Farmhouse and 2 Cottages with Beautiful Pool and Sundeck
Rural Hamlet Location, Central in Poitou Charentes
4 bed Farmhouse, 2 x 2 bed Cottages, sleeps 12+5+5
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Châtaigne Cottages is the perfect base for discovering the whole region or for relaxing on site, enjoying the local wildlife and countryside. Poitou-Charentes is primarily an agricultural region, and has its own micro-climate with an excellent sunshine record. The site is securely gated and fenced, and has a substantial pool with sundeck and covered bar area. The pool is protected with an infrared perimeter alarm in compliance with the strict French safety standards. Our guests can also fish in our neighbour's large private lake but the rural location is so calming and refreshing that to unwind next to the pool, spotting local birds and butterflies, or to play a game of boules may be as much as you want to do. Browsing in the one of weekly markets in the local area to discover and sample some of the region’s produce is also great fun, and even a trip to the shops in town is a sensory feast with all of the sights, sounds and smells of rural French life on offer.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 3 September 2011 - 30 September 2011 | £620 | - | ||
| 1 October 2011 - 20 December 2011 | £400 | - | ||
| 21 December 2011 - 4 January 2012 | £1000 | - | ||
| 5 January 2012 - 4 May 2012 | £400 | - | ||
| 5 May 2012 - 29 June 2012 | £620 | - | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £1200 | - | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 28 September 2012 | £620 | - | ||
| 29 September 2012 - 18 December 2012 | £400 | - | ||
| 19 December 2012 - 4 January 2013 | £1000 | - |
Birch Lodge (1 double, 1 triple) Sleeps up to 5 Prices
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 3 September 2011 - 30 September 2011 | £300 | - | ||
| 5 May 2012 - 29 June 2012 | £300 | - | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £600 | - | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 28 September 2012 | £300 | - |
Pine Cottage (1 double, 1 twin) Sleeps up to 5 Prices
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 4 June 2011 - 1 July 2011 | £350 | - | ||
| 2 July 2011 - 2 September 2011 | £700 | - | ||
| 3 September 2011 - 30 September 2011 | £350 | - | ||
| 5 May 2012 - 29 June 2012 | £350 | - | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 31 August 2012 | £700 | - | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 28 September 2012 | £350 | - |
Notes on prices
Prices shown are per week in £GBP. For the whole site in 2012 the standard price is £2500 for High Season (July and August), and £1270 in mid season. Only Châtaigne House is available during the winter. A 25% deposit secures your booking and the balance is payable 8 weeks before arrival. If the holiday is less than 8 weeks away we require full payment when booking. A cleaning charge is payable when booking and a breakage deposit is payable with the balance.
Changeover day
Normally, changeover is Saturday, but other days will be considered out of high season.
You should arrive no earlier than 16:00 local time, and depart before 10:00 local time.
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Birch Lodge (1 double, 1 triple) Sleeps up to 5
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| Ground floor: Open plan room, with fully equipped kitchen at one end comprising of fridge, gas cooker, microwave, dishwasher, kettle, toaster and coffee machine. Double doors to garden. Central dining area with lounge at the other end with double doors to garden. Lobby to shower room, comprising corner shower, WC and basin. First floor: Bedroom 1 with double bed. Room for a cot or folding bed. Bedroom 2 with three single beds. Both bedrooms with velux windows in the sloping ceilings. | |
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Pine Cottage (1 double, 1 twin) Sleeps up to 5
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Ground floor: Open plan room, with fully equipped kitchen at one end comprising of fridge, gas cooker, microwave, dishwasher, kettle, toaster, coffee machine, double doors to garden. Central lounge area, and dining area at the other end. Bathroom, with bath and shower over, toilet and basin. First floor: Bedroom 1 with double bed. Room for a cot. Bedroom 2 with two single beds. Room for extra folding bed or cot. Both bedrooms have sloping ceilings with velux windows. |
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Notes on accommodation
The three properties together are perfect for group holidays, with the large living room in Châtaigne House making an ideal communal space where the whole party can gather for meals, games and other group activities. The bedrooms in all the houses have original exposed beams in the sloping ceilings. All properties suitable for children - stair-gates, cots, high chairs and booster seats available on request. Châtaigne House is available for bookings over the Christmas and New Year period. Book early for cheap flights.
