St Meard de Dronne holiday farmhouse: Riberac

Trying to find a villa that would appeal to three separate families with children aged from 1 to 10 was a tall order, but Le Cheval Blanc was the perfect holiday home for us all. The house is big enough not to feel cluttered, with plenty of bedrooms, bathrooms and living space. We were two families with three children for the first week and three families with six children for the second week and, even then, it felt spacious and comfortable at all times.

The villa is very well thought out - from the playroom and outside play area for the kids, to the huge gas barbeque, table-tennis table, bar area, and plentiful books and DVDs for the adults. There is also a bar area and a book of cocktails for you to experiment with. Outside, there is ample seating and a wonderful "swing" seat in the corner, perfect for enjoying the last of the sunshine (so idyllic was this spot that I've installed a similar seat in my own garden). My only criticism of the layout, and it's minor, is that the kitchen is tucked away at the back of the house - all the more reason to use that barbeque! For small children, there's a high chair, blender, beakers, plastic plates, bath mat, etc., etc. Everything has been thought of.

The pool is separate from the main house - good if you have small children - and there are pool toys, fridge, and seating in that area. The baby monitor also works from here. Pool towels are provided too.

The villa is isolated, but there are good supermarkets within easy driving distance. And, of course, there are good bakeries in all the nearby villages - the nearest about a two-minute drive away. Riberac has a great weekly (biweekly?) market.

What separates Le Cheval Blanc from other holiday homes I looked at, however, are the extras that are available. While we were there, we had a masseuse come to the house and give us all massages and a chef cook for us on a number of occasions - she even provided a birthday cake for my husband. Gourmet meals, sitting outside by candlelight, will be rembered for a very long time.

You won't want to leave Le Cheval Blanc. We fully intended to explore the Dordogne but found it terribly hard to drag ourselves away from the pool and garden.

Would we go back to Le Cheval Blanc? Definitely.

Le Cheval Blanc is very generously sized, and immaculately laid out, with all the modern accoutrements you could need to keep a group of friends or family fully entertained. We had a great week kept busy by the pool or playing games, indoors and outdoors. While the house is big enough to easily accommodate us when we wanted to spend time together, but there are also enough nooks and crannies to completely lose each other when we wanted some peace and quiet. We could have been happily entertained there all week, but also spent a few days exploring the local area for walks and drove to local towns and sites too.

My wife and I decided that we should get our family and two lifelong friends together for another French holiday,using my upcoming 70th birthday as an excuse!
After lots of research we all agreed on Le Cheval Blanc and with 10 adults and 6 children comprising 5 family groups,the facilities were ideal-no queues for the bathroom in the morning !
Breakfast and dinner were taken together,the latter at the long refectory table in the garden.Meals were catered on a pre-arranged rota system.
When not visiting the local towns,markets and Chateaux,the children spent time in the super pool,playing table tennis etc.
Provisions were all available at a well stocked local supermarket.
The property was well maintained,clean and although close to the Owners,we very rarely saw them.
We all agreed it was a magnificent holiday and,we even managed to see,close up,a Stage of the Tour de France.
The weather was marvellous and we have no hesitation in recommending Le C.B.
The only trouble we experienced was with the complicated corkscrew fixed to the bar!
All in all a beautifulproperty.We are looking forward to our next stay.
We arrived on 21 July 2007 not 2008!"