Property Overview
- Sleeps: 10
- Bedrooms: 2 doubles, 3 double/twins
- Bath/Shower Rooms: 4 bathrooms (with showers)
- Rent per week: £3,580 - £4,900
- Key features: Fabulous farmhouse
60 acres of grounds
12 x 6 metre pool
Pool house
Perigord Vert countryside
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miles.maskell@anglofrenchproperties.com
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La Valade
Located in the stunning Dordogne countryside, La Valade is a gorgeous renovated farmhouse set in extensive, lovingly tended, gardens and grounds. The House is luxurious and stylish throughout, with 5 bedrooms and a full-size swimming pool overlooked by a huge, well equipped pool house which provides one of three charming settings for eating al fresco.
"Set in what was to us an undiscovered and beautiful part of France, 'La Valade' is indeed a hidden treasure. Nestling in the enchanting valleys of the 'Périgord Vert', this stunning property allowed us to unwind completely, and to immerse ourselves in the very best that France has to offer. And such a wide variety of things to do and see - restaurants, magical towns and villages, shopping, tennis on the nearby courts of St. Saud Lacoussière and Miallet, good golf courses, poolside lunching, siestas, and drinks and dinner under the stars. And at the end of the day, the comfort of its vast beds and snowy white pillows, knowing that the following morning one would again be greeted by the magical views all around, and by the start of another glorious day."
Simon J. Lycett, London, England
La Valade is a French farmhouse that has been lovingly renovated and updated. The result is an extremely comfortable property where our family had two blissful weeks. The house is set in unspoit farmland, with wonderful walks and picturesque villages nearby. Having young children, we appreciated the powered safety cover on the heated swimming pool. We also thoroughly enjoyed digging for victory in the vegetable garden! I hesitate to call her simply a "cleaner" as our visit was enriched by the extremely helpful Jude, unobtrusive, efficient and full of humour, a star to go with a star property.
John Hardy, Somerset, England
"Our high expectations of 'La Valade' before arrival were totally exceeded. It is a truly beautiful house, set in a stunning garden, a gorgeous place to stay... Brilliantly equipped, fabulous kitchen, beautiful bedding, great bathrooms, we wanted for nothing. The owners were exceptionally helpful and friendly throughout, and along with Miles Maskell at Anglo French Properties, we were provided with a truly 5-star service. Can't wait to return!"
Tara Stift & Family, London, England
Accommodation
Whilst this exceptional farmhouse includes parts dating back to the 16th century, La Valade has been beautifully restored and renovated with considerable style and flair.
Ground Floor:
- Entrance Hall – wonderfully light and airy. Open to the exposed house rafters, overlooked by the upper gallery (see below) and with an attractive double staircase to the first floor. French doors lead to a dining terrace seating 10.
- Dining Room – very spacious and open-plan, with a table seating 10 at one end and an island unit, drinks fridge and dishwasher at the other.
- Kitchen – up a short flight of steps and very well equipped, with a breakfast table seating 10, a stainless-steel gas cooker with 6 hobs and 2 electric ovens, a second dishwasher, a large fridge/freezer/ice-maker, a microwave, blenders, toaster etc. There is also a CD player/radio and lots of CDs. Next door is a larder.
- Utility Room - with a washing machine, dryer, an ironing board and an iron etc. There is also a boiler/drying room.
- Cloakroom with a W.C.
- Sitting Room – large yet cosy, with an imposing wood-burning fireplace and large comfortable sofas.
- Study/Libary - with Wi-Fi internet access, a fax/printer and a range of English language books. (There are numerous other books in various rooms throughout the house).
- Games Room – very spacious, with 2 pianos, a CD Player/Radio and French doors at both ends. A second staircase ascends to the first floor.
- Bedroom 1 - with a 6 ft (1.8 metre) bed which can be split into 2 singles. An en suite (Bathroom 1) has a bath, walk-in shower and a W.C. (This bedroom is suitable for wheelchair users with access to the entire ground floor via ramps, as well as to the garden, the pool and its surroundings).
