Friday 29 November 2024 3:56 pm

Domaine des Etangs is a weekend escape in the South of France like no other

Domaine des Etangs is that rare and wonderful thing: a retreat in the most incredible, secluded location that you will never want to leave.

THE WEEKEND

“This is the land of chestnut eaters,” Jean-François, grounds keeper of the Domaine des Etangs, tells me as we roam the 1,000-hector woods collecting fistfuls of fallen chestnuts. It’s a bright autumn day, and we also stop to pluck the occasional sheep’s foot mushroom. “For the rest of the French, this is still a wild country,” he says – and he should know. His family has lived in this part of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine, known locally as the Limousin region, for hundreds of years.

Set about 45 minutes from Cognac and two hours from Bourdeaux, Domaine des Etangs does feel far from the 21st century, a place of simple pleasures and country charm. Once we return to the Domaine, the chestnuts will be roasted over a wood fire and we will eat them still warm, served out of a paper cone, alongside crisp pear cider. This is how things are done here.

THE STAY

Made up of six cottages and 11 rooms and suites (spread across the main 13th-century stone Chateau and Longère), Domaine des Etangs was first built by the knights of Chasteignier de la Roche-Posay but recently came under the Auberge Resorts Collection aegis in 2023. The land is a marvel with meadows, forests, ponds, and a 650-strong herd of prize-winning Limousin cattle, which are also conspicuously present on the dinner menu (served fire-grilled with frites and velvety bearnaise sauce).

THE FOOD

Dyades is the estate’s main restaurant, which has a flower-framed outdoor terrace and cosy interiors, warmed with a wood-burning fireplace. The menu is a celebration of local fare, much of which is grown onsite in the garden or sourced from small, nearby producers.

Top dishes include a bone marrow tartine; duck with candied turnips; trout with beurre blanc; and a very autumn salad of beetroot, pumpkin, and chestnuts (naturellement). For dessert, don’t miss the chariot de fromage (cheese trolley) with a small but smart selection of regional cheeses. The wines are divinely inspired –leave it to the somm to choose and you’ll be spoiled.

ASK ABOUT

Going foraging for chestnuts with Jean-François is a must for his stories alone. Even as a boy, he was partial to this land, fishing and picking wild mushrooms before being chased away by the groundskeeper. Other things to do: Take a row boat out on one of the many lakes and have a picnic; go for a horse ride under the oak trees; stroll through the vegetable and herbs gardens; or play tennis on the floating court.

Stationed in an old mill, Le Moulin serves as the atmospheric spa; and there’s also a thermal bath (with an indoor pool, steam rooms, and a frigidarium) and an outdoor pool for use during the warmer months.

Day trips to Cognac can be arranged and the picturesque Haute Charente Lakes are less than a 10-minute drive from the Domaine. I also recommend a visit to the storybook-pretty Château de La Rochefoucauld, dating back to the 11th century.