Chemin de Lherm is an old farmhouse situated about 1.5 km outside the village of Catus in the Department of the Lot. It sits in a 9 hectare plot made up of fields and woods and consists of the main house and two barns, one of which we converted into a gite in 2004.

Gite Accommodation

The gite is attached to the owner’s house but has its own private entrance. It is on two floors, with the large open-plan lounge/dining/kitchen area on the first floor to take advantage of the panoramic views.

Downstairs. The gite has three bedrooms consisting of a double with en suite shower and wc, a double and a twin. The second double and the twin share a shower and separate wc. All the bedrooms are simply but tastefully furnished and have electric radiators. We provide all bed linen and towels including towels for the swimming pool.

Upstairs. This is a single room of 60 sq. m with a lounge area, a dining area and a fully fitted kitchen. The lounge has a sofa and easy chairs with a TV (French and UK channels) and DVD player. The dining table seats 6 comfortably. The kitchen has plenty of work surfaces, a gas hob (4 burners) with an electric oven, a microwave, a washing machine, a dishwasher and a refrigerator. The gite is fully equipped with pots and pans, crockery, cutlery, glass and the usual kitchen gadgets. A full inventory is available.

Outside. Next to the gite is a seating area with a table and chairs and barbecue for dining “al fresco”. There is a secure parking area.

Gardens and Grounds

There are 9 hectares of gardens, woods and fields in which you are most welcome to roam. The swimming pool is a 12m x 6m salt-water pool with shallow and deep ends. The pool is surrounded by graveled sunbathing areas equipped with sun beds and umbrellas and the whole area has been fenced in for safety and privacy.

Local Area

Our local village of Catus is only a few minutes drive away and has all the necessary shops including a small supermarket, a greengrocers, a butcher, a bread shop, a tabac (with English newspapers!), a second-hand/antiques shop, two hairdressers, a post office, a bar and a restaurant. There is also a tourist information office with an “internet café”, as in cheap internet access but no coffee. Market day in Catus is every Tuesday morning. A short distance from the village is Lac Vert, a leisure lake which has a large sunbathing lawn and a small beach with a cordoned off children’s bathing area. During high season there is a lifeguard on duty and canoes/pedaloes can be hired. There is also children’s play equipment, free tennis courts (advisable to book) and sports fields. There are bigger supermarkets and shops in either Cahors or Prayssac, both of which are roughly 20 minutes drive away.

Things to Do

The Lot is full of interesting things to see and do and the both the tourist information office in Catus and the tourist website will provide lots of ideas. We keep a number of leaflets, maps and guides in the gite and can help you with bookings if your French is a bit limited. Some suggestions:

• Cahors, which originated in Roman times, is full of old and interesting buildings, including the famous Pont Valentre, a 700 year old fortified bridge.
• Figeac “second city of the Lot” with a museum dedicated to Jean-Francois Champollion (1790 – 1832), the man who deciphered the Rosetta stone and thus unraveled the mysteries of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
• Rocamadour. A major pilgrimage centre in the Middle Ages and now one of the most significant tourist sites in France. Rocamadour consists of the village and the ecclesiastical city which is a complex of churches and buildings rising above the village. 
• St. Cirq Lapopie, a medieval town perched on the cliff edge above the Lot.
• Sarlat and the castles of Beynac and Castelnau on the Dordogne.
• Gouffre de Padirac, Grottes de Cougnac and Grotte de Peche Merle. Pre-history caves with fantastic rock formations and cave paintings
• Try canoeing on either the Lot or the Dordogne.
• Catus and environs. Walking on one of the 17 marked local trails of between 5 to 8 km . A small guide book and map can be purchased from the Tourist Information Centre in Catus for each of the walks.

Evening entertainment. Fetes, occasional night markets and cultural and musical events or have a night off from the stove by going to one of the many restaurants.

How to Get Here

By car. We are 17km from the autoroute that links Paris and Toulouse so it is possible to travel almost the whole way from Calais to Catus on motorways in about 9 hours, depending on rest breaks. The web site“via Michelin” will give you route details.

By train. There are links from Paris to Cahors where car hire is available from several of the major hire groups. However, check carefully on pick up/drop off times before committing as these can be quite restricted at weekends.

By air. Fly to either Bergerac (75 minutes), Toulouse (90 minutes), Rodez (120 minutes) or Limoges (130 minutes). The new airport of Brive/Soulliac (60 minutes) is due to open in Spring 2008.

To make a reservation at Gite de Chemin de Lherm please e-mail the owners; Simon & Inge Beck by clicking on the link below:

gite chemin de lherm

Prices and Availability

In 2008 our gite is available for hire from May to September. The hire is for a maximum of 6 people and is from Saturday to Saturday with arrival from 4pm onwards and departure by 10am. We ask that you leave the gite in a reasonably clean and tidy state when you depart. Please note that we do not allow smoking within the gite or pool area and we cannot accept pets. The prices are as follows and include a Welcome Pack:

We will ask for a 25% deposit when your booking is confirmed and the balance should be paid two months before arrival. An additional sum of €140 will be added to your final invoice by way of a refundable deposit to cover any damages or excessive cleaning after your departure. Payment can be made by either a cheque drawn in sterling on a UK bank, or a cheque drawn in euros on a French bank. If you wish to pay by sterling the conversion rate will reflect the exchange rates applicable at the time of payment.

To make a reservation at Gite de Chemin de Lherm please e-mail the owners; Simon & Inge Beck by clicking on the link below:

gite chemin de lherm

chemindelherm@gmail.com

La Galerie takes no responsibility for the accuracy and content of this advert.