Accessibility
Please discuss with us your particular requirements, and we can advise of suitability of accommodation. We have no special features for wheelchair users, but most of the site is on one level, with no steps and there are ground floor bathroom and toilet facilities in all the properties.
Outside
Just inside the gates is a 5 space car park, leading to the front garden. With beautiful hibiscus and buddleia shrubs, and a picturesque well (sealed off for safety), stone pathways lead across the front lawn to the houses. Each house has its own wooden table and chairs for outdoor meals, topped off with a substantial parasol. For large groups, the tables can all be pushed together in the front lawn between the houses. A gated recreation lawn behind the farmhouse is ideal for ball games, and then a further tree-lined, fenced and gated area around the 12m x 6m pool and deck provides a secure area for swimming and sun-worshipping. The covered bar (with fridge) at far end of the deck offers welcome shade where you can enjoy a drink at the café-style tables. If you feel like exerting just a little energy, try your hand at boules on the court under the apple trees. A small sand pit is provided in the pool area. Strictly no running near the pool.
Coast/Beach
Take a day trip to the beautiful unspoilt beaches on the Atlantic coast near La Rochelle - we recommend La Châtelaillon Plage. Man-made beaches and lakes are closer to the gîtes, at Lambon, about 20 minutes drive from gites, Les Trois Fontaines at Villefagnan at roughly the same distance, and also at the Grande Prairie next to the Nautilis centre at Angoulême. Many other plans d'eau and boating lakes are nearby, such as the Base de Loisirs les Iles de Payre at Payré.
Golf
There are many golf courses in the region - the nearest 'La Forge' at Niort, about 35 mins drive away. In Charente Maritime, there is a course on the Ile de Ré and another near Royan. In Vienne, there is a course near Poitiers at St Cyr, and in the Charente there is a course near Angoulême.
Travel
Car essential, but driving easy. Poitiers airport just 35 minutes away. Angoulême airport 1 hour's drive. La Rochelle airport 1 hour 30 minutes drive. Limoges airport 2 hours drive. All Channel Ports accessible within a day's drive. St Malo is the nearest at a little over 4hrs.
Distances
Caunay - 2 minutes walk. Nearest restaurant - 5 mins drive, 25 mins walk. Shops - 8 mins drive to Sauzé-Vaussais or Chaunay, 15 mins drive to Lezay. Vallée des Singes - 20 mins drive at Romagne. Futuroscope - 45 mins drive just North of Poitiers. Marais Poitevin - 45 mins drive West of Niort. Cognac - 1 hr 30 mins drive south. Tennis - Sauzé-Vaussais. Stables at Le Breuil Coiffault - 20 mins drive. Niort - 35 mins drive. Angoulême - 1 hr drive. La Rochelle - 1 hr. 30 mins drive. Royan - 2 hrs.
