All about Covert Cabin

Di and Bob Kirkwood were drawn to the area due to its amazing natural beauty and lush climate. In 1999, a huge storm blew down many of the trees on the estate and one of Di & Bob's first jobs when they moved ten years ago was to start tidying, using the fallen timber to build the Woodsman's Cabin. Now many happy guests have come and gone, and a second cabin has joined the first, again using timber from the woodland, which Di and Bob manage themselves. Bob still always has a project on the go - from the hide in the woods to floating vegetable patches, you won't discover exactly what has evolved until you arrive. The woods around Fisherman's Cabin are chestnut, oak, and the beech wood traditionally used for charcoal burning, which Bob plans to use in the future for art materials - and barbecues.

Environmental Policy

Di and Bob are very environmentally aware and strive to make every detail of their off-grid cabins as efficiently eco-friendly as possible. Woodsman's Cabin is lit at night with a mixture of candles, oil lamps and stored solar power, whereas solar panels and a waterwheel provide 12v electricity for Fisherman's Cabin, from which you can charge laptops if you bring a car charger. Woodburners heat water for both showers using an ingenious mechanism designed by Bob. The cabins use water from the lakes, filtered many times, for showering and washing up, and one last filtration unit makes it perfectly safe for drinking (but bottled water can be provided as well). There are compost toilets, using sawdust from Bob's sawmill, and anything remotely recyclable is recycled. You can even use the wind-up and solar chargers at both cabins for iPhones and iPods.

Wildlife

The wildlife at Covert Cabin is one of the things that makes a stay here so special. From the deck just outside the cabin you can see kingfishers flying over the lake and deer scouting the forest floor. Occasional red squirrels may pass just feet from you, and red kites circle overhead. Sit quietly in Bob's handmade hide in the woods near Fisherman's Cabin and pine martens or wild boar may join you; in September, though, you're more likely to see an intrepid local foraging for wild mushrooms such as the delicious ceps which grow abundantly hereabouts. In spring and summer there are wildflowers aplenty which encourages a delightful menagerie of bees and butterflies.

There is no light pollution at Covert Cabin so the stargazing here is spectacular too.

Getting there

Covert Cabin, Lacaud, 24360 Busserolles, France

By Car

The cabins are situated 11 km away from each other in the beautiful Dordogne region of South West France. Di will send you specific directions once she knows which cabin you are going to. You can get the ferry and then drive to the cabins. The journey takes 8 hrs from Calais and 5hrs from Le Havre.

Or you can fly to France and then rent a car. The nearest airport is Limoges. Journey times are 1.5 hrs from Limoges, 2.15 hrs from Bordeaux and 6 hrs from Paris. You can park right outside the cabins.

By Train

Get the Eurostar from London to Paris where you can jump on the TGV for as little as 2.15 hrs to the nearest train station Angoulême. We're sorry, it's not possible to arrange pickups.

If you are getting to Covert Cabin by train, bus or any other non-car means you can think of be sure to take a photo and enter our Go Greenly competition to win a 4 night stay at The Wagon or The Ark.

Things to do

The freedom to frog spot is precious, and we wouldn't want to stop you lazing on the raft or hammock, reading, sketching, foraging wood for the fire, or simply poring over the unexpected treasures of the cabins themselves. For active sorts, there's plenty to do, though...

Outdoor & active

Di and Bob can arrange bike hire in advance and leave the bikes or the tandem waiting for you next to your cabin on arrival. There is a whole network of off-road cycling and walking paths in the woodland and further afield for you to explore. Maps of the local area and compasses are provided so you won't get lost. You can also cycle or walk the 2 miles to the local village where there's a baker, a shop and a bar. Bob once even cycled here from Normandy - It took him five days!

On the vélorail network, couples or families can power bicycle-like contraptions along (disused!) train tracks - there's one about an hour away, a novel experience with wonderful views.

Fun in and on the water

The lakes outside the cabins provide all sorts of opportunities and some guests do little else during their stay. You can paddle around on Bob's handmade raft or jump into the lake if you fancy a splash and a swim, whatever the weather. Carp live in both lakes, so do try out the fishing rods, but have a plan B for supper: they're tame, and catch on quickly.