First Floor:
- Gallery – beneath the magnificent raftered ceiling and overlooking the hall, with a wood-burning fireplace, comfortable sofas and armchairs, a large-screen satellite TV (receiving both English and French language programmes) and a DVD player.
- Bedroom 2 - with a 6ft (1.8 metre) bed which can be split into 2 singles. An en suite (Bathroom 2) has a bath with an overhead shower and a W.C.
- Bedroom 3 - with a 6ft (1.8 metre) bed which can be split into 2 singles, an armchair and French windows. A large en suite (Bathroom 3) has a bath with an overhead shower, and a W.C.
- Bedroom 4 - with a 5'6" (1.65 metre) bed.
- Bedroom 5 - with a 5'6" (1.65 metre) bed.
- Bathroom 4 - with a bath, walk-in shower and a W.C.
Steps lead to a sixth bedroom and en suite bathroom which is not available to tenants.
Garden & Grounds
La Valade stands in 23.5 hectares (nearly 60 acres) of lovely gardens and grounds with a sweeping crescent drive to the south-facing front of the House, where there is ample parking space.
The owners are keen horticulturalists and have created the colourful garden virtually from scratch. Expansive lawns are planted with a variety of trees, whilst all around are shrubs, flower beds and roses. On the south side is an orchard with, amongst other trees, quinces, pears, plums, apples and crab apples.
French doors at the west end of the hall lead to a dining terrace with a table which seat 10, shaded by a large sun umbrella. Another terrace with a table which seats 6 is easily accessed from the kitchen and ideal for breakfasts.
A wide flight of steps lead to the heated, filtered swimming pool which measures 12 × 6 metres. Roman steps provide access to the shallow end (1 metre) which slopes to 2 metres at the deep end. The pool has an electric, retractable cover which should be closed at night for safety's sake and to retain the water temperature. The pool is also slightly saline (equivalent to human tears) which helps keep the water crystal-clear without the need for chlorine.
Around the pool there are lots of sun beds, 2 swing chairs and a hammock. Overlooking the swimming pool, there is also a superb, roomy pool house which is open on 2 sides and has a table which seats 10, a charcoal-fired barbecue, a fridge, sink and a CD Player/Radio. Off the pool house is a changing room with a walk-in shower, wash basin and W.C.
There is a table tennis table with nets, bats and balls.
Location
La Valade is situated 10 kms inside the border of the Dordogne and the Haute-Vienne départment of South West France, equidistant from Périgueux and Limoges.
The House is set in the tranquil, rolling countryside of the Périgord Vert, with marvellous views of woods and fields, the nearest of which belong to La Valade.
There are 4 nearby villages, all between 5 to 12 minutes' drive, providing some handy shops for provisions and several simple-to-very-good restaurants and pavement cafés.
The closest towns are Thiviers (15 minutes' drive) which has an excellent Saturday market, and Nontron (20 minutes) with 3 supermarkets. Stunning Brantôme, known as the Venice of the Dordogne, is 35 minutes, whilst the beautiful, pedestrianised, medieval city of Périguex is 45 minutes away. Limoges - one of the china-making capitals of the world - is roughly the same distance.
The nearest access to the autoroute system (the north-south A20) is 30 kms. Bergerac airport (also called Roumanière) is approximately 80 kms (1½ hours) and Limoges airport is about 45 kms (45 minutes), both with some international flights. The major international airport of Bordeaux (Mérignac) is 120 kms.
There are express trains from Limoges to Paris and elsewhere. In addition, the super-fast train, the TGV, stops at Angoulème (about 60 kms).
Additional Information
- The cleaner, Jude Hennig, is employed by the owners for 2 hours per day on 4 days per week, her tasks including making beds and cleaning the bathrooms and kitchen. She is willing to work extra days and/or hours, which tenants should agree direct with her and pay at the rate of €12 per hour. The garden is maintained at the owners' expense.
- Bed linen, bath and pool towels are provided free of charge and will be changed on a weekly basis.
- The House is cared for by their neighbour, Sian, who lives nearby and who will meet tenants on arrival to show them around the House and grounds. Sian should be contacted if the pool heating is required and she is also responsible for pool maintenance. She is paid by the owners.
