Location: Daglan, Aquitaine, France, Europe (1 Hour from Bergerac International Airport)
Accommodations: Cottage, 2 Bedrooms + Bunk Area, 1 Bath (Sleeps 5)
Keywords: Cottage
On La Prairie Estate is our sweetest little house, Mado'hargreaves, which sleeps 5 people in comfort. A cozy cottage that has all the necessary comforts for your holiday.
On the first floor is the kitchen and the living and dining areas which are separated by the stairs leading to the first floor. The kitchen is fully equipped and the entire house is newly painted with new curtains. On the first floor are the two bedrooms.
The double bedroom has French doors overlooking the lawns and the twin bedroom has a lovely feature bed which is reached by a small ladder. On the landing is the French Box bed. On this floor there is also the bathroom that has a bath with a shower head, a toilet and a basin.
The terrace is private and has no obstructions from the other houses. Wonderful views across the fields and valleys. In the courtyard is the wonderful play barn for the children that has a huge variety of books and toys and there is also the laundry room which is fully equipped.
Up on the top lawn is the children's play area complete with two log cabins, two swings sets, a slide, football and table tennis. The swimming pool has been designed to incorporate a beach for the children which has proved very successful with the youngest ones; many have taken their first daring steps off into the blue!
We have also kept in mind that the pool is a sharing pool and private space is essential so that is why the terraces are large and everyone can have their own privacy. There is a beautiful covered pool house for those very hot days and plenty of wooden sunbeds.
The surrounding area to La Prairie offers so much to do; for the adventurous there is Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Tree Climbing (the teenagers and Dads especially love this activity!). There is a fabulous Golf Course in Vitrac, Horse Riding, Hot Air Ballooning. Restaurants are abundant (the loveliest one just happens to be in Daglan) and the choice of Castles is stunning.
The only problem you will have while you are here is the fact that there will just not be enough time in which to see and do everything!
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Washer : There are 3 washing machines in the laundry room.
- Dryer : There will be a dryer in the newly refurbished launddry room from 2012!
- Linens Provided : Of course all linen, tea towels, bath, hand and pool towels and bath mats are provided.
- Garage : A covered open garage is provided.
- Covered Parking
- Off Street Parking
- Parking for RV/Boat/Trailer : There is the room for off loading roof boxes/trailers.
- Gas Fireplace : There is an adorable little log effect electric wood burner that heats beautifully but the house is also fully equipped with radiators for the cooler months.
- Beds
- Queen Bed : A comfortable queen bed.
- Twin/Single Bed
- Bunk Bed : A little tricky to describe the bedroom! One of the beds is high up, access by a small ladder. The children LOVE this bed and all vie for it of course!
- Entertainment
- Cable/Satellite TV : There is cable TV on a large flat screen. All the channels necessary too: CNN, BBC for news and CBBC too. Music channels, cartoons, films etc....
- DVD
- VCR
- Video Library : There is a video library provided in the toy room for the children to use in the toy room.
- CD Player
- Ping Pong/Table Tennis
- Shared Pool : La Prairie has a fantastic swimming pool which is shared by the houses on La Prairie estate. There are plenty of sun beds, shaded areas so everyone has their own space. It has a submerged beach, steps and a covered pool house for the very hot days! The pool is open from the 1st April through to the 30th September every year.
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : The kitchen is fully equipped. Anything missing? Let me know and I will buy it for you.
- Cooking Utensils Provided : Everything I can thin of has been provided.
- Refrigerator : New for 2012 will be a large fridge/freezer.
- Dishwasher : Of course!
- Catering Available : Catering is available by an English speaking French chef who lives locally. He is unique.
- Outdoor Features
- Charcoal BBQ Grill : There is a charcoal bbq on the terrace.
- Deck/Patio : A lovely terrace at the back of the house with 2 sunbeds and cushions. No better place for reading than here!
- Communications
- WiFi (Wireless Internet) : There will be wifi available free of charge at La Prairie from January 2012.
- Suitability
- Pet Friendly : Yes, welcome to our furry friends but please remember no dogs at the pool and please pick up after them!
- Handicapped Accessible (may have limitations) : We consider that this house is fairly suitable with those with small disabilities as the stairs are shallow and the terrace with no steps.
- Kid Friendly : We have raised 6 children here, so it is as child friendly as we can make it!
- Smoking Not Allowed : Smoking allowed OUTSIDE only.
- Activities
- Golf
- Tennis
- Shopping
- Kayaking
- Boating
- Swimming
- Biking
- Mountain Biking
- Wildlife Viewing
- Fishing
- Hunting
- Health/Beauty Spa
- Basketball Court
- Antiquing
- Live Theatre
- Miniature golf
- Horseback Riding
- Hot Air Ballooning
- Zoo/Wildlife Park
- Restaurants
- Hiking
- Rock Climbing
- Cinemas/Movie Theaters
Rate Details (In Sterling, Dollars etc.)
Winter .. £400/week
Apr ..... £410/week
May ..... £485/week
Jun ..... £595/week
Jul ..... £720/week
Peak .... £830/week
Sep ..... £490/week
Oct ..... £450/week
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 1996
Hello Everyone!
