Gorgeous Historic House and Gite with Pool
18th Century Maison Bourg between Saintes and Cognac
4 Bedroom House and 2 Bedroom Gite
|
|
Thouvenin is situated in the peaceful, ancient village of Migron, the heart of the Cognac/Pineau producing area, surrounded by acres of vineyards and sunflowers. Excellently furnished and equipped throughout, with large, airy living rooms which stay cool even on hottest of days. The house gets its name from when it was Hotel Thouvenin, in the days when the railway used to come to Migron. Before that, it was a typical Charentaise farmhouse dating back to the 18th century. L'Ecurie is a charming, beautifully refurbished two/three bedroom gite situated in the old stables of the house with a separate entrance. Recently renovated with great care, L'Ecurie enjoys a beautiful, planted terrace leading directly onto the pool - perfect for breakfast in the sunshine - as well as an orchard for guests' exclusive use. Both are close to the beautiful historic towns of Cognac, Saintes and St Jean D'Angely, and just 40 from from the beautiful sandy beaches of Royan and an hour to Bordeaux.
|
|
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 7 January 2012 - 25 May 2012 | £350 | 7 | ||
| 26 May 2012 - 15 June 2012 | £590 | 7 | ||
| 16 June 2012 - 6 July 2012 | £790 | 7 | ||
| 7 July 2012 - 13 July 2012 | £1190 | 7 | ||
| 14 July 2012 - 24 August 2012 | £1390 | 7 | ||
| 25 August 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £1190 | 7 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 14 September 2012 | £590 | 7 | ||
| 15 September 2012 - 26 October 2012 | £350 | 7 | ||
| 27 October 2012 - 21 December 2012 | £350 | 7 |
L'Ecurie Prices
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 3 March 2012 - 4 May 2012 | £250 | 7 | ||
| 5 May 2012 - 25 May 2012 | £325 | 7 | ||
| 26 May 2012 - 6 July 2012 | £425 | 7 | ||
| 7 July 2012 - 13 July 2012 | £600 | 7 | ||
| 14 July 2012 - 24 August 2012 | £750 | 7 | ||
| 25 August 2012 - 28 September 2012 | £475 | 7 | ||
| 29 September 2012 - 2 November 2012 | £250 | 7 | ||
| 23 February 2013 - 29 March 2013 | £250 | - |
Changeover day
Changeover day is Saturday in season. Other days may be possible out of season. Arrival time from 4pm and departure time by 10am.
|
L'Ecurie
|
|
|
L’Ecurie has been recently renovated, and retains much of its original character, with solid oak beams, exposed stonework and plenty of rural architectural features. The private driveway and entrance are alongside the fruit garden of the main house (help yourself to whatever's in season). The kitchen/living/dining area is open plan, and double doors lead directly onto a private terrace and the beautifully landscaped pool area beyond. Upstairs are 2 loft bedrooms, one with a double bed, one with twin beds and both with fitted cupboards and shelves. A French day bed, situated in a mezzanine level upstairs, can also be converted into a night bed to accommodate a fifth and sixth person if required. Facilities at L'Ecurie include satellite TV (including BBC); French terrestrial TV, DVD player, stereo CD mini hi-fi, full-sized dishwasher and washing machine. |
|
Notes on accommodation
Price includes bedlinen, bath and hand towels. Highchair, cot and babybath available at no extra charge. Safety gates on internal stairs. The pool is fully fenced to the latest safety specification with a childproof gate. It is heated by solar power and fully maintained. The properties are connected via a hidden door and can be booked as one, comfortably sleeping 12. Thouvenin has both open fires and central heating, with a plentiful supply of logs (no charge). Wireless broadband internet connection available at no cost.
Outside
The large garden has lawned, gravelled and private terraced areas - one for each property. Both have plenty of seating. Thouvenin's covered terrace has a dining table, bar area, table tennis and a stone-built BBQ with chimney. The house has an additional outside, covered mezzanine with further tables, chairs and a swinging seat. Thouvenin's boules area, surrounded by a lavender hedge is the perfect location, next to the barbecue for drinks as the sun goes down. L'Ecurie's own terrace has tables, chairs and a BBQ and is planted with olive bushes and lavender. Separately it has a private orchard with cherries, peaches and almond trees, please help yourself. The 9 x 4m pool is 1.5m deep, and fully fenced with poolside loungers. The plant room for chlorination is housed in the former pigsty! Thovenin has a large drive with parking for 2+ cars. L'Ecurie's separate drive can accommodate a single car. There is ample additional street parking.
Coast/Beach
The beautiful sandy beaches of Royan are just forty minutes drive away. Also within an hour's drive are Rochefort, Ile d'Oleron, La Rochelle and - just a bit further - the beautiful Ile de Re, dubbed the Cote d'Azur of the Atlantic Coast. The Atlantis waterpark in St Jean d’Angely (20 minutes drive), has water slides, but the biggest and best is Les Antilles at Jonzac. The sea marshes around Rochefort contain a sanctuary which plays home to egrets, storks, warblers and kites.
Golf
There are 18 hole courses in both Saintes and Cognac, both within 20 minutes drive.
Travel
We are surrounded by airports with budget flights to many parts of the UK, including Angouleme (45mins),La Rochelle (around an hour) and Bordeaux (1 hour). The nearest ferry port is St Malo, around 4 hours drive on very good roads, which means that with a breakfast stop you can be at the house for lunch. Alternatives include Caen, Roscoff and Cherbourg. The short channel crossings from Dover are possible with a long day's drive. TGV service to Angouleme.
