Patrick and Colette were, two years ago, city lawyers and decided to fulfil their dream of setting up their own country guest house and private dining room. We moved from Teddington, in London, to the Haute Vienne in 2003 after searching much of south-west France for our ideal property. We decided to buy a Chateau rather than a hotel so that we could make it our own, and not have the constraints of a formula hotel set-up. The Chateau provides the facilities and charm of a small country retreat hotel, but without a hotel’s formality. We found that the French idea of Chambres d’hotes suited the Chateau and our ideas of hospitality, as well as providing a more personal and out-of-the ordinary experience for our guests. When we first visited Chateau Ribagnac, we both knew instantly it was the place for us, and we think you’ll feel the same about your holiday here.

Patrick speaks French, Portuguese, Spanish and English and our interests are pretty wide. But our favourite pastime has got to be meeting people, so please do feel free to chat to us about whatever interests you most, or just pass on any gossip!

Our ideas have evolved over a long period, through talking to people about what they enjoyed about holidays, and our own experiences. We found that the places people most expected to be the least accommodating with children (for instance a safari in Tanzania) were often the best, since it was the attitude of the hosts that mattered most. Nobody wants screaming kids disturbing them all the time, but our philosophy is that children are most likely to behave when they are in a welcoming and relaxed atmosphere and they’re having fun and a bit of freedom. When parents are able to relax and not worry about being made to feel uncomfortable if their child is naughty, it’s also less likely to happen. So in short, we aim to make you feel welcome whether you have children or not.

Parents visiting are often a bit worried about taking children to restaurants in France, but most places welcome “petits gourmands” and will usually be happy to cook up something for children who cannot find something on the menu they like. We are always happy to give recommendations and find it useful when guests tell us of their own discoveries.

We have two young children (Eve - 10 and Agnès - 4 years old in 2006) and we wanted to bring them up in beautiful surroundings with the freedom of the countryside. The girls love the space we now have and are always off having adventures. Eve is more than happy showing other children around. We both liked the idea of the children knowing where and how food is produced, and they both love the chickens, ducks and the vegetable garden (although we suspect Eve loves the apricot trees rather more!).

The area provides a friendly community that we are now part of and we work together with local farmers in order to benefit them and us with the exceptional quality of local produce available. The regional specialties are fantastic, so do let us know if you want to stock up before you go home, and we can point you in the right direction. Patrick has also got to know several wineries and is happy to introduce you to them.

We have loved Chateau Ribagnac since we first saw it and want to share its magic with our guests. Holidays are important. We will do all we can to ensure that your time with us is as enjoyable as possible.