely well stocked with, not only all the usual appliances, but also a few extras such as a Kenwood mixer, smoothie machine and coffee maker.
The dining room is furnished with a big 10-seater table (accessorised with highchairs and booster seats). This room is lovely and light thanks to double French doors out to the garden and a window looking out to the side of the house. There are plenty of toys available including 2 easels and 2 boxes full of toys (perfect for when mum - or dad! - is busy in the kitchen).
The living room, accessed via the entrance hall or through two big old double doors is a very big room; flanked with huge French doors all looking out over the covered terrace, the garden, and of course the stunning views. It consists of seating for 10 people. There is plenty of entertainment such as a dartboard, table football and wide screen television (receiving both English and French channels including several children's channels). There is also a Hi-fi and video player, plus a bookcase with a selection of books.
The house has a downstairs shower room and toilet, situated near the kitchen and the entrance area. This would be convenient for daytime use but is also convenient for the double bedroom on the opposite side of the entrance area.
Upstairs A big wooden staircase (gated top and bottom) in the centre of the house, leads up from the entrance hall to a gallery style landing and it's beautiful (original) roof structure above. All bedrooms are accessed from this one circular landing, as it is right in the centre of the house. The distinct arched window seen from the outside of the house links the front section of this landing with the equally unique balcony running the length of the front of the house (the garden side) plus wrapping around half of one side. There is a small wicker suite in place in front of the arched window to enjoy the views across the garden, or guests are encouraged to move them out onto the balcony once the children are in bed should they wish. At the opposite end of the landing (the rear section) is a fantastic ‘baby' area. Here one can find a wooden chest of draws with fold down changing table, a wooden cot, a travel cot, a beautiful Moses basket, a bookcase full of children's books and videos, plus many more pieces of equipment such as baby gym, extra changing mats, and an array of baby toys and teddies.
Parent point: It is advised that parents keep the French doors leading onto the balcony from the two double bedrooms and the landing upstairs locked at all times (with the key placed up high on a hook) to ensure young children can never access the balcony unaccompanied as the balustrade is very open and a child could easily slip through.
The first bedroom to the right of the top of the stairs is a beautiful double bedroom. This is probably the best bedroom in the house, as it has French windows on two sides of the room (leading out onto the balcony) and therefore maximises on the lovely views of the countryside both sides of the house. There is a shared ensuite bathroom off of this room, which also services the bunk bed room. It has a huge circular bath which no doubt will be very exciting for the children and a great way to get them all bathed at once!
Continuing on through the bathroom one enters the bunk bed room furnished with a wooden wardrobe. The big double window in this room looks out over the back of the house and down towards the owner's veggie patch.
The other door into this room exits onto the back section of the central landing area; once past the baby section mentioned earlier, one comes across the twin room. A lovely ‘fresh' feeling room, with two wooden single beds; plus a fitted wardrobe with shelf and hanging space. Between this room and the 3rd double bedroom are a bathroom and separate WC. Handy for both rooms and perfect for night time loo visits for the children.
The 3rd double bedroom is similarly decorated and furnished to the 2nd double bedroom, however it has fitted wardrobes and only one French door leading out onto the balcony.
Outside Set in an acre of grounds the house enjoys a southerly aspect, but has plenty of shaded areas for young children. The garden is mostly grassed, and except for a flat section of lawn by the house (on which the pool is situated to one side) slopes gently away from the house. The swimming pool is 10m x 4m; it's depth ranges from 1m to 1.5m, and it is heated to a constant 28 degrees, so there is no fear of your children slowly turning blue whilst they have fun. There are numerous adjustable chairs and sun loungers with soft mattresses, plus a selection of waterbeds, balls, boats etc.
The pool is fully fenced with self-closing door; in addition, as an extra safety measure, a security cover is put on the pool when not in use. There is also a solar heated shower in one corner of the enclosed pool area.
The beautiful oak balcony running the full length of the gite and down half of one side is a striking feature of the property and has fantastic views. It creates a very big covered terrace area underneath with lighting and a table seating 10, plus a small children's table with four small plastic chairs. All the outdoor toys are kept under the covered section along one side of the gite along with 2 barbeques.
