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

Eat, drink and make merry en famille – this rambling farmhouse cries out for it. Young parents Jennifer and Doug have transformed the lovely old blue-shuttered stone house into a great getaway for extended families – or it divides into two smaller units. The heart of the Main House is the kitchen with its lapis lazuli tiles and huge table by the fire; there's a terrace for sun-dappled lunches. The Annexe – reached via the Main House's living room or a separate entrance – is just as well-equipped. In bedrooms, some adjoining, is a mix of quaint raggedy walls, exposed stone and new beds. Ground-floor rooms (better for the less than nimble) open to the garden, where cherries, plums and figs burst with fruit in season; a veg patch is yours for the picking; hens cluck out breakfast eggs. Or have a swing and a splash in the pool; it's heated. There's a billiards table in the barn, a barbecue on the terrace, a brand-new mini cinema and a bar. Ask Jennifer for baby baths, stair gates, babysitting. Even little legs should manage a walk to the fun market town of Monsegur. Good beaches and picnic spots are close by.