Sol du Mazel

Sol du Mazel has two connected, open-plan kitchen and living areas occupying both ground floors. The well equipped kitchens should have everything you need. While there are comfortable sofas inside, most people sit under one or other of the two abris to relax and dine outdoors.

Upstairs in Rose Barn there is a double bedroom which can take a cot, a twin room which can also take a cot, and a bunk room with full-size beds. Upstairs in Hope Cottage there is a double bedroom which can take a cot and a twin room with two sumptuous single beds.

We make a point of being child friendly and have pretty well all the equipment needed for babies, toddlers, kids, tweenies and teenagers. Please check with us should you require particular items.

The setting is beautiful, quiet and rural, yet close enough to the village of St Pompon to take a morning stroll down the age-old footpath to the boulangerie for fresh croissants. On the other side of the valley the woods are home to deer and wild boar, often seen at dawn if you manage to get up that early.

Watch the children play on the trampoline, play fort or climbing frame while the grown-ups build up the energy to read a book in a hammock or from the shaded gazebo overlooking the meadow. Later, enjoy a barbecue under the abri, or visit the gourmet restaurant in the village (remember to book). From late June to the end of August, every Saturday evening the village square becomes the Marché Gourmand Nocturne, a street party where everyone is welcome and all sorts of food and drink are there to enjoy.

We have free WiFi on 2 Gb fibre broadband, so streaming and working from the gîtes is no problem. Should you visit over Christmas or the cooler months, the huge wood stoves and a plentiful supply of logs keep you toasty and warm.

Sarlat-la-Canéda (15 minutes) is a medieval market town of golden stone with a famous Saturday market. Domme (15 minutes) is one of France's most beautiful villages, with sweeping valley views. Château de Beynac (20 minutes) sits on limestone cliffs above the Dordogne. Lascaux IV at Montignac reproduces the prehistoric cave paintings in full.

For families: canoeing on the Dordogne from Vitrac and Cénac, hot air balloons over the valley, the topiary gardens and play areas at Marqueyssac, falconry at Château des Milandes, tree-top adventure parks, river beaches, and the Monkey Forest at Rocamadour (45 minutes).