Glamping in the Dordogne with Feather Down

A couple of weeks ago we were treated to a weekend away by Feather Down.

Feather Down is for everyone who enjoys a cosy setting on the campsite, but would also like the luxury and quality. You’ll experience the feeling that you’re camping and have the luxury of a proper bed, kitchen, shower, and toilet.

The Feather Down concept was born over 16 years ago in The Netherlands and has since welcomed thousands of glamping enthusiasts from all over the world. Those who choose a glamping holiday with Feather Down are spoilt for choice as they can pick from at least 65 locations in the UK, Ireland, The Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and Switzerland.

Due to the current situation with COVID, we didn’t want to travel far so we chose a site that was about 30 minutes drive from our house.

The thing about living in such a rural part of France is that we can travel half an hour in any direction and generally find a place we haven’t yet explored as we’ve only been here a year. The Feather Down farm we visited is La Grange Du Bost in Montagrier which is in the Dordogne.

La Grange Du Bost is an organic farm run that also provides glamping in the Dordogne by Fiona with the help of her friend Chris. The farm is comprised of 20 hectares of woods, meadows and fields. It was once devoted to the organic breeding of laying hens and now focuses on wildlife and the ecology of the area.

The luxurious canvas tents don’t have electricity but if you need to charge anything, you can plug your gadgets in at the farm shop.

The canvas tents ooze rustic get away and have a cottage feel about them. You are greeted by a sofa and beautiful wooden dining furniture as you walk into the tent in the open plan living area. It is complete with a sink and wood-fired stove for cooking and heating. There is a toilet room with a flushable toilet and three sleeping areas. One bedroom had a double bed in, one with bunk beds and the coolest sleeping space of them all was a cosy cupboard bed. Perfect for children who want their own den and sleeping area! Light comes from candles, oil and battery-powered lamps.

The private shower is next to the tent in a self-contained wooden hut. The shower is powered through a tap that has hot and cold water and fills a bucket up that has holes in the bottom to drain down to you.

Outside the tent is a wooden terrace area with a table and chairs, deckchairs and hammock. There is also a BBQ for some outdoor cooking.

On the site, you can go bird watching and walk through the woods. There is a playhouse, sandpit and swing. Guests are encouraged to help with the animals, which Lucas was more than happy to oblige with. There is the dog Ushi, three cats, a rabbit, several chickens, a horse, and a donkey. Lucas woke up bright and early each morning to check he hadn’t missed their feeding times and bounced out of the tent to take responsibility for them.

In the farm shop, you can purchase local produce from drinks to food, ice cream and handmade soaps. There is also a box of toys for children to borrow whilst they stay there.

Canoes can be rented in Tocane, just 3 km from the farm. The Feather Down website state that a temporary permit can be given to you if you want to go fishing, however, you need to get this yourself from SCAR – the agricultural cooperative and it costs €15 for a day pass. We got a canoe and went fishing at a small beach called Renamont which was about a 10-minute drive from the farm in Grand-Brassac. It’s on the river Dronne, has plenty of grass to run around and a restaurant. We ate there and the food was delicious and the staff very friendly.

The area has hundreds of markets – there are several for every day of the week, though varying in size. The farm is in the heart of the Perigord region, renowned for its gastronomy, specialising in duck, walnuts, truffles and foie gras.

If you feel like leaving the farm for a few hours or a whole day there are countless places to explore – from pretty villages to caves and chateaux, vineyards and even underground churches.