|
Home
BUSE Sleeps 8
PAPILLON Sleeps 6
HIRONDELLE Sleeps 6
HIBOU Sleeps 6
The Property
Heated Swimming Pool
Why this region?
Local Attractions
Prices
Location
Conditions of Booking
Booking Form
Availability
Payment By Credit Card
Partners
| |
South
of the Cricket Line
Driving
south from
Limoges
in Limousin, the landscape and architecture suddenly begin to take on a more southerly
look. Instead of grey slate, the roofs become terracotta tiles with quaint
sloping angles. Instead of grey granite, the walls become honey coloured
limestone or rusty red sandstone. Cooler, greyer northern France
is left behind and you enter Aquitaine
and
Dordogne, where in summer the crickets sing from dawn till dusk, followed by the
nightingales. You have crossed the invisible line into southern France!
You
will not want to travel much further if you have driven from a channel port that
day. So what have we here in northern
Dordogne
bordering on Corrèze
and Haute-Vienne? This is the borderland between
France
and Aquitaine, scene of so many battles during the hundred years’ war, a land of stunning
fortress chateaux, built mostly to keep out the English - or the French,
depending on which side of the border they happened to be. Some towns were
repeatedly sacked, pillaged and burnt by the opposing armies. One castle, Excideuil,
withstood two sieges by the English king, but the town around it was burnt to a
cinder. In Excideuil
also was born the first troubadour, Bertrand de Born. Perhaps the whole idea of
chivalry came from this little area in Périgord. Enough of history – what
about the weather?
Long
hot summers last from May until September. Just enough rain keeps the landscape
deliciously fresh and green. It is, after all, called the Périgord Vert, and
even when there is a dry summer it does not turn the landscape brown or glaring
white (as it can so often be only a short way south). Winters here are
delightful, with frosty dry weather, sunny days and very little snow. When it
rains it is usually very wet, but mild. Spring and autumn are distinct seasons,
reliably unreliable. The colourful local farmers’ markets keep pace with the
seasons so you know where you are in the year. Temperatures are a noticeable
degree or two higher than in Limousin, but only rarely reach the dizzy
heights so frequent in the Midi and
Mediterranean
regions.
This
is the undiscovered corner of Aquitaine, quiet, unspoilt and rural. Fewer Britons have bought here than have been
descending on the fashionable river
Dordogne
area. Being an hour away from the tourist hot spots means uncluttered roads
throughout the summer and easy access at all times of the year.
One
huge advantage is the easy access to Limoges, Bordeaux
and Bergerac airports flying direct to many
UK
cities. Brive
also is soon to have a brand new international airport. The new A89 motorway
provides good links to
Bordeaux
and the coast to the west, and to the ski slopes of the
Massif Central
to the east. The A20 links the area to
Paris
and the north, and to Toulouse
and the far south.
Based upon an article
by Luisa Copeland from Dream Properties Dordogne Ltd and reproduced with her
kind permission www.dreampropertiesdordogne.com
This is what makes La
Roche Chabrelle a superb destination for your holiday whether you are a family
or just a couple. If you are house hunting then 2 of the gîtes come with
heating, UK & French TV and free Internet access.
|
