Special Places to Stay - More than a bed for the night

You can walk from the garden to Issegeac – small, medieval and perfectly formed. Visit on a Sunday and the market will be in full flow. As for the gîte, it's in the left wing – the old wine pressoir – of an 18th-century manor house in a six-hectare park and is really quite grand. In the central courtyard is a fountain that plays, in the grounds is a pool overseen by handsome old trees. Inside are a cream-tiled ground floor (cool in summer) containing sitting room, dining room and kitchen, a couple of bedrooms, too; upstairs is warmly oak-floored with rustic pale rafters. Furnishings are classic: upholstered dining chairs, a bluer-than-blue sofa with armchairs to match, decorative antiques in dark heavy wood – more Spanish than French – and a fireplace fronted by a red Persian rug. Bedcovers are flowery, fleur-de-lys or toile de Jouy, bathrooms have big chequerboard tiles. It's spotless and smart, and spacious both inside and out: great for hide and seekers and footie fanatics. Bring the family! Madame lives in a distant wing and helps you plan your forays.