Lot Valley Cottages, Catus, Dordogne / Pyrenees border, France 
(click here for map)

Property Summary (FR228)

A secure, child centred environment where little ones can be given the freedom to explore and a safe place in which to do it. The child friendly holiday cottages are fenced in all the way round.

• Self catering for families with a difference.
• Babysitting
• Welcome Meals and chef for the night service
• Heated salt water pool and toddler pool - open from Mid April to the end of September and heated constantly achieving temperatures up to 28 degrees
• 8 metre long priate ship
• New Indian Village
• Indoor play Barn

Accomodation consists of a stunning 19th Century Stone French farmhouse and a beautiful stone Grange. Both have been lovingly converted into self catering gites that can easily accomodate family and holiday needs. The buildings are set in five acres of rolling gardens and woodland, with an oak copse at one end, a small fruit orchard and plenty of space for children to run around and explore. There are exciting things to play with and endless ways to create imaginative outdoor worlds.  And we haven’t forgotton the grown ups. Pagel is a tranquil, precious space where families can enjoy time together or as individuals and with friends new and old.

Our beautiful French hamlet is made up of  four, three bedroomed gites and one very large two bed roomed gite, each accommodating up to five people per gite plus babies. It can also accomodate one large group of twenty five people plus babies - perfect for a special celebration or a big family get together. Our gites offer spacious, practical accomodation with fully equipped kitchens including a dishwasher and have been designed with family living in mind. We are fully equipped for children and have a caring, child centered approach including a toy box, books and family games in every gite. There is a communal washing machine and dryer, plus baby equipment is available on request.

The Winegrowers House (sleeps 5 +cot) in 2 large bedrooms and is the largest of our 5 cottages. The gite has been sympathetically restored with exposed walls, original beams and large inglenook fireplace.

The Grange (each sleep 5+cot) has been converted into four, 3 bedroom gites - two on the first floor and two on the ground floor.

• Upper Sunset - On the first floor, this gite benefits from a high vaulted ceiling apexed into the roof of the grange and a terrace with an amazing view.
• Upper Wildwood - Is exactly the same as Upper Sunset except it is on the other end of the building and east facing. It has views over the pool and the play area
• The Two Lower Gites - These are both south facing and enjoy ground floor terraces and bathrooms with a bath and a shower. Perfect for toddlers, with open plan living on the ground floor and no stairs.

Reviews made directly to “Recommended Family Holidays”

Please send us a review of these lovely self catering child friendly holiday cottages or gites in the Lot Valley in the Dordogne by clicking: "Make a Family Holiday Recommendation".

Lara and Mark Bishop have created a truly unique and magical world. The safe, enclosed grounds are packed full of play areas like the Indian Village, trampoline, 10 metre pirate ship and play barns, as well as the heated, salt-water pool. The beautiful grounds allow the freedom for imaginative play to unfold amongst the natural settings, with trees, meadows, butterflies and even some deer. Our daughter Maisie was utterly enthralled by the giant teddy bears and wooden teddy bear statues. The gites and Goldilocks Cabin are lovingly and tastefully fitted out and the amount of quality equipment for kids is truly astonishing. There’s on-site pampering for adults too and the lovely nearby market town of Cahors to satisfy eating and shopping urges. This is a unique self catering experience, a home-from-home created with great care to provide everything you need for babies and toddlers – and I do mean everything, we only took one suitcase between three of us!” Rating 5 out of 5, Charlotte, received Jun 2011.

Fantastic holiday location for families with kids, everything you could want in accommodation (from toys to practical baby essentials) and amazing grounds packed full of slides, swings, pools, trampolines, life size pirate ship, teepee's....you name it, it's there! The combination of stunning scenery and bags of entertainment for the kids meant even with 3 under 3 we managed to relax with a glass of wine every night, socialising with our families and didn't have to think once during a week how to entertain our kids. Literally couldn't have asked for more and will definitely be there next year (assuming it's not already fully booked!) Rating 5 out of 5, Elly, received Jun 2011.

Holiday Reviews from the Owners’ site

10th April  - The Masons

We have had a fantastic week probably the most relaxing holiday for a long time. The countryside is simply stunning and Pagel has everything we could possibly need. La Rec in Les Arques catering for a veggie family-brilliant!  Thank you for your wonderful hospitality see you next year!

“The best bit of the holiday is where Mummy and Daddy played ping pong together and looked like playing real tennis. I also liked playing football with Daddy .”  Jack aged 7

“I loved playing with Mollie in the barn my favourite part of the holiday was going to the swimming pool with her I would really like to come back next year. ” Rachael aged 10

“I was in my element ,the beautiful wild flowers and bird song and scenery wow an amazing place.” Cheryl Mummy.

8th May  - The Birds

Wonderful surroundings-very relaxing ,the accommodation was spot on. Tthe children adored the play barn and the pirate ship and the people in the other gites were great fun. We loved the community atmosphere, Very enjoyable holiday we will be back!!!

1st May  - The Roberts

Wow what A PLACE ! James 3 made loads of new friends… so did we.!!! Grass sledging became a new sport did digger races in the gravel. Late night boules with a clear sky to see loads of stars will be remembered as will gathering around the barbecue toasting marshmallows and introducing banana splits with chocolate baked in foil to the non converted !!! We loved it !!! Lottie, 10 months, will grow to love it just as much in years to come x

22nd May -  The Marshall family (Frequent Visitor)

Our 4th time here and as ever PAGEL exceeded our expectations. Our boys are outside from dawn to dusk jumping climbing ,riding swimming and generally having adventures!! The improvements and updating of the gites are excellent as is the new Indian village and Treehouse. We came with friends this year and it has been lovely to sit on the balcony of an evening, watch the sunset with a G and T in hand and generally relax while the exhausted kids sleep. Thank you Mark and Lara and to Sarah and Fiona for all your efforts on our behalf Fiona deserves a special mention for a wonderful welcome meal

All the best for 2010 and beyond xxx

P.S . I won’t say this is our last time here as we have been saying that for the last 3 years and then end up eating our words !!!!

My 29th - The Benwells   (Frequent Visitor)

We loved it so much-despite some bad weather we have already booked for next year!!  A haven. All the other families and children have made it a great time here Looking forward to next year already. Hannah Steve Jamie Oli and bump.

29th May  - The Jarvis family

Our third visit here. After a long journey it is always a relief to see the welcoming and calming sight of Pagel. The improvements from our last visit were fabulous (not even started the wine yet!!!) The Welcome gifts for the girls were a lovely idea and one of each meant no arguments ! Thank you for another fantastic holiday

19th June  - The Keyes family

I have been looking forward to this holiday for so long (we booked 2 years ago) and thank goodness it has lived up to every expectation had for it. A beautiful glorious setting where the children roamed free all week. Just the right amount of families here anymore and it would be too crowded-so you have got it just right! A magical place –well done !  And thank you for the arrival gifts – nice food!!!