Chateau De Sioraque

The elegant and imposing mid-16th Century Chateau de Sioraque is situated in 40 acres of private grounds and boasts excellent views over the Isle River valley. Six lavishly decorated bedrooms and six bathrooms are available for exclusive hire. A swimming pool is available for private use, which is fitted with a child security alarm.

The Chateau de Sioraque features some stunning interior decoration, including mosaics, detailed plasterwork, parquets, stone-flagged floors, and high ceilings with magnificent exposed oak beams. Many of the rooms are covered in wood panelling, whilst an enormous 17th century fireplace forms the centrepiece of the dining room. Beupoil family wallpaper still hangs in the living room.

The Chateau de Sioraque is located on a hilltop village between the two towns of ‘La Roche’ and ‘Gravelle’, and overlooks the river Isle and the woods of Antoniac. The architecture of other buildings in the village bear a remarkable similarity to the chateau; this is because the family who once owned the chateau also owned the village and rewarded the local farmers with housing and food in return for their labours in the fields.

Six bedrooms with en suite bathrooms are laid out across three floors. With an area of over 1000sq/m, guests will have a considerable amount of space to relax in. The chateau can also provide cots for youngsters.

On the ground floor is the spacious kitchen with all modern conveniences, including dishwasher, microwave, induction cooking top, oven, toaster, electric coffee maker and large fridge. There is a large kitchen table with more than adequate supply of pots, pans, dishware, glasses and cutlery. The large, grand dining room has a period fireplace and there are two further living rooms, one of which is equipped with TV, CD & DVD player. The bedroom on this floor has an en suite bathroom with hydro-massage shower. There is also a laundry room with washer and dryer, a downstairs bathroom and an office with internet access.

On the first floor there are 2 double bedrooms and 2 king size bedrooms, 3 of which have bathrooms and the other with comes with a hydro-massage shower.

On the second floor is the 6th bedroom with king size bed and en suite bathroom. There is a billiard room in the loft. All bedrooms come with luxury linen and pool maintenance and twice weekly maid service is also included in the rental price.

You will be delighted by a wealth of wild vegetation and formal gardens that stretch over an area of approximately 40 acres. The newly planted formal gardens contain around 2000 boxwoods, 400 rose bushes, trees and rhododendrons. The wild woodlands flourish with oaks, pines, chestnuts and acacias, and many well priced varieties of edible mushrooms are readily found during the autumn. Within the 16 hectares of grounds is the private swimming pool (12x5m) equipped with an alarm system. It can also be lit for night swimming. There is also an outdoor play room with pool table and ping-pong table. The barbeque area comes with plenty of outdoor seating. There are also two tennis courts 1km away that guests are welcome to use.

*Please note, locations shown on the maps are approximations only

The nearest airport is Bergerac 45km away and the nearest town of a reasonable size is Perigueux 10km away. There are plenty of local high-end restaurants in Perigueux such as Les Huit, Hercules Poireau and Les Clos Saint Front. There is also a large outdoor market in on Wednesdays and Saturdays and in Saint Astier on Thursdays. A large supermarket and shopping mall is 5km away.

Local activities include golf (5 minutes away), tennis (2 minutes away), canoeing/kayaking (10 minutes away) and wine tasting in Saint Emilion, Bergerac, Pomerol and Monbazillac (all within 45 minutes).

Brantome is a delightful little town which has earned the moniker ‘The Venice of the Dordogne’ due to its location on an island. See the oldest bell tower in France at the Carolingian abbey, take a canoe or boat ride on the river, browse the windows of the many shops or sample the local cuisine.

Bergerac is a riverside town with medieval houses that line the streets of the centre, virtually unchanged for centuries, and over a hundred vineyards cater to wine enthusiasts of varying tastes. For those who enjoy a sweet wine, Monbazillac is a pretty good bet. Sarlat is another medieval town with well preserved streets and building and a good market.

The river is an essential part of the landscape of the Dordogne, and runs straight through the southern part of the region, taking in many scenic towns along the way. A boat trip is the best way to explore these villages – enjoy stunning scenery along the way and bask in the sheer charm of this region.

The owner can provide catering for a 4 course meal at 38 euros/person (wine not included).

Extra maid service is available charged at 15 euros/hour/maid (2 maids available). N.B. Maid service twice per week is included in the price.

