Beaumont-du-Perigord, Dordogne - a charming bastide town in the Dordogne

Visit Beaumont-du-Perigord

Beaumont is an English bastide town founded in 1272 by Edward I of England. In common with the general plan for bastide towns it was built on the grid pattern. Beaumont is an attractive bastide town, lively and active, and not too touristy.

Explore Beaumont du Perigord

Beaumont is one of the largest bastides in the Perigord region. It was built with a double layer of fortified walls with initially 16 defensive stone gates through the walls. Of these only the Luzier gateway remains. The Tour de Bannes is part of the original defences of the town, and you can walk round the old ramparts to see the Porte de Luzier and the tower.

Beaumont church, the Church of St Front, was built at the end of the 13th century, and as is usual for a bastide town it formed an important part of the towns defensive strategy. It is a beautiful example of the Gothic, military style of church building. The church was particularly important to the defenses of Beaumont as it does not have a castle.

The town's Maison de retraite (retirement home) was originally a convent built in about 1700 - an elegant building, with identical windows each topped by a shell design, being the sign of the pilgrim route to Compostella.

There are various examples of houses of the middle ages, including Maison Chambard, a substantial town house with 15th century dormer windows and a 13th century facade onto the street. Part of the original medieval Maison de Monsec can be seen in the south facade, a remnant of a 13th century prison wall. The Maison Lafitte is an unusual timbered house with the cross of St Andrew set between its windows.

Walking around Beaumont, head to the street parallel to the main road where you will find quite a number of nice little shops, from the parfumiere selling perfumes made by the owner of the shop, to a wonderful collection of carved wood and some really very good pictures made from a kind of collage of photos taking in the area. There is also a wonderful jewellry shop, Jarry des Loges, with fabulous jewellry. Jarry des Loges jewellry often graces the catwalks of Paris.

There are also some nice restaurants and bars allowing you to make this a nice leisurely visit.

Venture south of town a little to admire the lovely (privately owned, no public admission) Chateau de Bannes. A delightful chateau which looks like something straight from a fairy tale. Close to Beaumont-du-Perigord you should also visit the dolmen de blanc (les 'peyrelevades') - as a reminder of the long history of the Dordogne region.

If you like walking there are a number of walks setting out from Beaumont - see the tourist office for details.

If you visit in the summer you may be lucky enough to see Beaumont all decked out in garlands of paper flowers ready for its summer festivals.

Places to Visit Nearby

The beautiful medieval village of Issigeac is to the west of Beaumont as is the impressive Chateau de Monbazillac, home of the famous sweet white Monbazillac wine.