Explore beautiful bastide towns and UNESCO world heritage sites, browse eclectic local markets, drift down the Dordogne, indulge in delicious local cuisine, take advantage of endless walking on your doorstep. On returning to this traditional gite, you can relax by the stunning pool, wander around the 11 acres of grounds, linger over preparing meals in the poolside kitchen, curl up on a rug by the lake, or simply enjoy a sundowner on the terrace catching the last of the evening’s rays. The space A well loved family house, Moulin de Pomette has been restored to retain a feel of an authentic French gite (with all mod-cons in the new kitchen) and offers guests a peaceful haven to get away from it all. The house sleeps 10 in 5 bedrooms (2 adjoining) with two bedrooms on the first floor and three on the second floor making it perfect for two families sharing or a group of friends. The completely private 10m x 5m swimming pool and pool house are a particular feature with full catering facilities, seating for 12 on the terrace, dishwasher, oven, built in barbecue, fridge freezer and separate toilet. The house sits in 11 acres of grounds which include a lake, canals and a river which all support an abundance of wildlife including deer, pheasants, boar and the extremely rare hoopoe bird, more usually found in Africa. Accessed via a tree lined drive, there is plenty of parking. Moulin de Pomette is managed by a lovely local couple who live in the next door village and also keep their horses in the grounds. They are always on hand if you need anything, and speak English, Dutch and French. Up to 2 well behaved dogs welcomed (chargeable per stay). Bedroom 1: First floor king bed with ensuite (bath with rain shower over, basin and toilet) Bedroom 2: First floor twin with en-suite (shower, basin and toilet) Bedroom 3: Second floor king with bathroom on the landing (shower, basin and toilet) Bedrooms 4 & 5: Second floor double with ensuite (shower, basin and toilet) walking through to a twin bedroom with 2 single beds. Like most traditional gites, the first floor living room is the heart of the home and provides comfortable seating for 10 and is adjacent to the well equipped kitchen. NOTE: there is no level access to Moulin de Pomette. All entrances have stairs as is tradition in this part of France – the ‘ground floor’ is a level below the living quarters used as storage. The first floor, therefore, is the main entrance to the house and at all three entrances is up some steps. Location The house is 1hr 30 mins from both Bergerac and Brive airports, a 2hr drive from Toulouse and if coming by ferry, 7hrs 30 mins from St Malo, Dieppe, Caen and Le Havre. The nearest town is Cazals (a 20 minute stroll or 5 minute drive) which has a lively and pleasant Sunday market. There is also a small supermarket with excellent butcher, two bakeries, a fabulous deli, a tabac / newsagent which sells English language newspapers, a pharmacy, bank and post office as well as two excellent restaurants and a bar. Carrefour and Lidl supermarkets can be found at Gourdon, 20km / 25 minutes away. The house is open to guests from early May to the end of October each year. All bookings are on a week long basis with a Friday changeover. Check in is from 4pm, check out by 10am. Things To Do Loubejac Night Market Don’t miss out on this! The market takes place every Thursday from 6.30pm, Place de la Halle, Loubejac, from 7th July until 1st September. Buy the food you fancy from the local producers’ stalls, sit down and enjoy. Take your own cutlery. There is a sheltered area in case of rain. Visit Puy-l’Eveque & Prayssac Just 25 minutes’ drive from Moulin de Pomette, Puy-l’Eveque is a picture postcard French town nestled on the banks of the Lot. The town also the centre of the Cahors AOC - Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée - meaning it is the heart of wine production with the Cahors label. After taking in the beautiful scenery, head 5km upstream to Prayssac and choose from a wide array of restaurants for lunch. There is an excellent market in Prayssac on Friday mornings too. Getting out on the water Famous throughout the world for it’s historic riverside towns, excellent restaurants and fabulous architecture, the Dordogne river is definitely best explored from the water. A half day or day canoeing down the river is not to be missed. For places that suit your particular destination, search ‘canoeing on the Dordogne’ and browse the many options within a 40 minute drive from Moulin de Pomette. For those looking for more active watersports, especially for the children, head to AquaMonkeyIsland, where you can experience the inflatable course, swim or rent a paddle board on the lakes. There is also a playground and snack bar on site. Gouffre De Padirac One of the ‘must sees’ of the region and truly worth the trip, a visit to Gouffre de Padirac takes you 103m below ground level to an enchanting and spectacular cave with a river running through it. Take the 1hr 30mins guided boat tour - booking in advance is highly recommended and tickets can be purchased on their website. Combine your visit here with a stop off at Rocamadour (see below). Rocamadour Just 8km from Gouffre de Padirac, Rocamadour is a spectacular medieval village and UNESCO World Heritage Site. As well as a pilgrimage destination, the village is also home of 'Cabécou' cheese which is made with unpasteurized goat's milk and has been designated the AOC quality label. Grottes De Cougnac The two caves (the first discovered in 1949, the second in 1952) are known for their limestone stalactites as well as fine prehistoric paintings of animals and human forms. Dating back between 12,000 - 30,000 years, they are among the oldest figurative drawings open to the public. The caves can only be accessed via the official tour, each one restricted to 25 people- book more than one day in advance on the website or on the day by phoning. Cahors The capital of the Lot, Cahors has two UNESCO World Heritage sites: the medieval Valentine bridge and the Saint -Etienne cathedral, both well worth a visit, as are the Roman ruins. Restaurants are plentiful, all of which are a gastronomic delight. The town also hosts the largest of the local markets which takes place outside the cathedral in the market square on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. There is also a covered market which is open Tuesday to Saturday. Cahors is 32km south east of Cazals. Villefranche-Du-Perigord 14km south of Cazals, Villefranche-du-Perigord is the oldest of the 18 bastide towns of the Perigord region. It was founded in 1261 by Alphonse de Poitiers and is centred around ‘La Place de la Halle’, a charming square with a traditional open sided market hall and houses dating back to the 13th century along its sides. It is the perfect place to stop for a coffee after picking up something tasty in the fabulous bakery. Guest access Guests have access to the entire house and grounds during their stay.