Once a silkworm factory, tannery and pottery, now a special self-catering spot to which fresh bread and croissants are delivered each morning. Against a pastoral collage of lavender, thyme, river and canal, discover a constellation of sandy stone gîtes around a sturdy bastide. This is the home of lovely Françoise, Belgian-born, who, in high season, does a weekly table d’hôtes at a lively long table. It took her a year to convert the gîtes so beautifully; each is spacious, fresh and uncluttered, naked stone walls contrasting with rich colours. There are open-plan sitting rooms with corner kitchens and coffee machines, terraces, barbecues and snow-white linen. Each has something special: Le Billiard gets three terraces; L’Atelier (over a little stone bridge) is wheelchair-friendly; La Voûte has a vaulted sitting room and a scarlet sofa. Saunter past the old mill wheel to a pale, pale pool framed by lawns and heaps of loungers. How to keep busy? The list is long: hilltop forts, Roman ruins, wine-tasting, tennis, hiking and biking and, come autumn, truffle-hunting with Françoise. A gorgeous hostess, a gem of a place.
A very friendly and relaxing place with lots to do, such as borrowing bikes, playing volleyball, table tennis or swimming in the pool. Lots of space for children. These are lovely, smart gites with comfortable beds after all that fresh air.