Our 'Gluten Free' and 'Special Diet' holidays bring you “Rest, Relaxation and Rejuvenation” in a casual country French environment, safe in the knowledge that you can enjoy your time in France with no concern about eating in accordance with you needs.

    Bill Davies and Kevin Saunders run the “gluten free” full board holidays for coeliacs, their partners, families and friends at Chateau de Villars in a relaxed holiday atmosphere. All guests enjoy fresh and creative dining, using seasonal produce, in an elegant setting.

    Bill was born near New York and has a background in nursing and medical management, as well as being an apiarist (beekeeper). Kevin is British, born in Hertfordshire, and, after university at Oxford, worked in America as a lawyer, until he “recovered” through a new career as a fine art photographer. Both are consummate hosts and cooks. Their unique brand of holidays continue with such success that vacancies are hard to come by and bookings happen early for each season once the new season's schedule of 'Gluten Free' full board weeks is released each November.

    The Chateau is located at the edge of the small Dordogne village, Villars. In the heart of Perigord Vert, on the border of the Perigord-Limousin National Park, Villars, enjoys an unrivalled location.

   Perigord Vert is a crescent shaped area covering the North of the Dordogne department. The famous author, Jules Verne, gave it the name 'Perigord Vert' during his travels in the area. Its hills and humid climate combine with the impermeable soil to produce an all year round greenery of growth, even in the driest of summers. Water is all around. From everywhere streams flow towards the Bandiat, the Tardoire or converge on the Dronne, the Cole, the Isle or the Auvezere.

    The Dordogne is a land packed with history and tradition and is part of the Aquitaine, containing several of 'the Most Beautiful Villages' in France. Nature has also been generous here, offering a variety of idyllic landscapes around the turn of each hill, in the heart of each valley and along the streams that flow through them. There is, as you will discover a magical, almost magnetic quality about Perigord Vert.

    Villars is adjacent to Thiviers and Sorges, stopping points along the Way of St James – one of the medieval pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella in north western Spain, where legend has it that the remains of St James are buried. This route, known as the ‘Chemin de Vezalay’, starts in Namur, Belgium   No doubt some medieval pilgrims visited Brantome en route and passed through Villars. This is certainly borne out by the beautiful large scallop shell, prominently carved over the main entrance to Villars' medieval church, St Martial.  The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of St. James and medieval Christians en route to Santiago de Compostela would carry a shell and often wear this emblem.

   The Perigord is traditionally a 'Land of Welcome'. Faithful to this, our golden rule is hospitality! We will help you share the Perigords past, savour its cuisine and experience the charm and tranquillity of its countryside.

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