About this property
At the end of a winding dirt path lined with dense evergreen forest lies the splendid hamlet of Grande Carre, a collection of 200 year old stone farmhouses and a new glass-walled building with modern yet perfectly integrated styling. The houses form a U-shape around a central gravel courtyard lined with olive trees that proceeds into a large private swimming pool.
Set within peaceful rolling fields, and pine and oak forests, Grande Carre is surrounded by 14 hectares of luscious gardens bejewelled with delicately coloured blossoms. All this natural beauty compliments the original stone work of the farmhouse buildings, the light blue window frames, and the steep sloping roofing, all pristinely reflected in the huge glass facade of the newest structure.
The local Dordogne region is France’s best kept secret, with a charming and well preserved history and a rich culture of wine and gastronomy. The hamlet layout is ideal for groups who value their privacy, yet still appreciate the communal space afforded by the swimming pool and the several fabulous dining areas.
Grand Carre is conveniently situated just 2km from a little village with a boulangerie and a convenience store. Within a further ten minutes drive there is a supermarket (open to noon Sundays), bank, post office, restaurants and more.
The Dordogne area itself is beautiful and extensive outdoor activities as well as authentic and quintessentially French villages are all within a 45 minutes radius.
Don't miss the chance to visit the unesco medieval market town of Perigueux.
If you're a wine lover, you can follow the 'wine trail' from Bergerac (40 minutes) through to St Emillion and all the way through to Bordeaux and beyond. The location of Grand Carre is recognised for being a fabulous place for culinary and gastronomic excellence; foie gras, truffles and vineyards a plenty!
Accommodation
Grand Carre consists of three buildings, two authentic farmhouses and a central living space; the beautiful contemporary glass-fronted house which is located on the edge of the oak forest. There is one weber charcoal bbq for you to enjoy your summer.
The first of the farmhouses consists of two en-suite bedrooms, a living room with inviting stone fireplace, dining area and a fully fitted modern kitchen.
The second farmhouse consists of two bedrooms with a bathroom and a further en-suite bedroom, large living area with stone fireplace, dining area, and pantry.
The lovely new house, as well as offering fabulous amounts of natural light, offers dining for 12, a large seating area with fireplace, a mezzanine library, a television room with Satellite TV and also a mezzanine with a seating area including a sofa bed, and a private bathroom.
Interior:
Farmhouse 1
-1 master en-suite w/1.6m x 2.03m bed
-1 double en-suite w/2 single beds 1m x 1.95m
Farmhouse 2
-1 master en-suite w/1.6m x 2.03m bed
-1 double w/2 single beds 1m x 1.95m
-1 double studio w/2 single beds 1m x 1.95m
-1 bathroom w/shower
Outside Grounds:
- Private heated swimming pool (13m x 3.2m, 4.5m wide at the entry steps into the pool)
Reviews (2)
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Anne
Beautiful setting. So peaceful and relaxing, quite isolated yet just a short drive to the village and then to the larger towns . The accommodation was superb. Well equipped kitchen, very tasteful furnishings, the beds were comfy. We spent most of our days at the pool, plenty of sun beds. We ate outside a lot , yet there were plenty of places inside that we could have chosen. The family building was a place we used many times, just to relax and play games etc. We do villa holidays a lot and this was one of the best. The owners Alex and Alex were on site in their own place, they were attentive yet not intrusive.
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Clare W
We have just returned from a very enjoyable week at Le Grand Carre in the Dordogne with a group of 12. The property is fabulous - 3 separate buildings, each with a different style, set on 3 sides of a square with the pool at base. Two old French stone barns and a very modern barn style building. In the middle of the courtyard is a table where we all congregated to eat by candlelight at night. It is furnished to a high standard with an eclectic mix of old and very modern designer furniture. The property sits up a hill so the view of the pine forest and fields beyond is lovely. The gardens are very pretty and the smell of lavender wafts through the air and across the pool. The location is great - the countryside is beautiful, and the local villages and towns are very historic and picturesque. The old town of Perigueux is very attractive and the towns along the Dordogne River are also very historic. We spent a day canoeing down the river, which was great fun. Not a place for people looking for wild nightlife but perfect for us! During our stay, two charming "Guardians", Christine and Peter looked after us and made us very welcome, quickly helping to sort out any minor issues. They were very friendly and helpful without being intrusive. As I said, we had a party of 12 staying. The accommodation is large enough, but just be aware that the double bed in the modern building is only a 140cm sofa bed with a metal bar down the middle. It is also at the top of the building and there is no ventilation or aircon, so it can be hot in the middle of the summer, although it did cool down at night.. The bathroom is behind a curtain, without walls or a door. The people staying in that building have the short straw, as the other bedrooms are lovely and the beds were very comfortable and the bathrooms well equipped (with doors!). Several of our party said they slept much better here than at home. Future guests should also be aware of the 800 Euros damage deposit payable on arrival and the 350 Euros cleaning charge, payable in advance, which is very expensive. This was mentioned in the Ts&Cs, but I missed it when I booked and nobody brought my attention to it. The only other very minor comments are that the pillows are not very good and the kitchen equipment is lacking. Only 12 knives and forks for 12 people does not go very far and there are not enough bowls etc. Having said all that, we would absolutely recommend Le Grand Carre. We had a great stay and will certainly return to the region.