Beautifully restored old riverside Villa with elegant, sweeping exterior stone staircase and balcony, with honey-stoned facade and traditional shutters, offering stunning views and sunsets over the Dordogne, flowing at the bottom of the garden. Soak up the all day sun on steam loungers in the private, secluded, pool/pool house area, do a little fishing from the river bank, or make your own home baked pizzas or roasts in the large, wood-fired pizza/bread oven. Enjoy dining on the perfectly set cobbled terrace, or sit in the evening under the terracotta pantiled loggia, overlooking the illuminated pool. With its classic, graceful character extending to exposed beams, local stone walls and cool, tiled floors, Maison Ballard has been carefully restored and arranged over 4 floors for extend...Beautifully restored old riverside Villa with elegant, sweeping exterior stone staircase and balcony, with honey-stoned facade and traditional shutters, offering stunning views and sunsets over the Dordogne, flowing at the bottom of the garden. Soak up the all day sun on steam loungers in the private, secluded, pool/pool house area, do a little fishing from the river bank, or make your own home baked pizzas or roasts in the large, wood-fired pizza/bread oven. Enjoy dining on the perfectly set cobbled terrace, or sit in the evening under the terracotta pantiled loggia, overlooking the illuminated pool. With its classic, graceful character extending to exposed beams, local stone walls and cool, tiled floors, Maison Ballard has been carefully restored and arranged over 4 floors for extended family and friends' groups in mind, with five good-sized bedrooms (3 ensuite, plus large family bathroom) Four of them looking directly over the river. For extra comfort, all bedrooms have wooden shutters and cooling ceiling or floor fans, and the master bedroom and children's bedroom on the top floor have air conditioning units The bright, well-equipped, granite-topped kitchen has a range cooker and all modern appliances, including a large american-style fridge/freezer dispensing cool filtered water and ice, plus a large kitchen table that seats 8. Off the kitchen is a small balcony giving a wonderful breakfast promontory to watch the early, misty, river, or to just sit on later in the day to watch the abundant bank-side bird life and see the occasional boat go lazily by. The house has a separate, tiled sitting room with french window to balcony and views over the river; plus a second large, sitting room/play room beneath, both with good UK terrestrial TV, Netflix, Amazon, etc. The small hamlet of Port de Couze on the bridge is close by with boulangerie, a cafe bistro "sur le pont", a delicatessen for local produce, a mini market and two good restaurants on the river, all less than 200 meters from the house. Outside, Maison Ballard has landscaped gardens with superb uninterrupted vistas across the river valley and reflective Dordogne river, along to the graceful arches of the "Pont de Couze" and direct access to the river bank. It offers a variety of different areas for sunbathing, and some quiet, secluded spaces and corners to read or snooze in. All have comfortable outdoor garden and pool furniture, generously dotted around, allowing Guests to sit out relax, eat and talk in comfort. To the front is a private, walled, swimming pool (heated on request) with its own pool house/bar for evening drinks, and a large granite-topped preparation area and big, wood fired pizza/bread oven (wood can be provided) for special family "make your own pizza" nights, or start your own "Bake-off" competitions! Use of the oven must be booked in advance and an extra charge of £45 applies to contribute to the supply of wood and additional cleaning. A corner loggia with pantiled roof and an extensive adjoining cobbled patio area with firepit, provides a shady refuge from the sun during the day and a cool, relaxing place to eat and drink "al fresco" under in the evenings. To the rear, a grand, sweeping stone staircase leads down to a grassy play area, and further beneath a raised sitting area next to the river bank. Comfortable sofa/chairs provide the perfect location to relax, take in stunning river views, and watch the glistening setting sun through the bridge's arches. For the children and adults alike, the highlight of any Dordogne visit is a lazy day on the river drifting downstream in a canoe, past breathtaking chateaux and troglodyte villages, hewn deep into the river's stone escapments. Located on the outskirts of the Bastide town of Lalinde (2.5k), with its popular, colourful market (Thursdays), the house is a short cycle ride or 25 mins walk along the tree-lined canal to Lalinde for lovely market square and medieval remnant walls. There is also a dedicated cycle path (piste) all the way to the wine town of Bergerac, with its many restaurants/bars on the river and good-sized Hypermarche. Maison Ballard is a graceful, old river villa retreat with landscaped gardens, set in the historic Bastides towns region, with its prominent position firmly focused on the river and its associated life. If your plans are to visit and explore the area in a larger family/friends group (20+) Maison Ballard can be connected with the neighbouring property, Maison Cinq Arches (see Tripadvisor) by opening the large double garden gates on the river side to create a truly magnificent through garden river vista venue with lots of special places and 2 pools, front and rear! Price reductions considered for smaller groups in less busy periods. Prices on application for larger groups in combined house options (Maison Ballard & Maison Cinq Arches).Plus