The Thiviers Residence

dordogne, southwest france
7 bedroom - 7 bath
(0 reviews)
Cancellation: 30% off remaining weeks in May 2024
Travel dates:
1
Adults
1
Children (Ages 4-17)
0
Children (Ages 0-3)
0
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€684 - €1,298 per night (EUR)
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  • Air Conditioning
  • Baby Bath
  • Baby Monitor
  • Babysitter / Nanny
  • Backyard / Garden
  • Balcony
  • Bathtub
  • Bed Rails
  • Bicycles
  • Cabinet Locks
  • Changing Table
  • Chef / Catering
  • Children's Dinnerware
  • Corner Guards
  • DVD Library
  • DVD Player
  • Dishwasher
  • Elevator
  • Fireplace Guards
  • Game Console
  • High Chair
  • Housekeeper
  • Outlet Plugs
  • Parking
  • Pet-friendly
  • Pool
  • Pool Gate
  • Stair Gates
  • Television
  • Toys / Children's Books
  • Washer / Dryer
  • Wifi
  • Window Guards
SLEEPS 16
5 full / double
1 bunk bed
3 twin / single
1 toddler bed
sleeps 1
1 baby crib

Perks for the Parents

A beautifully renovated 17th century chateau set in 11 acre gardens with a gated outdoor pool, and pretty alfresco dining terraces overlooking the French countryside. It sleeps 14. The chateau's interiors are light and wonderfully spacious, thoughtfully updated with luxurious fabrics, design-led décor, and Starlink Wifi, preserving both period charm and original character. The well designed bedroom layout has the kids’ accommodation on the second floor, leaving the first floor for adults who might appreciate some extra peace and privacy. There is also a separate bedroom annex area within the house with its own entrance, ideal for an accompanying nanny. Downstairs, there's a cinema area, a pool table and plenty of games to keep everyone occupied. The kitchen is well set up for preparing family feasts and there are several dining areas to chose from, both inside and out. For parents seeking a break from the cooking, the hosts are happy to help arrange for an in-house chef or there’s a good selection of local restaurants in town, a short walk away.

Why Kids Love it

Designed with families in mind, there is plenty on offer for kids of every age with 11 acres of woodland to explore, lawns for ball games, and a large outdoor pool with a sun deck for splash abouts and relaxation. Inside, there are basketfuls of toys and board games, and a pool table, cinema style TV and top-notch internet for laid back evenings in. The kids’ bedrooms are playfully styled with a bespoke wooden cabin bed, and a fairytale bed complete with a crown canopy. Outside, there are plenty of walks from the doorstep via butterfly meadows, a wildlife packed lake and curious neighborhood cows who graze nearby. For teens seeking a bit of independence, the town is within walking distance, and younger ones wake up early might enjoy a morning bakery trip to pick up freshly baked croissants. For active kids, there’s plenty of sport on offer from tennis and canoeing to hiking and biking trails through the pretty local countryside or nearby natural parc of the Perigord-Limousin. The hosts can also help to provide a crib, highchair, baby bath and other essentials on request.

Things to Know

Minimum stay: 3 nights in low season, 7 nights in high season (summer). The hosts have their own young kids so the chateau is well kitted out for babies and toddlers. The pool has an alarm, and a gate. There is an unfenced lake but it is a good distance from the house (too far for youngsters to go alone). There are wooden stairs (and no ground floor bedroom) but they are wide with banisters, and there are stairgates available. The host’s housekeeper will meet guests on arrival and is available to help throughout your stay; they can arrange anything from extra cleaning and babysitters to an in-house cook if requested in advance. Please note that gardeners come weekly to look after the gardens. Unusually for a rural location, there is excellent WiFi throughout the residence via Starlink. There’s a utility room with a washer/dryer and pool changing facilities/shower. There is private parking on site and a car is recommended to fully explore the area. Dogs are welcome but please speak to the host before booking. Winter 2024 and 2025 – the hosts will be opening the Grange with 2 good sized, ensuite bedrooms (double plus 2 singles), allowing the house to accommodate up to 20 guests.

