French country gite, within walking distance of pretty village

The property is in a great situation, near a lovely town but in a rural location with a fantastic open aspect from the pool area. There are a handful of houses in the hamlet of Le Borie and the local road runs past the property but it is all very sedate. The property is 1.5-2 miles from the town of Tocane -Saint-Apre where there is a small supermarket, an excellent bakery (Boulangerie), a cafe/bar and a superb bistro called Cafe Rouge. Although the property felt very private for us, it is in the grounds of another larger property and if this was occupied by owners or guests it would definitely not feel the same. The property has a rural, rustic character and has been tastefully converted I would say some 10-15 years ago plus has had a deep and generous pool added to it's grounds. Here ends the good news.... Unfortunately, the property feels tired and is in need of some TLC. On arrival I had to cut back some vines to gain access to the property and the front door patio area was overgrown and unusable until I again cut things back. The path to the pool area was a sea of rotting cherries from the tree, again I cleared a path. Inside, the property was full of spiders webs and didn't feel particularly clean, so we had an hour or so of cleaning to do. The bed was odorous and grubby, there was no washable topper on the bed so I imagine it was infused with years of sweat etc. The fridge was turned off on arrival and does not contain a freezer compartment, no ice with a G&T on an evening then, plus the food we bought en-route spoiled. I have never stayed anywhere, in my 20 plus years of going to France, that didn't have at least a small freezer compartment! As for the lovely deep pool, watch your feet, the decking at the pool steps is rotten with several nail heads sticking up. Plus the pool soon started growing green algae at a rate of knots and on testing the water the pool had very little disinfectant / chlorine in it plus a low pH level. My wife suffered upset stomachs and I gained an ear infection we believe both came from the pool. As I have had previous experience with pools, I cleaned the pool and got the levels correct to make the pool safe. The local lady who looks after the property for the owners, told me off for doing this but her idea of cleaning the pool was to put the "robot" in for 30 mins mid-week. On the note of mid-week, don't expect a towel / bedding change.

We have just enjoyed an enjoyable, relaxing week at this charming and characterful gite. We travelled as a couple, and although the gite is small, it had everything we needed to make the week perfect. We spent a lot of time in and around the pool during the day and made plenty of use of the bbq and outdoor seating on an evening. We do unfortunately rely on the internet on our holidays so was pleased to find the wifi signal to be fairly reliable despite the rural location. The gite is off a quiet country road and is completely private, however there are some other properties close by to avoid feeling totally isolated. The village of Tocane Saint Apre is only about 3km away, and has everything you might need including a boulangerie, boucherie and Intermarche supermarket. I would also recommend the bistro Rouge in the village for a delicious lunch at a reasonable price. Thanks also to Karen for the loan of her bikes during our visit - it was a lovely way to collect our baguettes from the village, but also to explore the local area. This gite is perfect for any couple just needing 1 bedroom, but would still like to have the outdoor facilities of a larger property.

Thank you so much for the most wonderful stay the cottage was perfect for the four of us We had such a memorable week , the views and surroundings were breathtaking.The pool was a huge hit with the kids , as was the English tv , as we went late August the nights drew in quickly it was nice to fill the evenings with . Karen has provided a fantastic Webber bbq which we used every night !! It had all the bits and bobs you need on holiday from abundance of towels to lovely luxury sun loungers !!! We all can't wait to go back !!!! Thank you again Karen

Thank you so much for the most wonderful stay the cottage was perfect for the four of us We had such a memorable week , the views and surroundings were breathtaking.The pool was a huge hit with the kids , as was the English tv , as we went late August the nights drew in quickly it was nice to fill the evenings with . Karen has provided a fantastic Webber bbq which we used every night !! It had all the bits and bobs you need on holiday from abundance of towels to lovely luxury sun loungers !!! We all can't wait to go back !!!! Thank you again Karen

Perfect location, very pretty scenery all the way around the gite. The gite itself was very private and quiet with plenty of outside seating areas to relax and enjoy the views. Inside was very clean and comfortable, and the building itself very quaint with lovely old fashioned beams and eye catching details. We found the gite was the perfect getaway from everything for us. Had plenty of pans etc if you wanted to cook, a good range of crockery, cutlery, cups, and drinking glasses. The bed was fantastically comfortable, and even in the heatwave of up to 39 degree days we had in the second week, the bedroom remained nice and cool. Great bathroom with huge shower, plenty of hot water at all times. Pool, was a nice size and great for cooling off in especially when the temperatures soared. About 3 k from the pretty little village of Tocane St Apre. We had some really lovely day trips out, went to various markets and pottered about in the beautiful countryside. Shopping for food etc was easy as there is a big intermarche just out of Tocane and a market on Mondays. It was made very easy to pick day trips out with lots of information left at the gite. We had access to the internet as well so all in all it was perfect for us. Karen was very helpful all the way along through our booking, and arrival. She gave us all the information we needed so it was a very easy and stress free experience. We really enjoyed our stay of just over 2 weeks and would love to come to stay again!

We had such a relaxed stay at this beautiful cottage. Set in the middle of lovely countryside, we had a very chilled week away. Karen provided everything we needed and was a superb host - leaving us wine and bread to welcome us at the cottage. The pool was lovely and the evenings watching the sun set were so good. We also travelled with a 5 month old and everything was great for the little one - including Karen providing us with blankets and a chair for him. Would go back in a heartbeat. A great place to unwind.

We had a wonderful stay in this beautiful gite. It is set in the most tranquil spot surrounded by rolling fields and woodland, ideal for a peaceful get away with great views. The pool is fantastic and gets the sunshine all day and into the evening's. The gite is well equipped and has such a comfy bed.You are close enough to the village, that is well served with a butcher, baker, supermarket, bar, restaurants etc. It is also ideally located to explore the whole of the Perigord region. Can't wait to go back.

My partner and I had a great holiday. We loved the location overlooking fields of sunflowers and 5 minutes drive or 15 minutes cycle ride to the village with its weekly market and boulangerie etc. We spent most days cycling down peaceful country lanes and roads to villages and towns where we'd have lunch, and then on arriving back at the house, diving into the pool and later, dinner on the terrace under the stars. This really is a complete 'get away from everything' location. Internet excepted though, we valued the wifi to help map out cycle routes and read up on the various interesting places we visited. The bathroom has a great shower, the kitchen - living area is small but well equipped and compact and cosy. The bed is big and comfortable. The property was clean and well-kept, and the owner and local manager could not have been more helpful. We definitely would recommend the house.