Aquitaine in the Lot et Garonne

In the centre of a charming, historically interesting, hilltop village, a few minutes' walk from the banks of the Canal Lateral and the River Garonne, is this enormous and popular old village auberge, which has been in the same family for 75 years.

The village has good basic services, including a bank, post office, chemist, 2 butchers, 2 grocers, baker, weekly market, a second (much smaller) bar/café and a marina with mooring and boathiring facilities. The C12th church is famous for owning an original painting by Rembrandt.

The village is quite a tourist trap in summer and the auberge opens for meals at lunchtime and in the evening - reservations recommended. The bar and the restaurant are always well populated, however, and even on a cold Wednesday in November there were 24 clients lunching in the restaurant.

Further afield - a 10/15 minute drive - are  the larger towns of Marmande, Casteljaloux and Tonneins. The Atlantic Coast and the airports at Bordeaux and Bergerac can all be reached in an hour.

Accommodation. Ground Floor - 450m²; First Floor - 250m² + 100m² attic for possible conversion. Second Floor - 250m² attic for possible conversion.

Ground Floor

¨     The entrance to the auberge is directly into the bar, via a pair of enormously tall arched, glazed doors.

¨     The bar 25m x 7.2m has a high, ornamentally plastered ceiling, fitted banquettes along two walls, a long, centrally placed bar and an area for bar billiards, table football and gaming machines. The far end has a wall of glazed doors which open onto a terrace for summer dining.

¨     Two sets of lavatories with basins - men's and women's.

¨     A large dining room, 15m x 7m, with a fireplace and large arched windows, opens off the bar and can accommodate at least 60 diners.

¨     A second dining room, 14m x 6.5m, with a large woodburning stove and 2 windows, can also accommodate 60 diners.

¨     Family dining room, 4.5m x 5.5m with big open fireplace.

¨     Kitchen, 6m x 3m with a window and a deep sink. This needs to be completely gutted.

¨     Utility room, 3m x 3m, leading off the kitchen.

First Floor

¨     The owners no longer take guests so the former hotel bedrooms are now used exclusively by the family, or left empty.

¨     The entrance to the residential quarters is to the side of the bar, via the original old oak double doors, into a spacious hall, 6m x 4.5m.

¨     A massive staircase leads to the landing and the bedrooms. There are 7 bedrooms plus the owners' salon. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom or shower room. Some have a private wc.

¨     Bedroom (1), 3m x 4.50m, with double doors to the landing, window, carpet, and plastered beam.

¨     Bedroom (2), a massive room, 7.2m x 5.5m, with a fireplace, an alcove for the bed, and double doors to the landing.

¨     Bedroom (3), 5.5m x 6.5m, with window, fireplace and magnificent original built-in cupboards.

¨     Bedroom (4), 6.5m x 3.5m, with 2 windows.

¨     Owners' salon/bedroom (5), 6.5m x 4.3m, with window, fireplace and fitted wardrobes - no en suite bathroom to this room.

¨     Rear Landing giving access to further bedrooms:

¨     Bedroom (6), 3m x 4.7m, with a window.

¨     Bedroom (7), 3m x 5.4m, with a window.

¨     Bedroom (8), 3m x 6.5m, with 2 windows.

¨     Large loft for possible conversion - 100m².

Second Floor