Slightly further away are local rivers great for canoeing. Lake St Estèphe is between the two cabins, around 5km from each - your nearest 'beach.' It has pedalos and canoes for hire in the summer, and a simple beachside bar for a beer or some frites.

Périgord-Limousin regional natural park

The cabins are situated within the Parc Naturel Périgord-Limousin: a land of springs and chestnut trees, and an area devoted to traditional farming and artisan woodwork. It also surrounds a wealth of beautiful french villages, caves, vineyards, châteaux and museums.

Tour de Piégut - the remains of a 12th-century castle nearby, destroyed by Richard the Lion Heart in 1199.

Eating & drinking

At the Cabins

One of the many delights of staying at Covert Cabin is leisurely cooking, sharing a relaxed supper and a good bottle of something on the wooden verandah that looks out over each lake. Each cabin has a selection of kitchen basics - and tiny jars of herbs and spices - along with wine and cold beer waiting on arrival so you can start unwinding straight away. If you arrive after the shops have closed, Di and Bob provide "a shop in a box" from which you can buy all the makings of a tasty meal, day or night.

Shopping

Wednesday is market day at the local village of Piégut, where you can find all sorts of regional and local specialities. It is very popular with locals and guests alike and you can stock up on meat, very good fish, and local, seasonal fruit and veg. A grocer, boulangerie and tabac all lie within cycling distance.

There is also a 'cabincuisine' service at Woodsman's Cabin only where a delicious, freshly prepared 3 course meal can be delivered to your door by arrangement with Di.

Going Out

You will find details all the local restaurants in each cabin. These range from workers cafés to Michelin-starred fine dining.

There is a 'Café Brocante' in nearby St-Estèphe, a café combined with a bric-a-brac shop, where you can sip a coffee and browse vintage treasures at the same time.

Vegetarian

La Sens de la Terre in Piegut is a delightful vegetarian restaurant - unusual for this rural corner of France and fantastic for lunch.

All about Covert Cabin

Di and Bob Kirkwood were drawn to the area due to its amazing natural beauty and lush climate. In 1999, a huge storm blew down many of the trees on the estate and one of Di & Bob's first jobs when they moved ten years ago was to start tidying, using the fallen timber to build the Woodsman's Cabin. Now many happy guests have come and gone, and a second cabin has joined the first, again using timber from the woodland, which Di and Bob manage themselves. Bob still always has a project on the go - from the hide in the woods to floating vegetable patches, you won't discover exactly what has evolved until you arrive. The woods around Fisherman's Cabin are chestnut, oak, and the beech wood traditionally used for charcoal burning, which Bob plans to use in the future for art materials - and barbecues.

Environmental Policy

Di and Bob are very environmentally aware and strive to make every detail of their off-grid cabins as efficiently eco-friendly as possible. Woodsman's Cabin is lit at night with a mixture of candles, oil lamps and stored solar power, whereas solar panels and a waterwheel provide 12v electricity for Fisherman's Cabin, from which you can charge laptops if you bring a car charger. Woodburners heat water for both showers using an ingenious mechanism designed by Bob. The cabins use water from the lakes, filtered many times, for showering and washing up, and one last filtration unit makes it perfectly safe for drinking (but bottled water can be provided as well). There are compost toilets, using sawdust from Bob's sawmill, and anything remotely recyclable is recycled. You can even use the wind-up and solar chargers at both cabins for iPhones and iPods.

Wildlife

The wildlife at Covert Cabin is one of the things that makes a stay here so special. From the deck just outside the cabin you can see kingfishers flying over the lake and deer scouting the forest floor. Occasional red squirrels may pass just feet from you, and red kites circle overhead. Sit quietly in Bob's handmade hide in the woods near Fisherman's Cabin and pine martens or wild boar may join you; in September, though, you're more likely to see an intrepid local foraging for wild mushrooms such as the delicious ceps which grow abundantly hereabouts. In spring and summer there are wildflowers aplenty which encourages a delightful menagerie of bees and butterflies.

There is no light pollution at Covert Cabin so the stargazing here is spectacular too.