Beautifully Renovated 5 Bedroom Stone Country House

• Idyllic Country holiday home

  Idyllic Country holiday home

  • Guest judith B.
  • Date of stay 07/07/12
  • Review Submitted 08/20/12
  Le Bayle provided a wonderful base for our holiday in July 2012. We were a party of 9, two families with children aged from 9 - 17. The house is extremely well renovated to provide open living downstairs and the comfortable bedrooms upstairs. The games room and pool were well used by the children in the long leisurely afternoons. The classic tree shaded outdoor area with the long table for meals was hard to leave. When we did venture to the neighbouring towns for restaurants, the recommendations and information provided by the owners was invaluable and made us feel like locals. We would definitely recommend this property for its location, surrounded by so many of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", and its accomodation and rural location.

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• A Treasure to Share

  Guest comment entered by owner

  A Treasure to Share

  • Guest Lorrainen Tawse
  • Date of stay 05/05/12
  • Review Submitted 07/30/12
  A group of 23 friends from Australia, UK, Germany and Amsterdam travelled in/out over a period of 2 weeks to help celebrate a special ‘senior’ birthday. In summary - Le Bayle exceeded all expectations. Early engagement with Ben and Judy meant that we were able to share the wonderful tourism, wine and restaurant tips with our group and there was much pondering each day as to which of the many local beautiful villages was going to benefit from our visit and the resultant long lunch! The spacious, beautifully-renovated house and its grounds were perfect. The two lounge rooms and other internal and external communal areas meant that there was plenty of opportunity for private or convivial time. Access to wi-fi was a definite advantage for those planning onward journeys. Good weather meant that we were able to enjoy the beautiful outdoor spaces – swimming, petanque, dining al fresco, general lounging – but the chilly nights also saw us mesmerised and cosy by the wonderful open fire enjoying, with much camaraderie, the local wines and market-sourced terrines, cheeses, and other culinary delights. A special highlight was the celebratory meal for 10 prepared, cooked, served and cleaned up by Fabrice, the visiting chef. A sumptuous four-course meal prepared in Le Bayle’s kitchen and served outside in the garden, under candlelight, is highly recommended. Karinne, the property manager who lives next door was a great help in providing the initial tour of the place - a friendly wave each time we filled up her compost bin - and assisting with calamities such as a punctured tyre and finding local help to repair! All in all, a gem of a place – most highly recommended. Lorraine Tawse Northbridge, Sydney May 2012

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• A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY LOCATION

  A BEAUTIFUL HOLIDAY LOCATION

  • Guest Kevin M.
  • Date of stay 08/28/11
  • Review Submitted 09/07/11
  A wonderfully renovated home, superbly furnished and very practical for our adult family of 8. Delightful outdoor area with a beautiful pool (and games room). The hosts Ben and Judy were so helpful in assisting us to plan our holiday. They provided unbelievably good recommendations on the many villages in the surrounding area. Some cute, some charming, some pretty and some absolutely stunning. It was the same story on the restaurants - their recommendations were faultless. We enjoyed every single dining experience. A truly memorable holiday for the whole family - we'll be back

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, girls getaway.

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• Ideal spot for a family reunion

  Ideal spot for a family reunion

  • Guest Les Bartengs
  • Date of stay 07/10/10
  • Review Submitted 08/04/10
  Little to detract from a great house, in a great situation with great facilities. Owners very attentive from initial booking to post-holiday follow up. Caretaker on hand during the week for other queries. Living quarters excellently furnished and well organised - two large lounge areas inside; kitchen well equipped and perfectly placed for eating inside or outside under the tree every evening (as we did). Large trees over outside eating area give very welcome shade all day. Great flexibility for sleeping arrangements - 2 large well-equipped and 2 small bedrooms with optional connecting doors in main house plus Annexe bedroom; all with good access to washing and toilet facilities. Good sized secluded pool, plus table football/table tennis in cellar a great attraction for families. Car parking in the grounds for 4 cars. Local facilities in Les Quatre Routes (excellent boulangerie, cafe etc) accessible by bike or car (or a family member keen on early morning run) - a sleepy out of the way sort of place which add to the relative isolation of Le Bayle. But plenty of local attractions within less than 30min drive including the shrine, tourist shops and cliff perching buildings of Rocamadour; the red stone built village of Collonges-la-Rouge; Gouffre du Padirac - take a boat through amazing caves with stalagm/ct/ites galore well worth a visit (get there early to avoid huge queues in summer); canoeing from many points along the Dordogne the most relaxing exercise you can imagine; visit Le Pourquois Pas? in Floirac for excellent crepes and more varieties of beer that you'd care to remember; more extensive shopping and bars etc in Martel (great market on Saturdays) and InterMarche supermarket; Les Quatre Routes has a SNCF link to Brive-la-Galliarde so Eurostar from UK a travel option provided transport from station to Le Bayle can be organised. could go on - would definitely recommend.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, age 55+, families with young children.

