One of the many sites in France where traces of cave-dwelling Early Man have been discovered

Château de Fages (Castels)

When we came past here in the 1990s, we found the owner, not a young man by any means. restoring the place with his own hands, He had been working on it for twenty years, and reckoned another twelve would see the job done. The Association for the preservation of the castle and of the village church was still going in 2002, but beyond that I can't find out what has actually happened down the years. Heigh ho, suppose I'll have to go back ...

Écuras

Hautefort

One of the steepest hillside villages I've ever come across.
The peculiar structure on the left is a crush in which to immobilise oxen while they are being shoed.

Champagnac-de-Belair

Such a shame that the proudest boast of this romantically-named village
appears to be that it has a biscuit factory employing 300 people.

Nontron

Weird place, Nontron. You'd expect a hill town on the edge of a deep gorge to be ancient
– after all, it was sacked by Saracens in the 7th century and by Normans (they got everywhere)
in the 9th; but the church is 19th-century, the castle is 18th-century (albeit with cellars dating
from the 15th), and there is nothing older above ground. They make cutlery in Nontron,
and the two factories offer guided tours; and the Council are big on preserving dying crafts;
which is worthy, but does little to relieve the fact that Nontron is (whisper it) rather dull.

Ribérac

Saint-Aulaye

A pleasant market town in the lower valley of the Dronne