The Four Winds:
Stay with us in SW France

THe Mainson-de-Maître "The Four Winds"s

Because I have followed all four
— and this is where I settled

If you too are a thoughtful traveller who enjoys finding the less touristy places to explore, come and spend some time in Lot-et-Garonne: glorious weather, beautiful ancient stone hilltop villages set in rolling landscape — and views of the Pyrénées when they choose to emerge, sometimes in their white winter mantles and sometimes in their summer magnificence.

The Gite "Four Winds West"

Gite Four Winds West from back garden

A very comfortable holiday home for two people, available for rentals of up to three months. Totally independent, with parking safely behind the gate and in the assigned garden spot, lovely views, a terrace and sitting area, and a large, quiet garden.

Gire Four Winds West private entrance

"Four Winds West" is equipped with good quality bedding ( not sheets you can shoot peas through as in some places we have stayed) - fluffy towels in a separate shower room, a proper oven with ceramic hob, well equipped kitchen.  Hair drier, shampoo and conditioner (cuts down on weight in your luggage).

No TV. We read and talk - if you would like to do the same...visit out library in the main house and choose your books and stop for a chat if you like.

GIte Four Winds West Bedroom

Chambre d’Hôtes

Chambre d'Hôtes staircase
Ch d'Hôtes FOUr Winds "Beam me up Scotty" lift

The Maison de Maître is also available as a Chambre d’Hôtes with two well-appointed bedrooms, each with a large en suite shower room.

Guests are welcome to share the relaxing salon and the garden.

Breakfast is included, prepared from delicious local produce in our large kitchen.

On request and with prebooking, we serve dinner in our gracious dining room at our shared Queen Anne dining table — two or three courses, all cooked on site from local ingredients.

We cater for vegetarian diets; as our kitchen is multi-use, we are not able to accommodate vegan requirements.

Chambre d'Hôtes Four Winds - Dine with us


 Guest room "La Lavande"

Chambre d'Hôtes Four Winds Guest room "La Lavandre"

View from your window with lavendar garden below

Four Winds Chambre de Hôtes view from Lavender Room

Guest room "Le Jasmin"

Chambre d'Hôtes Four Winds Guest room Jasmine

View from guest room "Le Jasmine"

Chambre d@Hôtes Four Winds view from guest room Lavender


The Village

Francescas Village Square

The local village has everything you need: pharmacy, general store, fuel station, Post Office, car service station — an amazing boulangerie et pâtisserie, an excellent hairdresser, a small gift shop, and a terrific lunchtime restaurant offering three courses and a carafe of wine currently in May 2026 for €17.50 per person. A pizza van visits every Thursday evening.

Francescas Village Lot-et-Garonne

For Writers and Book Hounds

Chambre d'Hôtes Four Wids Bookcase in upstairs hall

This is the perfect writer’s retreat. Views to soothe the soul, starry nights with no light pollution, and a feeling of being cosily at home. An extensive library of books on diverse subjects — mostly in English but also in French and German — awaits the curious reader.

We can arrange that you write with a view…

Chambre d'Hôtes_Four Winds view
Chambre d'Hôtes Four Winds sunset view

Nearby

Bridge reflections in the royal city of Nérac

—  20 minutes: Nérac — picturesque river below the palace of Henri of Navarre, the much-loved king who united France and ended the Wars of Religion

—  20 minutes across the departmental border: Condom in the Gers — a stop on the famous pilgrimage route the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St James

—  25 minutes: the historic city of Agen, with its TGV station

There are wonderful walking pathways to explore — each offers vignettes worth photographing. Depending on the crop rotation (yes, they look after the fields), there are sunflowers in summer and vines turning in autumn.

The experience of the Lot-et-Garonne and Gers countryside at quiet times of year is one of the best-kept secrets of France.


To enquire about staying with us — please email
paquita.lamacraft@archerbg.com

If you'd like to stay at The Four Winds — for a week of slow walks and sunflower fields, for a chambres d'hôtes long weekend, or for a quiet Christmas refuge — please send a short email with:

  • When you'd like to come and how many of you
  • Which kind of stay suits you best (gîte, chambres d'hôtes with breakfast, dinner with us,the Christmas refuge).
  • Anything else worth knowing —a dietary requirement or preference, an anniversary or other special occasion, a special reason to come.

We answer quickly. Usually within a day, often within a few hours.

Once we've secured your dates and confirmed with price by email, a 30% deposit confirms your booking, paid by secure card link (we use SumUp, the same system used by many small French establishments — your card details never reach us directly). The balance is payable by a second link the week before arrival.

RATES

Gîte (sleeps 2) €78 per night

  • Minimum 1 week in July and August. Minimum 3 nights at other times

Chambres d'Hôtes: (B&B)

  • Minimum 3 nights €80 per night,per room, with breakfast

Table d'hôtes (per person) €25 per person

  • Dinner with us: two courses (or three if that is what is happening that evening)cooked on site from local ingredients, with a small carafe of local wine.

Christmas/ New Year    (23 Dec – 2 Jan) €1,500 per person

  • For a few guests each year, we open our home over the holiday. A quiet, hosted Christmas for those who would rather be welcomed than be alone — and rather be themselves than be part of someone else's family. From 23 December to 2 January, all meals with us. Please ask.