Further details
We strongly recommend the Vallée des Singes to our guests, as this has proved to be a firm favourite with visitors in previous years. For budding anglers, our neighbour, Michel, has kindly agreed to allow our guests to fish in his large private lake. Last year he charged 7 € per person per day, so it's well worth a try. One of our guests this year said that he had one of the best day's fishing of his life on Michel's lake! (Please ask us in advance how to make arrangements.) There is a wide selection of places of interest within easy reach, depending on your preferences, and there are also many seasonal local events throughout the summer. For the best information you should visit one of the Offices de Tourisme to see what takes your fancy, and to make sure you don't miss something special close by. You will need a car for your shopping, as the nearest shops are in the towns of Lezay, Sauze Vaussais and Melle. You will find a good selection of restaurants in these towns, too, as well as the usual pharmacies, hairdressers and banks. The restaurant which recently opened in a neighbouring village - 'The Mad Hatter's Kitchen' in Le Breuillac - continues to generate excellent reviews. This is a pleasant 25 minutes walk away along country lanes, and all our guests are impressed by the quality and value for money offered. The pool is not heated. It will be open during June, July, August, and into September, weather permitting. The gites are 20 minutes from one of the foremost Ecuries in France - in Le Breuil Coiffault - where you have a choice of horseriding activities. Horses and ponies of all sizes are available, and individual and group sessions are on offer. This summer, our guests particularly enjoyed the 'night ride' through the countryside to a 'haunted house'!
Booking notes
The receipt of a completed booking form and signed T & C, plus a 25% deposit secures your booking. The final balance is to be paid 8 weeks before your arrival, upon receipt of which more information about your holiday and directions to the gîtes will be sent. Bed linen at £5 per set. Bath towels at £2 each - please bring your own pool/beach towels. Breakage deposit £200 (house), £75 (cottage). Cleaning charge £60 (house), £35 (cottage).
Bring your sky digibox+card to watch TV during your stay.
Guest comments
'We had a lovely time here, and will tell all our friends to come'
George and Leatrice De Coster, 2006
'Thank you for a lovely holiday at your cottages - we've had a great time!'
The Hilborn party, 2007
Just a note to thank you and to say how much we enjoyed our holiday. The accommodation was great for the two families (in the farmhouse) and even plenty of room for the whole group on the one day it rained!
The Larkin party, 2010
...The lay out of the houses worked perfectly for our large noisy family allowing some of us to get away for a bit of peace when needed. It was voted a perfect venue by us all on the last evening.
The Benyon party, 2010
House swap
Would be interested in accommodation for two adults in Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Southern England outside high season.
Owner profile
About the owner
The Marsh family have lived in France since summer 2004, having moved from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex. Chris & Jane are ex-Banking IT people, based in the Docklands area of London before their departure. Their two daughters have studied in mainstream French schools locally since arrival,and are both now at French Universities.
The family live in a small village about 20 minutes drive from the gîtes, where they have chickens, geese and a variable number of cats (and their local chums!), plus a large, unruly allotment and a selection of fruit trees. A far cry from the DLR and the C2C line!
Year purchased: 2004
Why the owner chose a home in this location
The gîtes, and also our properties at home, represent such a contrast to the hustle and bustle we were subjected to in Canary Wharf. It took quite a while to get used to the quietness, which at times you can almost 'feel'. Whilst being very countrified and off the beaten track, it's very easy to find your way to 'civilisation' on the excellent French road system, so it's your choice whether to be sociable, or just to soak up the stillness.
The lifestyle is very informal - no one dresses up. So leave those bow ties & ball gowns at home, and just pack your walking boots & sunhat!
You are constantly aware of 'the Big Outdoors', with an amazing range of unusual birds and insects all around, and a huge variety of wild flowers and rolling countryside to enjoy.
Unique benefits of the property
The site is secure, with gates and fences all round, and is away from the road. We are very conscious of pool safety, and insist that every visiting group observes the safe use of the perimeter alarm system in place at the gîtes.
The houses have a few quirks - beams to duck under, floors that slope etc - so if you are not used to the older-style French, rural properties, it might take you a while to adjust to the lifestyle!
Large parties can use the main house as a focal point, with the large ground floor living area ideal for communal activities.
If you are of an artistic bent, your senses will be overloaded with the beautiful scenery all around. The skies, both during the day and the night, are huge and the lack of light pollution is particularly conducive to stargazing.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR3267
Contact Name:
Jane Marsh
(FRANCE) +33 549074785
English/French. Please provide landline
Owners Website: Click here
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Property Ref FR3267
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