In the centre of a peaceful and historic village, Maison Forbes is a relaxing retreat from the hustle and bustle of the surrounding market towns.
Perfect for families and large groups. Maison Forbes is a beautiful, newly renovated home with 8 spacious bedrooms, generous well-designed living spaces and a large garden with a pool and sun deck.
The stunning partly-covered terrace is perfect for big groups to dine al fresco and enjoy the sunset over the picturesque countryside landscape.
The space
Maison Forbes is a large property, with an ideal central location in the quiet village of Saint-Avit-Sénieur - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Although it's now a comfortable family home, the house itself is of great historical significance as it is the birthplace of Leo Testut - a famous French physician whose work is still used in today's medicine.
Located approx 35 minutes from Bergerac Airport (ECG), Saint-Avit-Senieur is a picturesque village, calmer but very close to the surrounding market towns of Molières (5km - 8 mins drive), Beaumont-du-Périgord (6km -9 mins drive), Cadouin (8km - 10 mins drive), Monpazier (17km - 19 mins drive), Issiegaec (20km - 22 mins drive).
The village itself has plenty to offer with an 11th-century church (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) that is a part of the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela. There are also a few local arts & craft shops and a well-stocked Epicerie, selling fresh bread and excellent coffee. We're lucky to have a Michelin-recommended restaurant 'Table de Leo' and another bistro 'La Bougeotte' across the square, both under 100 metres from Maison Forbes.
It's a perfect destination for families and large groups wanting a relaxed getaway and to spend time together making memories in the French countryside.
About Maison Forbes...
GROUND FLOOR
Kitchen: Beautifully restored traditional French kitchen. It's well-equipped - boasting a large modern fridge-freezer, dishwasher and a stainless steel gas range cooker for those looking to embrace the wealth of fresh, local produce found on market days and dine at home.
Utility Room: Perfect for big groups and families, there is a separate utility room with a washing machine and WC.
Living Room: The well-designed living room is large enough for everyone to relax. The two three-seater couches and two accent chairs, perfectly frame the original sandstone fireplace. Ideal for those looking to curl up by the cosy log burner after a long day.
Bar: The bar room is a multi-purpose space, perfect for socialising, games and indoor exercise like yoga. It features a beautifully restored built-in bar area and stylish farrow & ball panelling throughout.
Dining Room: The dining room is a large casual space, with long tables and benches with enough space to seat all.
Patio Terrace: The large patio terrace overlooks the pool area and a landscape of rolling hills beyond. It has a gas BBQ. Its generous size means there is enough space to stretch out on loungers and for 16 to dine comfortably under the covered roof.
Garden/Pool: Stretching the length of the property, the garden overlooks a beautiful wildflower meadow below and the sweeping countryside landscape beyond. It's accessible via a beautiful set of grapevine-lined stairs just off the patio terrace. The garden is well-kept and surrounded by nature with lots of space for little ones to run around safely. It captures the sun all day and there is a generous, newly installed deck with space for multiple loungers/sunshades. The 8m x 4m pool is heated, well maintained with a luxurious soft lining and has an easy-to-use cover when the pool is not in use.
This is our favourite part of our home, it's so unique to the area and we have spent so many days relaxing here with our loved ones.
FIRST FLOOR(S)
There are 4 large master bedrooms on the first floor. Each room has a super king bed - with new memory foam mattresses - a chest of drawers and a clothes stand with hangers. They each have access to a bathroom, located either en suite or close by on the landing.
Bedrooms 1 & 2 are both accessible via the staircase in the living room only. Bedrooms 3 & 4 are both accessible via the staircase in the dining room only. Both staircases lead to the top floor and a corridor connects both sides of the house. Although a quirk, we find the two staircases - and divided sets of master bedrooms - bring a sense of privacy and calm to people staying with big groups of family and friends.
SECOND FLOOR
The 4 bedrooms on the second floor have two low single twin beds that can be joined to make a double bed or stacked for more floor space. There is one bathroom on this floor, with a toilet and shower. These rooms have sloped ceilings and low exposed beams, so are ideal for children and young people but comfortable for agile adults too.
Guest access
Guests will have full access to the property throughout their stay. There may be some locked cupboards/rooms that we use for storing items.
Other things to note
Please note that this is an antique property that has been recently, lovingly renovated so we ask everyone to treat our home with care and attention during their stay. Due to its age, there may be some quirks and if any issues arise then please let us know asap.
