ENJOY A HOLIDAY IN DORDOGNE, SOUTH WEST FRANCE

Location

The village of Creyssac lies on the north bank of the river Dronne, midway between Ribérac and Périgueux, in the department of the Dordogne, in South West France.
It is ideally situated for discovering Bourdeilles with its famous chateau and other delightful architecture including a wonderful boat shaped mill; Brantôme, referred to as the Venice of Perigord because of it location on the river, with its abbey and monastery gardens; Villars with its magnificent caves of stalactites and stalagmites; Petit Bersac with its Gallo Romain museum of locally discovered artefacts. Creyssac itself has its own Palaeolithic remains which were excavated over 16 summers by Time Team’s very own Phil Harding and other international archaeologists. There is a magnificent monolithic church at Aubeterre, the pretty hillside town just over the county border in the Charente.

For the more active visitor wanting to enjoy the countryside with its abundance of flora and fauna the area lends itself to walking, cycling (there is mountain bike hire available locally at Renamont, Montagrier and other nearby towns), canoeing (hire available, see below) and horse riding.

Creyssac has a population of about 80 souls. There is a snack bar, “Le Cabanon”, on the bank of the river Dronne at the “Communale”, about 300yds from the house. This is also a stop off stage for canoes coming down the river from Bourdeilles or Brantôme.

Your accommodation is in the centre of the village, opposite the East end of the Norman period church.(see photograph of view from bedroom 1).

Creyssac is an hours drive from Bergerac airport, which is served by Ryan Air (Stansted, East Midlands , Liverpool) and Flybe (Southampton, Birmingham, Exeter, Bristol) both of whom frequently offer cheap flights.

Accommodation

The accommodation occupies three levels of an old terraced farmhouse in the centre of Creyssac. It sleeps a maximum of five adults, having three bedrooms.

UPPER FLOOR

Bedroom 1

Double bed, washbasin, shower and bidet en suite.

Bedroom 2

Double bed, washbasin and bidet.

Bedroom 3

Large single bed.

Shower Room

Washbasin, bidet, shower and W.C.

Kitchen / Sitting Room

Open plan, with a reasonably well equipped kitchen area, with dining area and armchairs

MIDDLE FLOOR

Sitting Room

This has windows all down one side, separating it from a covered over balcony on which to enjoy breakfast or aperitifs whatever the weather.

LOWER FLOOR

Stairs from the middle floor lead down to the washing machine and double doors leading out to the garden.

GARDEN

The garden is quite large and has a stone built barbecue. Plastic garden furniture and a parasol are provided,

Bedding and towels for use in the house are provided.

PRICE

Gas, water and electricity are included in the price, which is £200 per week, plus a returnable damage deposit of £100.

Climate

Except in midwinter, the climate of Dordogne is statistically milder than that of England. Normally, summery weather can be expected from May till October.

Leisure Activities

There is a lot to see and do in the area, and pretty much something for everyone.

Golf

There is an 18 hole course at nearby Périgueux (28kms)

Tennis

Courts at both Bourdeilles and Lisle (both 4kms)

Fishing

Lots depending on season! Licences available from the local bar.

Beaches

There are river beaches on the river Dronne at Renamont (2kms), where there is a bar restaurant (recommended) and live music on Saturday nights during the Summer.

Another beach at Lisle (4kms) has a small buvette during summer and is opposite a good restaurant (the Moulin du Pont). The restaurant offers a varied menu and also breeds and sells fresh trout.

The largest beach is at Aubeterre (30kms). It too has a snack bar and the attractive adjacent town has many shops, bars and eateries.

Horse riding

Bourdeilles (4kms) and Tôcane (10kms)

Rock climbing

Rochereuil (1km) Paussac St Vivien (5kms)

Canoeing

Canoes are available for hire at all the river beaches and also at Bourdeilles and Brantôme.

Historic Buildings

Too many to mention really, but here are a few: Chateau at Bourdeilles, Abbey at Brantôme, Monolithic church at Aubeterre, Vesône tower and cathedral at Périgueux, Chateau at Puyghuilem, Chateau at Hautefort etc, etc.

Grottes and Caves

Villars (30kms) Fantastic caves with stalactites and stalagmites, beautifully lit.

Rocamadour, over an hour long drive, but worth a visit. There are many other caves to visit in the region.

Flora and Fauna

Of all types of flora, this area boasts a huge variety of orchids; bee, monkey, spider, lizard and autumn ladies’ tresses, to name but a few. There are humming bee moths and humming bird moths, hoopoe, golden oriole, deer, badger and wild boar. Fire salamander are not uncommon and on summer nights you can expect to see glow- worm punctuating the darkness.

Vineyards

There are a great many vineyards in the region and it is impossible to mention them all. Here are a few:-
In the Bergerac direction there is Monbazillac, with some very pretty chateaux. Towards Bordeaux there is Pomerol, Lalande de Pomerol and St Emilion to name a few. Most of the chateaux offer tasting, but be prepared to buy something.

Markets

There is a market somewhere in the area every day of the week, sometimes two, so you will be spoiled for choice:

Monday. Tôcane (10km) and Chalais (35kms)
Tuesday. Lisle and a tiny one in Ribérac.
Wednesday. Périgueux.
Thursday. St Astier.
Friday. Ribérac and Brantôme.
Saturday. Périgueux

Bars and Restaurants

There are a lot. The nearest are at Lisle, where there are three bars and one restaurant. At Bourdeilles there are at least three bars and two restaurants and an expensive hotel restaurant. Tôcane has two bar restaurants offering four course meals with wine at 11€.

Shops

Both Lisle and Bourdeilles have many small shops for usual provisions. Both places have boulangeries where bread and cakes can be bought.

Supermarkets

There is a moderately large supermarket with a filling station at Tôcane (10km). Large supermarkets can be found at Ribérac, while there are hypermarkets at Périgueux.

Banks

Credit agricole has branches at Lisle and Tôcane. There are branches of several other French banks at Ribérac and Brantôme.

For booking details please phone

01522 546147 or

0844 232 7448
(3p min from UK Land Line)

or email info@wineandwater.co.uk