- Provided sufficient notice is given, a part-time cook and/or a babysitter can probably be found. His/her/their wage will be the tenants' responsibility, and can be ascertained in advance. Should tenants so wish.
- La Valade is an year-round House with under-floor central heating throughout the ground floor, radiators in all the rooms on the first floor, plus wood burning fireplaces in the sitting room and gallery
- There are telephones and Wi-Fi internet access in the study/library. Unfortunately, mobile/cell phone reception isn't very reliable from either the House or the grounds.
- There are 3 separate sound systems - one in the main part of the House, a second in the kitchen and the third by the pool. All 3 have an iPod socket.
- There are 2 cots with bedding, and a high chair.
- There are hair-dryers in every bedroom.
- There is a huge selection of English-language books, CDs and DVDs, plus a variety of board games and packs of playing cards.
Things to See & Do near La Valade
- La Valade has a very useful information folder which, apart from important telephone numbers including a doctor, dentist, plumber, electrician etc., provides details of when and where local markets take place, local supermarkets and shops and restaurants in various price brackets etc. It also lists many interesting churches and other ecclesiastical buildings, a number of chateaux and gardens that are open to the public, plus many fascinating towns and villages in the immediate area.
- There's an outdoor tennis court in Miallet (10 minutes' drive), and 2 in St Saud Lacoussière (12 minutes). Booking details are in the information folder.
- There's an 18-hole golf course near Périgueux (Golf de Périgueux) and another near Ecuras (Golf International de la Prèze), both about 40 kms.
- This is fabulous horse riding country and there are livery stables near Beynac called Les Ecuries de Milhac de Nontron (10 minutes away), as well as at Brantôme.
- The House has a tandem bicycle whilst others bicycles can be hired at St Saud Lacoussière. There's a 2-hour bike ride nearby on a track which was once a railway line.
- The information folder provides details of the many marvellous walks in all directions. Close to La Valade, for instance, are signposts marking one of the ancient pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela in north west Spain.
- The nearby river Dronne offers canoeing through the magical town of Brantôme and then on to Bourdeilles with its Chateau and its beautiful 14th century abbeys.
- The caves called Les Grottes de Villars are worth a visit as are the truly remarkable prehistoric caves of Lascaud near Périgueux.
- There's a very professional go-karting circuit just north of Nontron. There's also a paintballing centre in the vicinity. See the information folder.
- There are 2 locations nearby for hot air ballooning. See the information folder.
Rents & Terms
2017 Rents and Terms
|
May & October |
£3,580 per week |
|
June & September |
£4,240 per week |
|
July & August |
£4,900 per week |
Unless otherwise agreed, all rentals will begin and end on a Saturday and will be for a minimum of one week. Tenants are required to arrive between 4pm and 5pm on the commencement day, and to leave no later than 10am on the agreed day of departure. They will be met on arrival by Vince and/or Sean (See Additional Information).
A deposit of 25% of the rent will be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing the Rental Agreement, with the 75% balance to be paid 6 weeks prior to the commencement of the tenancy.
A Booking and Security Deposit of £500 will also be payable to Anglo French Properties Ltd on signing this Rental Agreement. This will secure the booking, and will cover the cost of: (a) telephone and fax calls made on the house telephone during the tenancy, (b) replacing/making good any losses, breakages and/or damages incurred during the rental, and (c) any exceptional cleaning work which may be required at the end of the tenancy. It will be refunded (less any deductions as outlined above) within 4 weeks of the tenancy's conclusion.
Unless otherwise agreed, there should not be more than 10 people including children and babies staying at La Valade at any time.
Tenants should advise Patricia and the Agent of any breakages, losses and/or damages. This is in lieu of an inventory.
The owners' insurance policy requires that all outside doors are locked, and all windows are closed whenever tenants are away from the property for whatever reason.
Please do not smoke in the house.
Fires are a constant risk in the hotter months. Please therefore be careful when extinguishing cigarettes outside and also when using the barbecue in the pool house.
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