Nestled at the southern end of the Ardeche region of France in an area that has been inhabited more than 12,000 years, Largentieres name refers to the silver mines in the area between the tenth and fifteenth centuries, when the silver-bearing lead ores in intrusive veins in the Largentières sandstone were exploited under the authority of the Counts of Toulouse and the Bishops of Viviers, whose title barons de Largentière was linked to the bishopric. The picturesque little medieval streets lined with ancient houses, its Renaissance Town Hall, the 13th-century Gothic church of Our Lady of the Apple Trees (Notre-Dame-des-Pommiers), and the Récollets gate, a relic of the old ramparts, are all architectural features to admire whilst taking a stroll. Formerly owned by the Bishops of Viviers, the castle was built in the 12th and 15th centuries and was previously used as a courthouse, prison and hospital. Nowadays, during the medieval entertainment in the summer, some of its rooms are open to visitors.

The site we have chosen is the delightful Domaine Les Ranchisses (https://www.lesranchisses.fr/en/ just north of the beautiful village of Largentiere. Right on the river for canoe hire down to Pont d’Arc and with heated swimming pools, Les Ranchisses previously welcomed MOT in 2015 and so they know how to look after us!