Choose from our wide range of cottages, farmhouses and chateaux in the amazingly unspoiled Lot, the Lot et Garonne and the Tarn et Garonne - situated South of the Dordogne and North of the Gers near the rivers Lot, Dordogne, Tarn and Garonne in a beautiful and temperate area of South West France. 

The rivers meander through fields of maize, chestnut clad hills, oak forests, vineyards, farms and the historical hill-top Bastide towns before winding its way to the flat open plains of the Landes and Garonne basin. This open countryside of gentle hills and valleys provides the visitor with a total sense of freedom.

The Lot valley is situated South of the Dordogne and North of the Gers, near the rivers Lot, Dordogne & Tarn and Garonne in a beautiful and temperate area of South West France.

about 600 miles: Calais     -     490 miles: Le Havre
420 miles: Caen and Saint-Malo.

We have a temperate climate with mild Winters, long mostly sunny Spring and Autumn seasons and Summers are pleasantly warm - though be warned, it can be very hot. 25 to 30 degrees or more are typical summer temperatures, with occasional Saharan bursts of 40 degrees. (And, although drier than the Dordogne, we have magnificent exciting thunderstorms, which clear the air after any prolonged period of humidity). 

For the most part, the air is clear and the evenings pleasantly warm and there is often a gentle breeze to counteract the warmth of the sun. Swimming pools should reach 25/30 degrees in normal sunshine.

The landscape is greener than other typical holiday areas. The terrain is a mixture of rolling hills, wide valleys, small farms, and pretty market villages. Visiting the Lot valley, where there are few main roads and almost no traffic, takes you back to a rural England of 30 years ago yet with all things French that so many of us dream of. 

The area offers some of the most reasonably priced restaurants to be found in France – you can still find a 4 course meal for 65 francs! The cooking can be simple fare typical of the farming communities of the South West fresh from the many local markets. At the other end of the scale, there are a number of top-class restaurants for the special occasion.

And don’t forget the local wines and vineyards – Duras/Bergerac, Buzet, and Cahors ( a fine and complex dark red wine much appreciated by the French since mediaeval times) – visit the Chateaux and taste them before you buy. 

Well signposted walks, cycling, riding, fishing (daily and weekly licences readily available), tennis, canoeing and swimming are all widely available and popular in the region. There are water sports at Temple and on the large lake where the Tarn and Garonne rivers meet near Moissac. The local population is very friendly and tourists and foreign residents are made extremely welcome – all contributing to a calm leisurely life-style.

The area is steeped in history being part of the battlefield of the Hundred Years War. Many of the castles, villages and towns were built by the English (a large part of the area became British owned in the 13^th Century on the marriage of Eleanor of Aquitane to Henry II). The mediaeval new towns are known as Bastide towns and have remained largely unchanged. They are often in stunning hilltop locations built around arcaded market places – some of the more beautiful being Monpazier, Monflanquin, Tournon d’Agenais, Puymirol, Lauzerte.

Richard 'Coeur de Lion' the Lionheart sallied forth from a, now ruined, hilltop stronghold in Penne d'Agenais.  Of the larger towns Moissac is of great architectural interest having a Romanesque abbey and cloister, Agen has a fascinating old quarter, Cahors was a flourishing commercial university city in the middle ages and is, of course, world famous for its dark red full bodied wine. It is sited on a loop of the river Lot, which is spanned by the 14^th Century ‘Pont Valentre’ a remarkable mediaeval military bridge.

The Chateau at Bonaguil is one of the finest examples of 15^th Century architecture. And don’t miss the magnificent Chateau at Biron. Or the prehistoric caves (including the ‘Sistene Chapel’ of painted caves), the troglodyte habitations, museums, zoos and of course the larger towns - the very French and unspoilt Cahors, the picturesque Villeneuve-sur-Lot with its restaurants overlooking the river and the Pink city of Toulouse – a truly cosmopolitan and vibrant university city.

We are about 600 miles from Calais/Le Havre and only 400 miles from Caen/St Malo. Toulouse and Bordeaux International Airports are within 1 to 2 hours drive of most of our properties. The fast TGV stops at Agen giving rail connections to several local railway stations.

The A10, A62 and now the A20 (almost complete) Autoroutes offer fast access by car to south west France. The Mediterranean, Atlantic and Pyrennees are all within two to three hours drive of the Lot Valley.

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