Beautiful Farmhouse-Idyllic French Living-Private Pool

Our house and the area

“Les Caulins,” built in the 18th century, is a classic French country house, once a vineyard and farm. Nestled in the rolling hills of Lot-et-Garonne, it’s ideal for relaxing by the sunny pool or under shady terraces. Guests enjoy wide views, blue skies, and a long, warm season.

There are three spacious bedrooms, including one on the ground floor. Each room is lovingly decorated, blending classic French charm with a boutique hotel feel. All bedrooms have super king-size beds with Egyptian cotton sheets, vintage French furniture, and flat screen TVs. The en-suite bathrooms are large, finished with stone tiles, roomy walk-in showers, and modern boutique details.

A pretty, shady covered terrace provides a relaxing spot to escape the mid-day sun or to enjoy breakfast. From the terrace you enter the heart of the house, le Grande Salon. A generous, terracotta tiled and oak beamed room and as with many old French farmhouses, the centre of the house. A well equipped kitchen with large kitchen dining table. Plenty of cosy seating and a big stone fireplace with wood burning stove large flat screen TV with English channels and Wi-Fi.

The beautiful shady Terrace. Perfect for Al-fresco dining.
Shady Terrace

Purchased by Emma and John Gilchrist, and drawing on their extensive hospitality experience, they have created a holiday gîte they would love to enjoy themselves. It offers a charmingly French atmosphere, complete relaxation, informative details, delightful rustic touches, and comfortable, affordable luxury with elements that will surprise you.

“It was a simple decision for us. The idea of spending a morning at a local market or sampling wine at a nearby vineyard, followed by an afternoon by the pool and dinner watching the sunset, was a dream we couldn’t resist.

Everything you need to relax for your holiday in France.

Enjoy your vacation in France in a bright, spacious, and comfortable holiday home with everything you need to relax.

Outside, you will find a 10m x 5m swimming pool complete with day beds, sun loungers and the far-reaching views of the rolling hills and vineyards of the Côte de Duras. There are plenty of shady spots and sunny vistas just perfect for lazy BBQs with a glass of local wine.

This is what your week could look like

You could lay by the pool all week & there is nothing wrong with that. You deserve it. Howeve we do not want you to miss out on the good stuff so; here is what your week could look like.



Arrival on Saturday After a dip in the pool and a bit of sunbathing we can have a BBQ ready for you, dine al-fresco on the covered terrace.

Outside, you will find a 10m x 5m swimming pool complete with day beds, sun loungers and the far-reaching views of the rolling hills and vineyards of the Côte de Duras.

Les Caulins Steak & Prawn BBQ

Marinated whole piece of Bavette cooked on the BBQ and sliced –
BBQ king prawns, garlic butter – garlic bread –
Marmande tomatoes – crispy Sarladaise potatoes, bacon & aioli –
red onion, burnt orange, watermelon

Strawberry & pistachio frasier, strawberry ice cream


Sunday is market day in the beautiful village of Issigeac. Always voted one of the top 10 prettiest markets in France. It is a good market to stock up on great local produce.

Go early as on the way back to our house you can have a great lunch at Soumensac.

Sunday lunch at Soumensac is the Marche de Producteurs. The local producers will tempt you with BBQ’d beef, lamb or duck, goats cheese, salads, fresh fruit, mussels & frites and wine from the surrounding vineyards. All you have to do is relax in the shade of lime trees and enjoy the atmosphere and the breathtaking 20km view.

Monday A stroll around our local Market in Duras on Monday morning to get rotisserie chicken, chicken fat roasted potatoes and Marmande tomatoes for dinner and a day by the pool back at the house. The Chateau at Duras is a great visit with amazing views.

Monday an early evening wine tasting at the local vineyard, Domaine Bertins, with tapas to compliment the wine. The rose is delicious and there is also a cheese truck and some sweet things made at Les Bertins.  

Have a relaxing day in the sunshine on Tuesday maybe with some food cooked by Emma.

On Wednesday visit Saint-Émilion 40 minutes drive Unesco world heritage site.

Or have a day canoeing on the river Dordogne.  Sarlat, 1 hour away, is the best area for canoeing and seeing La Roque-Gageac,  visit Castle Beynac, where Richard the Lionheart was based. Or Château de Castelnaud medieval castle. Les Jardins de Marqueyssac

Thursday visit the Bastide town of Eymet 15 minutes away, for the market and after some sunshine back at the house dinner in Duras at the wonderful night market with wine by local producers and live music.

Friday another relaxing day in the sun with an evening at one of the many local restaurants.

Bordeaux is a great city for the day. 1 hour to the Cité de vin and the halles de Bacalou

The old town of Bergerac is a great half day mooch around. 35 minutes away.

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Contacting us, Following Us, & How to Get Here?

