Palmier - Au Coin des Arbres

Palmier is a two-bedroom barn conversion in the Périgord Pourpre, sleeping four in a small hamlet of self-catering gîtes near Biron. It stands within four acres of garden, meadow and woodland at Au Coin des Arbres, where the owners live on site and a quiet lane runs out to walking and cycling routes that begin at the door.

Inside, the ground floor is open-plan beneath oak beams: a fully equipped kitchen with dishwasher and oven, a dining table, and a sitting area warmed by a wood-burning stove on cooler evenings. The two bedrooms, one with a king bed and one with twin beds, share a bathroom with a walk-in rain shower. Fibre wifi, a smart TV, board games and books are all to hand, and families with young children will find a cot, high chair, baby bath and safety gates ready.

The day tends to gather outdoors, around the shared 13m infinity pool, open from May to September, with a pool house and sun loungers. A covered communal terrace with a built-in barbecue looks over a fishpond, with room to eat outside as the evening cools. On-site bicycles and a ping-pong table fill the hours between, a local wine is waiting on arrival, and the owners can arrange château and winery tours, or a visit to the prehistoric caves nearby, on request.

Biron village and the Château de Biron are two kilometres away, and the arcaded square and Thursday market of Monpazier a ten-minute drive further. Bergerac airport is a 40-minute drive. With the footpaths and cycle routes running straight into orchard country from the door, Palmier suits a first, unhurried week in the Dordogne.