- Security deposit: €1000. This is paid on arrival and will be refunded in full after departure subject to damage inspection.
- Linen & towels: All linen and bath towels are included in the rental price.
- Energy costs: Heating is extra at 400 euros/week for evening/night heating if needed.
- End of stay cleaning: Included. Please leave the property in the state that you found it.
- Arrival time: 4.30pm onwards.
- Departure time: 10am.
- Pets: No pets allowed.
- Smoking: No smoking in the property.
- Swimming pool: Swimming pool open from May-September.
- It is recommended that all guests take out insurance to cover against potential cancellation and any accidental damage caused during your stay at the property.

Article Featured in the San Francisco Chronicle: "This fall my husband and I stayed at this Chateau in the Dordogne region of France. Owners Jose and Diana left New Jersey to restore this beautiful 16th century chateau. The couple, who speak French, English and Spanish, are the warmest hosts we have ever encountered. They are very familiar with the region and its history, and gave suggestions that made our stay even more memorable. Each bedroom has a private bath. The rooms are all beautifully furnished and include modern amenities. The grounds include a swimming pool, many walking paths and horses".

EVELYN and TOM HELLER

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"Dear friends and colleagues: I would not usually do this, however, Tim and I have fallen upon the most breathtaking French chateau in the Dordogne - I simply could not, not share it with you! It was so much more than we expected...! It is without question one of the most amazing places that either of us have had the fortune to stay. Jose and Diana could not have made us feel more welcome. They have lovingly restored their C16th chateau to glorious splendour and it feels more like a lavish home than a hotel (or a museum!). The chateau has 40 acres of forest to explore and the surrounding villages are exquisite. It is pretty much a 2.5 hour door to door trip (or at least for us) and there are regular flights from both Southampton & Standsted to Bergerac with a 40 minute drive to the Chateau. Jose is a fabulous chef and will cook up a feast of local produce at your request and Diana's breakfasts are simply gorgeous. (Gentlemen - if you are in the bad books this is most definitely the way out!) I guarantee you will love it".

Lee

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"Hi Diana and Jose We wanted to take this opportunity to extend our thanks to you for such a fabulous stay in your Chateau and in your company. The chateau is breathtaking, the restorations you have carried out are amazing, you have sympathetically recreated the masterpiece it originally was, yet still managed to bring brought it into the 21st century with the luxury touches of the ensuite bathrooms and the soft furnishings. Having had a full guided tour of the Chateau I don't think I could actually choose a favourite room, as they were all exquisite. India has enjoyed telling her friends that she stayed in a 'real Castle'. We've got to say though, that the most impressive part of our stay was your superb hospitality, not to mention the delicious cuisine".

Claire and Allan

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Issue 11 Live Marketing News November 2005: "In the heart of the Dordogne, just 10 minutes from the beautiful cathedral city of Perigueux is this stunning Chateau. A 16th century chateau, lovingly restored by owners Jose and Diana, there are just 6 rooms on offer, most set out as suites and all offering luxury bathrooms with Jacuzzi. The venue - set in its own 40 acre grounds - is perfect for romantic retreats, but could also the ideal base for a company looking for a senior Executive's retreat. Food - breakfast and evening meals - are first-rate, in terms of both quality and quantity, and the owners are on hand to deliver exceptional customer service. Communication links are excellent; the airport at Bergerac is just 30 minutes away has daily flights from the UK with various low-cost airlines".

Richard and Tracy John

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"We've just arrived back from the Chateau - it was fantastic!!! Jose and Diana were fabulous hosts, it was perfect for the kids and the food was spot on!! We are all discussing our next visit. Thanks."

Kirsten et al

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Just wanted to say thanks again for the great time we had the week of June 24, 2006. You've done a great job with the chateau. We enjoyed meeting you in person (after receiving your many helpful emails in the months leading up to our visit), and had a great time touring, eating and drinking in the Dordogne. We look forward to visiting again in the not too distant future.

Bruce and Deb

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I wanted to be sure and send you both a heart felt thank you from me, my family and my friends. You helped to make our already fabulous vacation even more wonderful every day that we were at the Chateau. We are all home safely now and we have such incredible memories of France thanks in part to you both. I want to personally thank you, Jose, for the time and attention you gave to Lily with the horses and to Alex with the Internet. I really appreciate all the time you spent on those things! We are all telling the great ghost stories of the Chateau and are passing along information about our stay. We all would like to return, you may not have seen the last of us!

Jennifer et al

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Hi, Just writing to say what a brilliant time we had in your chateau last week. Thank you for being excellent hosts and preparing such lovely meals for us. None of us wanted to leave, as you could probably tell, and we will always have fond memories of our holiday - maybe we'll visit again sometime.

Diane and Steve

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