Well, after browsing the photographs in my online album I decided that the best advertisment would be a photograph of our wonderful children who have made La Prairie what it is today. Inspired by them from the beginning, they have all lived here, The Farmhouse being especially important, as it is here that Huckleberry came at 2 days old and where at the age of 5 years, 8 months and 2 days, Nadia arrived from Burundi in Africa to be a part of our weird and wonderful family forever.
As for us, I and David, well, what to say that you would want to know?! You can't go and blow your own trumpet can you? But I can blow David's and let you all know that he is the Master Craftsman who has done it all. We came to France back in 1986 in order to work and to stay somewhere just after our marriage in the April of that year. We quite simply never went back to England. We both spoke French as I had been educated here for 4 years whilst living in Normandy with my parents and David had spent many winters in the Alps. We lived and worked all over France before falling for La Prairie in 1996. We have spent the last 15 years accomplishing what we have now and are still at it! We love what we do, love La Prairie very much and can't wait for 2012 to start although we don't finish this year until the end of October. The winter months will be very welcome in order to work in the houses making them lovelier, replacing what needs to be replaced, adding new and up to date essentials and mainly to re-do the laundry room and the entire re-surfacing of the pool terrace with stone cobbles which we are greatly looking forward to. We hope that you will come and stay with us very soon.
Why the Owner Chose Daglan
Why did we choose the Golden Triangle of the Dordogne? Well, because of its proximity to 1001 castles, the nearness of Daglan, La Belle Etoile in La Roque Gageac, the history, the river itself, the people, the climate, everything in short. We came across La Prairie quite by accident though. It was in 1995 when we were living about an hour away in the Lot. We came over this way because we had heard tell of its incomparable beauty. We did as we had always done and drove around the country lanes, avoiding the busy parts of the area. This led us to Le Peyruzel. Destiny? Undoubtedly. Easy? No, not at all. We loved it here although there was nothing but some ruined buildings and weeds and brambles 7ft tall. We offered a price. Accepted with joy on both parts then turned down as 'family' wanted to buy it. Fortunately for us 'family' decided against it at the very last minute and we jumped in as quick as possible and signed over the money before it could happen again. We had seen the extraordinary potential, the position of the property was unique. All was needed was hard work and we had plenty of that to give!
The Unique Benefits of this Cottage
Perhaps the best thing about living here at La Prairie is the peace and quiet. You could be a million miles from problems that beset the rest of the world yet we are so close to noise, ferment, news and people if we choose. I find that a rare combination.
Also, there is the village of Daglan which is so beautifully maintained and so French and so welcoming.
Walking the dogs is a treat not a chore as is the gardening. Spring comes very early here too. By the end of February there are many signs that the warmer weather is returning: the Black Redstarts are nesting early, the swallows appear at last, the dandelions come out and the light changes. You can rise at 5.30 in May and be greeted by deer and rabbits and maybe, if you're lucky' a shy wild boar. The air is warm already, the promise of another day of unbroken sunshine. And then there's lovely Sarlat of course, a fabulous town, so rich in culture and history that even after 30 years of living in France, I still find this town fascinating and love nothing better than having tea in one of the cafes along the side streets.
Property Photos
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- The Double Bedroom - Daglan Vacation Cottage Near Community Pool
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- The kitchen - Daglan Vacation Cottage Near Community Pool
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- The Swimming Pool - Daglan Vacation Cottage Near Community Pool
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- The Terrace
Traveler Reviews (2)
Mado Hargreaves, La Prairie
Guest: Doodie
(Glasgow, Scotland)
Date of Stay: 07/17/10
Review Submitted: 03/05/11
We stayed at Mado last July for a week and liked it so much we are going back again this summer for a fortnight. The house was lovely which had my wife chirruping away happily, comfortable and well appointed. The pool and poolside was fantastic - quite the best we have come across in France. There were four other families staying at La Prairie at the same time, all with children, so our twin eight year old boys had a ball just haring about all day. Louise and David were very good, helpful and unobtrusive and didn't seem to mind our boys going round to play with their youngest all the time. There were loads of useful tips for things to do in a booklet laconically written by Louise which was very funny. We didn't do much whilst there as the sun was shining and we found it difficult to drag ourselves away from the pool and the fridge but we did go canoeing on the Dordogne, only about 2 miles away and ventured down to Rocamadour and the Lot which was beautiful. Daglan is very pretty with a fine restaurant, recommended by everyone so naturally we didn't go - we will go next year, particularly since Louise has promised to babysit. Result! Plenty of shops, boulangeries, markets and all that nearby in Cenac and Sarlat well worth a visit. Domme not so much since there are hoards of other tourists getting in the way but maybe worth it first thing in the morning. We would certainly recommend Mado or any of the other properties to anyone wishing a very relaxing holiday in an idyllic setting. Rent is very reasonable for what you get. You can get to La Prairie in about 12 hours from London and that part of the world (including ferry crossing) and journey pretty easy down the autoroutes (though credit card bill for the peages is always rather startling). Might see you there.
Recommended for:Families with teenagers, romantic getaway, pet owners, families with young children.
Guest: Ward Kramer
(Niagara on the Lake)
Date of Stay: 03/14/10
Review Submitted: 03/14/10
We stayed at La Prairie in May of 2009. What a wonderful experience! Centrally located, bright, cheery, well- equipped accommodations. Hosts were delightful! We hope to stay again in future.
Recommended for:
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #220950
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