Just a half-hour drive from Bergerac (where car hire is available) and ten minutes’ from the nearby 13th Century Bastide towns of Villereal and Monflanquin, our B&B is an attractive converted forge in the small hillside village of Born, with glorious views over the surrounding countryside. There’s plenty to see and do in the area with great restaurants, chateaux, castles and lots of authentic French markets to enjoy. L’Ancienne Forge sits in the centre of the village, at the top of the hill.With its views across the village to the surrounding countryside, the heated, salt-water swimming pool is available for guests’ use in season. WiFi is free, and there is English TV, as well as tea and coffee facilities in the comfortable guest lounge. Guests have their own private rooms (double or twin), both en-suite (one with shower, one with bath and shower), together with a guest lounge. Breakfast is served in the spacious Barn Room, with its large, wall-length folding glass doors leading directly onto the terrace and swimming pool; or on the terrace where you can take in the idyllic country views.

l'Ancienne Forge has been our family home in France for three generations and nearly 40 years. Having spent four years renovating and udpdating L'Ancienne Forge, in 2012 we finally retired from the design business we ran in England and moved here permanently to enjoy the very special lifestyle (and warm, sunny weather!) of rural France. Always popular with family and friends, last year we decided to open our home to bed and breakfast guests so we could share the things we love so much about this wonderful area.

We are always available if you would like ideas about where to go and what to do in the Lot et Garonne and neighboring Dordogne. We can recommend day trips – whether you are looking for history, local landmarks or vineyards – as well as a variety of inexpensive or fine-dining restaurants, for which we will gladly help with lunch or dinner reservations. An ideal base for exploring this area, Born is just 30 minutes’ drive from Bergerac Airport (where car hire is available) and is surrounded by historic market towns and wonderful countryside. Our nearest town is Villereal. Founded in 1269 by Alphonse de Poitiers as a French bastide, although occupied by the English during most of the Hundred Years War, nowadays it is lively and attractive, with some interesting hidden areas and lots of back streets to explore. The town is unusual in that it has ‘real’ shops rather than tourist shops, and is active all year around. Monflanquin, listed as one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’, is only 15 minutes drive away. Set on a hilltop, it is a very well preserved town, and is generally agreed to be one the most historically intact examples of a medieval bastide.