Baby and toddler friendly: • Enclosed and alarmed swimming pool constantly heated to 28 degrees • Paddling pool • Playhouse, 2 slides, two swings (one for babies). • Bouncy castle with covered top (big enough for 8 children) • Sand pit and accessories • Outdoor games- football, golf, badminton, petanque. • Vast array of ride-on toys such as pedal tractors, bikes with stabilizers, baby walkers, trikes etc • Table tennis, table football, darts • Stairgates • Socket guards • Bed guard • Cots. moses basket (& linen) • Baby monitor with `walk about` handset • Microwave • Steriliser • High chair (s) • Booster seat • Hand blender • Plastic plates, cups and cutlery • Potty • Step • Changing mat • Bath toys • Bouncy chair • Baby gym mat • Baby rucksack carrier • Pushchair • Pram • Bike seat
For the children: Inside there is a box full of baby/toddler toys, table football (popular with the adults as well), a bookcase full of children's books, various board games and puzzles and a huge library of children's videos, plus children's channels on the TV. There are also plenty of soft toys.
Any of the baby equipment can be placed in any of the rooms; whichever suits your needs, help yourself. In the garden there is a playhouse, 2 slides, two swings (one for babies), and a commercial bouncy castle big enough to accommodate around 8 children. It has a covered top; protecting them from the sun while they play. Great for burning off that excess energy!!!
As the pool is heated to 28 degrees, children can swim even if the weather is not great; there are a lot of pool toys boats, rings and a paddling pool for babies. A plethora of outside toys such as pedal tractors, bikes with stabilizers, trikes etc plus a sand pit with loads of buckets and spades.
There is a football pitch at the bottom of the garden with a variety of balls for them to play with. Other sport options consist of a golf driving T and net, table tennis, children's badminton set and children's petanque. There is also a great horse-riding school less than a mile away, and an assortment of bikes both children's and adults, which guests are free to use.
Children are welcome to gather eggs from the chickens and ducks kept in the Witham garden, a great experience for children visiting from their homes in towns and cities.
And Beyond Being roughly in the centre of the Dordogne an area historically and still locally known as the Perigord, ‘Chez Vue' makes the perfect base for visiting the many attractions of the area. There are many prehistoric, roman and medieval sites, impressive caves, gardens, themed parks, many beautiful towns and villages as well as the stunning natural beauty of the area. In addition, the Perigord's numerous hilltop chateaux and defensive bastides are testimony to the bloody battles waged here during the hundred years war when much of the area was in the hands of the English.
If you fancy something a bit more physical there's:
Golf - there is an 18-hole course a fifteen-minute drive away complete with driving range and practice putting green. Green fees vary depending on the time of year.
Horse riding - There is a riding school just a 5 minute drive away. Costs 20 Euros per hour.
Canoeing - There are a lot of places to canoe, nearest to the house is the Dronne river, you can choose how far you want to go from a couple of hours to whole day trips. Further south you can canoe on the Dordogne.
Cycling - There are 100's of miles of country lanes in the area most of which have very little traffic. Or if you like off road cycling there are bridal ways and footpaths. Only 15-minute drive and you could have a go on the VTT track with different tracks ranging from easy through to expert. You can hire bikes there as well.
Surfing - the nearest surfing is at Biscarosse about a 2hours 30mins hour drive away, with miles of deserted beaches.
Fishing - The Dordogne is a great place for fishing, locally the river Dronne has roach, bream, barbel, trout. There are many specialist carp/trout lakes. You need a permit to fish, permits are either category 1 for rivers and lakes with game fish such as trout or category 2 for the rest. There is a 2-week permit you can buy specially for tourists.
Quad biking - There are several places where you can ride quad bikes. Whole days, half days or hourly.
Tennis - Almost every village has there own tennis courts, the nearest to ‘Chez Vue' is only a 5 minute drive.
Wine tasting - There are a lot of Vineyards in the area that you can visit especially around the Bergerac area.
Walking - There are hundreds of miles of "randonnees" (footpaths) in the area, with one passing right next to the property.
Water-skiing/windsurfing - At a lake about 1 hour drive away where there is a cable water skiing and windsurfing centre.
Lake/river beaches - Most villages that have a river passing through them have their own river beach. The nearest is only 5 minutes, but just a little further on there is a river beach where you can hire canoes and there is a bar restaurant throughout the summer. Bands play here on most Fridays and Saturday evenings.
About 45 minutes away is Lake Jemaye with sandy beach, children's playgrounds, volley ball pitch, cycling/walking tracks, several restaurants a pontoon you can swim out to and dive off. Throughout the summer months there are lifeguards and the water is sectioned off into areas of various depths. You can also fish here as the lake is stocked with large carp.
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