About the Location

The chateau is located in Thiviers in the Dordogne region of France. It is a 10 – 15 minute walk into the center of town where guests will discover a good selection of bakeries - the hosts can tell you their favorites for cakes and morning croissants. There are also 2 pharmacies, 3 supermarkets, an amazing butcher and some notable restaurants including a pizzeria that is rated by the host’s Italian family members. There are some excellent family restaurants in the wider area, including some Michelin listed offerings for which the hosts can provide details. The town has a local train station with links to Bordeaux, Périgueux and Limoges which are all visitable on a day trip. Popular local activities include tennis and golf – both available in Thiviers – as well as canoeing, cycling, walking and bird watching in the Périgord-Limousin Natural Regional Park, just 15 minutes’ drive. The nearest airports are Limoges (60km) and Bergerac (85km).

Accommodation Details

The Chateau has 6 ensuite bedrooms set over 3 floors. The main floor has a stone-flagged entrance hall leading to the main living areas: a large living room, games room and a TV room. The kitchen has been recently refurbished with top of the range appliances and is fully stocked with 2 dishwashers, 2 fridges, a microwave, stone sink, a table seating 8 and a wood burner. There’s a separate dining room with a large table seating 8. There’s also a utility room with a washer/dryer and a shower/ pool changing room. On the first floor there are 4 bedroom suites, all with double beds, antique furnishings and ensuite bathrooms. On the second floor there are 2 bedrooms 1 with a bunk bed and a toddler bed, and 1 with 3 single beds; both have ensuite bathrooms – 1 including a bathtub. Outside there is a pretty mix of landscaped grounds with a herb garden and lawns and wilder areas including a wild flower meadow, woodland and a lake. There’s a 6 x 12m swimming pool, a ping pong table, and 2 alfresco dining terraces with tables – 1 overlooking the valley and the other by the salon for easy inside/outside dining.

Style Notes

Classic French chateau. This romantic manor house was built in the early 17th century and was owned by the same family for over 300 years with only 2 subsequent owners, resulting in the preservation of its historic features and character. The current owners have painstakingly restored and sympathetically renovated ensuring none of the original mouldings or period detailing were lost in the process. The result is a graceful and elegant home, with original towers, beautiful wooden shutters and sweeping grand interiors which are both spacious and wonderfully cozy. Each room has a unique style, furnished with handpicked wallpaper, fabrics and pictures. The house features some British and French antiques, as well as Italian antiques from the host's family and an Asian influence due to the host family living in Asia. We love the chateau’s enchanting setting, affording exquisite views across the rolling countryside and valleys from its beautiful terraces, bedrooms and its outdoor pool, where guests can soak them in while reclining on the sun deck.

Payment policy
When a host accepts your booking, we will automatically charge your card 30% of the total cost of the stay on acceptance if the check in date is more than 6 weeks away. We will send you a balance payment reminder at 6 weeks before check in and you will be required to submit your payment to finalise your reservation. If a host accepts your booking and the check in date is 6 weeks away or less, we will charge your card 100% of the total cost of the stay on acceptance.
Cancellation policy
For cancellations notified up to 6 weeks before the check in date, guests will receive a refund of any amount paid less 10% of the total cost of the booking. For cancellations notified at 6 weeks or less before the check in date, no refunds are given unless the host agrees. If a host does agree to a full or partial refund, this amount will be returned to the guest less 10% of the total cost of the booking. Some hosts will also allow a stay to be rescheduled. Guests should contact their host for further information regarding any request to change the dates of a stay.
Richard S.
Member since February 24, 2024
Contact Host
Richard (a strategy consultant) and Poppy (a fashion and travel writer) met in London but are now settled in Singapore. They bought the house so that their extended families (Richard's in the UK and Poppy's in Rome) could get together for long family holidays across generations. They spend around 3 months a year there but have also made it a place so others can also hopefully enjoy the house and surroundings as much as they do and experience life in a 400 year old castle.

Dordogne, Southwest France

The green heart of France

The rural farming heart of France is a fantastic destination for a family getaway, amid fields of sunflowers and pretty market towns. The Dordogne river itself is good for canoeing and swimming, and there are castles and chateaux to explore, caves painted with prehistoric images and, this being France, sensational food.