It has been exceptionally wet (and mild) for the past 6 weeks in Dordogne (although the 2nd week in January was actually sunny and dry). In fact, the first half of November was also extremely wet, so it is not surprising that the land you looked at was saturated. Around us (near Nontron) the underlying rock is granite and if the soil is relatively thin, it does become very waterlogged as the rain obviously can't drain down through the sub-soil and bedrock. You may also have one or more underground 'sources' on the land which will be 'producing' a lot of water at the moment, which could also contribute to the ground saturation!
It is generally quite wet in the Winter (December 2011 and 2012 were both very wet months) although we do seem to be in the midst of a rather wet spell.....and it has been by far the warmest we have experienced in the 6 Winters we have been here! We do get wet spells during the rest of the year (it isn't called Perigord Vert for nothing!) but generally the thermometer first hits 70°F in March and 80°F April, although April 2012 was a cold and very soggy exception! The earliest 70°F date has been March 2nd (the latest is November 2nd) and the earliest 80°F date has been April 6th (the latest is October 9th)!
The highest temperature recorded on my weather station since 2008 has been 102°F (38.9°C) and the coldest -0.8°F (-18.2°C), although I was living over here in 2003 when the temperature regularly topped 40°C!! Since 2008, we have had 233 days when the temperature topped 80°F, 51 days when it topped 90°F and just the one above 100°F...although 99.9 has also been recorded!! Conversely, we have had 83 days when the highest recorded reading was only in the 30's (below 4.5°C) and 16 days when it was only in the 20's (below -1.1°C) with the coldest maximum being just 22.8°F or -5.1°C!!!
Average high daytime temperatures since the end of 2008:
Jan: 45.58°F
Feb: 46.34
Mar: 58.25
Apr: 62.82
May: 69.75
Jun: 75.33
Jul: 80.59
Aug: 80.77
Sep: 74.75
Oct: 65.86
Nov: 54.61
Dec: 47.99
We can also get extremely cold periods throughout the Winter, the most notable of which, for us, was Feb 2012. The highest daytime maximum temperature between 1st and 12th was just 32.2°F (0.1°C) and the lowest minimum was the -0.8°F previously mentioned! Pretty much everything was frozen solid for the whole two weeks! This Winter is the first time that we haven't recorded a minus double figure minimum (yet)...15.6°F (-9.1°C) on November 28th has been the coldest!
As for sunshine, in a comparison with a weather station in Bristol, we have had 3.3 times as many 'sunny' days here, along with an equal number of 'partly sunny' days. In regards to wet weather, we have had only about 78% of the number of days with recorded rainfall that Bristol has experienced (as well as just 40% of the number of dry but cloudy days)!
I hope this gives you some idea what to expect and I haven't bored you too much!!
As you're thinking of horticulture perhaps you ought to think more of the soil type. Once out of the valley bottoms and their lighter alluvia a lot of the soils are very heavy intractable clays which are too sticky to dig when wet and set like concrete when dry.
Now as I write it is BUCKETING down & has been most of the morning. When it wasn't bucketing it was just pouring. Come to sunny SW France, oh yes (hollow laughter).
We used to live near Stroud, so are used to seeing flooding and since moving here we have been very pleased with the weather in general.
The Saone valley can flood, but we live in the Clunysois at 420m high, with magnificent views.
We can have lovely warm, even hot summers and cold winters, but his year it has been strange to say the least. We had a foot of snow in mid-November and then a cold week, but with beautiful hoar frost and it has since been unnaturally warm.
We are in the east of France and not as much subject to the Atlantic storms which are now bringing such havoc to those western areas, and also the northern coastlines.
We bought our house here in 2003 and people were then saying that the weather was changing and, indeed, each year seems to be different, but not subject to the vast swings that we are seeing in other parts of France.
Our daughter says that we have moved to an area like the Cotswolds, but on a bigger scale. We are in beef farming country with wooded hills, yet only 25 minutes away from the Maconnais and Beaujolais. We are about the same from the Cote Chalonnais, so finding good wine is not a problem.
It does seem that one cannot rely upon previous weather patterns and finding somewhere which is not subject to such huge variations may be the answer.
Nja, nja Roger. My rhubarb grows really well, but only disappeared for the four cold weeks and is doing well now. Only two metres from our well, so moist soil thereabouts.
I live just round the corner from Hautefort in Thiviers we can guarantee a warmish summer with temperatures in the high 20's on average reaching 34° quite often, Fairly dry but that's not what you want to hear as a gardener. Winter occasional cold snaps here down to -5 or 6 is normal but normally reasonably dry especially compared with my native North Devon. Just have a look at the vegetation , green, lush and a stick will grow if you stick it in the soil we have Apricots and Peaches but My Pépinière tells me its too cold for them further into Limousin, Due to the Frosts I have to bring in my Citrus and Olive bushes. But I have no wish to live in the arid South :-) Cherries from the end of June. but forget about the rhubarb just not enough cold!
A cold winter with down to -15/-16 to hot summer of 35/36 can mean 40 to 50 C variance in a single year. This winter is mild and wet, like flooding type wet. Better than cold. However the spring, summer and pleasant autumn are long. It also depends on which part of the department you are in. Bergerac to Sarlat and to the SW of there look best with the less cold but certainly hottest weather.
Paul, We have lived in the Dordogne for 12 years (we’re 25 minutes from Sarlat ) and now want a change. We are looking at Poitou charente for the same reasons you initially chose to buy there, so it would really be helpful to know why just after 2 years you have decided to move? If you have posted it somewhere , would you be able to share the link?