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• Authentic French Experience

  Authentic French Experience

  • Guest Jaimie & Nicky
  • Date of stay 08/15/09
  • Review Submitted 04/15/10
  We arrived in August and stayed until January, so we are well placed to review this beautiful property. The house is big and comfortably accommodates large numbers of guests. Upstairs, there are 4 double bedrooms as well as 2 adjoining bathrooms and separate toilets (there is also a seperate apartment for additional guests). Downstairs has two lounge-rooms, both with enormous working fireplaces and antique furnishings. The open-style kitchen is impressively equipped for cooking the wonderful local produce, or simply preparing figs, plums, mirabelles and walnuts sourced from the garden! . Situated on a quiet country lane in a small hamlet, the grounds are spacious with perimeter fencing and plantings ensuring complete security and privacy, ideal for families with young children. The huge shaded courtyard is perfect for long lunches during the summer heat. The outlook over the magnificent pool and surrounding fields to the hills in the distance is particularly special. Over 5 months, we saw much of what the French consider to be the “real” France; stunning countryside, beautifully preserved medieval villages and chateaux, thriving local markets and a traditional agricultural industry that produces all the fresh produce for which France is famous. All are within a short drive, so a car is absolutely necessary. If you can access a bike, however, cycling through the quaint villages and rustic French countryside is a uniquely beautiful experience. The owners are incredibly knowledgeable of the local attractions, and happily provided us with insights into what was worth visiting, eating and drinking throughout our stay. There is also a wealth of information at the house or on the website for those wishing to work it out themselves. The property manager lives next door, which was handy for dealing with any issues or queries we had, especially as she speaks fluent English. Highlights of our stay include day trips to many of France’s officially classified beautiful villages and gardens, shopping at the numerous daily produce markets, and over-indulging on duck, foie gras and many of the other specialties of the region. Our other joy was simply spending time at the house, swimming in the pool, playing in the games-room, sitting by the log fire or just enjoying fresh food and a glass of wine in the peaceful rural setting. For us and our 2 young boys, it was a truly authentic French experience in a beautiful house, in the “real” France.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, age 55+, families with young children.

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• Fantastic French House

  Fantastic French House

  • Guest Alison R
  • Date of stay 06/01/08
  • Review Submitted 12/19/09
  You won't find a better holiday home than this in all of Europe. It's been beautifully furnished and is in a perfect location. We had two families staying together and it never felt crowded. The pool is fantastic and the house and surrounds are magnificent. Truly a dream holiday.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children, girls getaway.

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• Perfect Rural France

  Perfect Rural France

  • Guest John and Rosalind
  • Date of stay 05/18/09
  • Review Submitted 12/19/09
  We have stayed at Le Bayle twice for a total of 8 weeks, both with family and friends, and it won't be long before we are back again. A really beautiful and historic house, a friendly hamlet, wonderful markets in nearby towns with splendid local produce,and an abundance of wine. Cook for yourself or visit any of the quality local restaurants, of which there are many. Paradise for those who appreciate the good things in life, as we do, or just want to relax. A helpful neighbour/property manager who speaks good English, and is helpful with local sightseeing and marketing recommendations. Highly recommended.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, romantic getaway, age 55+, families with young children.

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• Formidable

  Formidable

  • Guest Elisabeth & Julien
  • Date of stay 08/01/09
  • Review Submitted 10/14/09
  Très belle location. La maison est rénovée avec beaucoup de charme, la piscine est superbe et très agréable. La région est très riche en visites. A recommander.

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• Relax and explore

  Relax and explore

  • Guest Macevans
  • Date of stay 09/27/08
  • Review Submitted 09/01/09
  A wonderful house with brilliant layout for families or couples sharing. It combines period detail and multipled living areas with new bathrooms and easy to use kitchen. The property was impeccably clean when we arrived and the owners had provided us with suggestions for local villages, food markets, michelin starred restaurants, caves to explore and places to walk / canoe. We have visited the house twice and would definitely go back again.

  Recommended for: Families with teenagers, sightseeing, girls getaway.

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Payment is usually accepted in the quoted currency (€) unless the currency and the amount is specifically agreed in advance with the owner / advertiser.

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