Contacting us and finding your way here is easy!
Email: info@lescaulins.com. We check our email daily.
Or use the contacting us form below.

Our telephone number is  00 44 (0)553208411.

Our Address is; 261 Les Caulins d’En Haut, 47120, Saint Sernin, Lot-et-Garonne, France.

Getting to us is easy

FLYING TO BORDEAUX

Travelling from Bordeaux to our location is straightforward. The new tram system, located just outside the Merignac airport terminal, offers a direct route to Bordeaux’s central train station. Travel time is approximately 35 minutes. Additionally, there is a dedicated shuttle bus from the airport to Bordeaux train station, costing €10, operating every 30 minutes.

From Bordeaux Saint Jean train station, you can catch a direct train on the Bergerac-Sarlat-la-Canéda line, arriving at Ste Foy la Grande in just one hour. We would be happy to pick you up from the station, which is only a 15-minute drive north of our location. If you intend to fly into Bordeaux, I suggest spending a couple of extra nights, either before or after your stay with us, in what is a beautiful city.

If you’re planning to extend your travel break, consider arriving in Bordeaux. This city offers a blend of rich history, stunning architecture, and a vibrant cultural scene, making it an excellent choice to start a long weekend getaway. For your stay, we recommend choosing a hotel near the opera house, as it provides easy access to the city’s lively atmosphere and elegant entertainment options. We often direct our guests to the Hand Picked Hotels site, where you can find over 20 excellent hotels in the centre of Bordeaux.

Bordeaux City and Hotels
Contacting Us

If you are flying into Bergerac, you’ll find the charming town just 6 km from Bergerac airport, making it ideal for a day or two of exploration before you join us. We highly recommend the Hotel de Bordeaux and Hotel de France, both excellent business hotels situated on the same street. These hotels offer clean accommodations, inviting pools, and a prime location near Old Town Bergerac’s restaurants, bars, and the beautiful River Dordogne.

Bordeaux Flights The following airlines have flights into Bordeaux: Easyjet, Air France, British Airways.

By air
Bergerac airport is 40 km from us
Bordeaux airport is 80km from us

Bergerac Flights British Airways flies from London City – 1 May to 30 September – 4 flights per week. Ryanair flies to Bergerac from Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, and London-Stansted. Jet2.com flies to Bergerac from Leeds Bradford.

The nearest train station with links to all major routes is
Sainte-Foy-la-Grande is 15 km north of us.

Ferry Ports and driving to us.
Saint-Malo; 6-7 hours
Le Havre; 7-8 hours
Calais; 9-10 hours
Santander; 5-6 hours

Our location in France

Thank you for contacting us.

Our beautiful life in France, Emma, chef & John, sommelier

All about us & Cooking in France

We have been living here, at Les Caulins, in the beautiful South of France since March 2016. Our home is a separate small house so if needed we can be available to give local information or help in any way we can to make your holiday enjoyable and memorable.

The area is one of the best in France for our passions, food and wine. The quality of the produce: truffles, strawberries, plums, prunes, melons, figs, pork, beef, duck, foie gras, the list goes on……… This, combined with some of France’s best markets and the abundance and diversity of some of the best-known and least-known wine regions in France. Places to explore, new sights to see, a simpler life and the glorious weather were too much for us to ignore. Here it is relaxing, peaceful, with far-reaching views and, if we want, plenty around us to do, and the opportunity to share our passions is our perfect way of life.

Smiling & happy, John & Emma

We have been in the catering and hospitality industry for 35 years. Emma since the age of 9 wanted to be a chef and John is nuts about wine. Emma began her cooking career at Midsummer House in Cambridge then honed her skills with spells in Italy, Switzerland, Barbados and London restaurants: Blanford Street, Sally Clarke, l’Oranger & Nicole Farhi. Emma is passionate about seasonal, fresh food with her gutsy approach to enhancing simple flavours.

John a former UK Sommelier of the year and winner of the Mondavi award for the best wine list in the world met Emma at Midsummer House before working at some of the Worlds best restaurants and hotels. Sandy Lane Barbados, In London: The Berkley, Browns Hotel, Nico’s, The Savoy, Scotts of Mayfair, Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hambourg and Raffles Singapore. John is bonkers about wine with some 35 years experience in the industry. An enthusiast for the little wine producers and seeker of unknown gems.

Prior to aquiring Les Caulins in 2016 Emma and John ran their own successful restaurant in Buckinghamshire. Winning many awards including the 50 best destination restaurants in the UK, Wine pub of the year, British Cheeseboard of the year and Buckinghams best restaurant for 8 years to name a few.

We love to entertain and cook for our guests. If you would like any prepared for you when you arrive, need a special meal to celebrate a special occasion, want us to cook in our wood fired oven or just a simple lunch then this is the ideal place for you.

Good food, some wine and great company.

  • Celeriac & sheeps cheese tart
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