Distances
Nearby large villages include Matha (10 minutes drive) and Burie (5 minutes). Attractions nearby include an excellent aquarium at La Rochelle, two waterslide parks and a world class zoo. In Cognac, 20 minutes drive away, there's a chance to visit some of the world-famous distilleries and the beautiful old Roman town of Saintes, also 20 minutes away, has good shopping, good museums, a Roman amphitheatre and two cathedrals. La Rochelle, Rochefort and Bordeaux around an hour away.
Further details
The small village of Migron, with its pretty, 11th-century stone church, is perfect for those who don't want to be too remote, with a mini-market, boulangerie/pattiserie, a boucherie, post office, and a weekly grocer's van selling fresh local vegetables. Oysters and mussels are sold in front of the epicerie every Saturday morning. Migron and the surrounding area is excellent for cycling - miles and miles of level countryside with virtually traffic-free routes through vineyards, fields, woodland and villages. There's even an otter colony at the edge of the village. Other activities include river trips, antiques markets (large brocantes held in surrounding villages regularly throughout the Summer), visits to chateaux, churches and museums, walking, cycling and birdwatching (74 hectares of lagoon nature reserves in the area). Sport and leisure in the area include golf (18-hole courses in both Cognac and Saintes which are 20 minutes away), horse riding, all types of fishing, tennis (including a court in the village), canoe-kayaking (boats to hire at various places along the Charente in Cognac and Saintes), and plenty of space in and around the village to kick a football. There is a market to go to practically every day of the week, in Saintes, Cognac, Matha, St Jean d'Angely among others, and there are many excellent local restaurants and auberges to suit every budget.
Cognac and Pineau des Charentes - a local aperitif - are available to taste and buy direct from local producers. A nearby village has its own micro brewery with mini-kegs and bottles to take away. Other local specialities include goats cheeses, oysters from the Marennes, mussels, and other wonderful seafood from the Atlantic coast. The best 'local' wine is Bordeaux - most grapes grown here are for Cognac or Pineau - and there are caves (wine co-operatives) in several local towns.
Booking notes
Discounts available on longer bookings. 20% deposit required at the time of booking. £100 breakages deposit required at time of balance payment, 8 weeks before the commencement of the holiday. Linen, bath and hand towels included, but not beach/pool towels. Highchair, cot and babybath available at no cost. Cleaning not included and charged if property not "left as found". Minimum charge £50.
Guest comments
‘We loved the house and the area, one we would return to I am sure. I have already recommended both to friends upon our return.” M.W. Sep 2010
‘The best thing was the pool. Provided us with an environment we could relax in. The gite is the best we have stayed in in France or Spain" J.N.
'We had a fantastic holiday - the gite was great and the local area lovely. The best thing about our stay was the lovely surrounding countryside. The villages out towards Matha are just fantastic.' M.S. London
‘Wonderful local produce, incredibly cheap good wine, the local cognac producers - visiting them was a glimpse of 'real' France. We loved the space, the beautiful gardens - the kids spent ages collecting the hazelnuts for us to eat!’ N.T. Sep 2010
“We thought the house was a delight, beautifully and tastefully restored It was extremely well furnished and very well equipped. Overall we had a thoroughly enjoyable stay and would recommend anyone to stay at your house.” I.H. May 2011
House swap
House swap considered
Owner profile
My own holiday at the house in 2010
About the owner
Linda and I have busy lives in England, both working from home, and with two teenage children. Our house in France has become a part of family life: a place we treasure and where we know we will eventually live.
Year purchased: 2005
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We spent more than five years looking for the perfect location. It had to be in beautiful countryside, within striking distance of the coast, close enough to get to comfortably and far enough south to have a long, warm sunny summer. In fact, the area is within a micro climate that is the 2nd sunniest in France. We first visited it on a wet January day. Even then we knew we had found the place. The huge rooms of the house, the careful restoration that created a fantastic atmosphere and its quirky character made it irresistible. And then we discovered the towns.. Saintes, Cognac, Angouleme, each brilliant but with a distinctive character. And Oleron, France's 2nd largest island, but hardly mentioned in England, with huge unspoilt sandy beaches. We were absolutely sold.
Unique benefits of the property
We holiday at the house each year ourselves. We never tire of the countryside and villages, the local walks and just soaking up the atmosphere of the towns. In truth, we spend most of our time at the house. It just seems to fit our mood. There's the shade of L'Ecurie's orchard and herb garden. And Thouvenin with its quiet, almost hidden spaces, to sit, read, think, snooze.. And the pools big enough for a real family swim or the competitiveness of winning at boules or table tennis. Eating outdoors is for us an essential part of summer and there's nothing better than walking down the road to buy fresh bread to have with cheese and wine. And as the evening finally falls, seeing the stars without extraneous light, brighter than I've ever seen.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR2681
Antony Bellekom
Tel: (UK) + 44 (0)1636 893 015
Send an email to owner
This form may only be used for genuine enquiries about renting this property.
Use of this form for other purposes including unsolicited commercial marketing is strictly prohibited.
Your message will be sent by email to the property owner.
Owners Direct also retains an archive copy for the property owner to refer to.
If you do not receive a reply to this email within 2 or 3 days, please try contacting the owner by telephone.
Your email address will be added to our mailing list, for receipt of occasional newsletters and holiday information.
If you do not wish to be added to this mailing list, please uncheck the box above.
Please refer to our privacy policy.
International Dialling Access Codes:
From Europe dial 00 in place of +
From USA dial 011 in place of +
If phoning from outside Europe or USA please consult your telephone directory for international dialling access codes.
This advertiser joined Owners Direct in September 2007,
and has advertised this property with us since October 2007.
Property Ref FR2681
When contacting the owner please mention that you saw this property on Owners Direct Website.