Les Marteilles - self catering properties with swimming pool dordogne holiday villa

Introduction
This north west corner of the Dordogne is a lush green part of France with country lanes, green rolling hills, magnificent Chateaux, vineyards and sunflowers as far as the eye can see. The Isle and the Dronne rivers and their numerous tributaries wind their way through this splendid area, passing through numerous sleepy, rural villages.

Our region is known as the 'Périgord Blanc' due to the chalky subsoil. This is one of the sunniest regions of France without being oppressively hot, often providing fine weather from early April to the end of October.

Bordering on the Charente departement, we are only 320 miles from St Malo (about 5 driving hours) and 500 miles from Calais. The TGV high-speed train from Paris or Lille (Eurostar) calls at Angouleme, 45 minutes drive north. Airports at Bergerac, Bordeaux, Poitiers and Limoges are well within 2 hours drive.

Les Marteilles, our home, is situated just 2 km from Bouteilles-Saint-Sébastien where there is a bar/ restaurant, serving local produce on their pretty terrace. Within 4 km is Saint-Séverin that also boasts a hotel, bank, garage and several more shops. (The local bakery sells fresh bread and croissants from 8.00 am.) At 12 km, our market town of Ribérac hosts an array of leisure & commercial activities.

The administrative capital, Périgueux, is some 40 km distant and offers theatres, art galleries, museums, a main line railway station and plenty of large shops, all set off by a well-preserved and pedestrianised Medieval centre.

History of the Region The great cave sites around Les Eyzies and Lascaux harbour the earliest evidence of primitive art, suggesting that man lived in the Périgord some 500,000 years ago. It is known for certain that communities of hunters lived here 80,000 years ago. These places can be visited today.	The Celtic trading route to the coast maintained a wealthy influence over this area. Substantial forts were constructed to protect the main stopping points along the trade route, these same forts becoming important Oppidums of their day. And as political power changed, so did the chiefs of these power bases, passing to Gallo-Roman tribes.
Paussac	Tabaterie
Ceremonial influences are still visible, remains of Necropoles, burial chambers and cairns are numerous and in extraordinary condition.
The recorded history of P�rigord begins with the Romans who conquered the whole of Aquitaine around 56 BC and stayed for 300 years! The Romans built straight roads, aqueducts and spas for their new towns (the remains of which are still prominent) and planted the first vines, walnut, chestnut and cherry trees that continue today. From the coming of Christianity until the 18th century, this region was the battlefield for a series of conflicts. In 1152, Alienor (Eleanor) of Aquitaine married Henry Plantagenet who became King Henry II of England. Aquitaine (contemporary South-West France) passed to England. This land was disputed until 1259 when Aquitaine was formally ceded to England. Ensuing battles culminated in the Hundred Years War for Aquitaine (1345-1453), which the English finally lost, despite their victory at Agincourt in 1415 and perhaps due partly to Joan of Arc's intervention in 1429. The numerous 'bastide' (fortified) towns built by both sides to defend their territory are still in evidence today.
Chalais	This period was followed by the Wars of Religion in which Catholics fought Huguenots (French Protestants) in a series of guerrilla wars throughout the latter half of the 16th century. Our legacy is an abundance of Romanesque churches and Byzantine cathedrals, Benedictine abbeys and medieval towns, many of which are in constant use today. Look out for the 'Circuit Roman' road signs.

Modern attractions The numerous rivers offer canoeing, pleasure boat trips, fishing, bathing and, in the case of Brantôme, a smaller French equivalent of Venice.There is a large aquarium at Le Bugue, horse-riding at over 50 registered sites, karting, rock-climbing, hot-air balloon trips, roller skating and adventure playgrounds, all within an hour's drive of Les Marteilles. The river Dronne forms a magnificent reservoir at Aubeterre (12 km) that offers a pleasant sandy beach with lifeguard supervision in the summer, a dam more than 40 metres wide with an impressive waterfall, fishing opportunities and beautiful gardens in which to stroll or just relax.
For the young-at heart, there are several registered discos plus our very nearest live-music bar just 5 minutes drive away at Lusignac. The entire region is, of course, very well known for its gastronomy and its wines. You will find numerous good restaurants at reasonable prices. For eating in, we are close to several supermarkets and a vast number of bakers, butchers and delicatessen.	Aubeterre
For almost anything else you may need, an amazing shop called Merlaud, just 9 km away in Verteillac, probably stocks it!
And for up-to-the-minute local news, you will find tourist brochures and information in your villa on arrival.

Brantôme

Junipérus - Genévrier - Le Nichoir

Carol & Peter Hallam e-mail: holidays@frenchhols.com
Les Marteilles, 24320 Bouteilles Saint Sebastien, Verteillac. Tel: +33 (0)5 53 91 54 30
UK mobile: 07958 614 854