Old Farmhouse in Peaceful Village Near Cognac
Charming Family Home in Secluded Garden with Pool
Sleeps 8 (4 Bedrooms)
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Nº 22 is a typical Charentais stone farmhouse in the village of Louzignac in the Charente-Maritime. Built around 1840, the house is comfortably furnished and simply decorated with rugs, ornaments, posters and pictures throughout. As it has been our family's holiday home for more than twenty years, it is very well-equipped, including WiFi, satellite TV and cotton bedlinen. The property has an arched entrance with gates and is surrounded by walls and hedges, providing a real sense of seclusion, ideal for a peaceful and relaxing holiday. The village is surrounded by fields of wheat, maize, sunflowers and vines, and the area is ideal for running, walking and cycling, as it is criss-crossed with numerous, little-used 'chemins blancs' - small roads and tracks (maps supplied). The nearest small town, Matha, with its market, shops, pharmacies and supermarkets, is 10 minutes away, Cognac is 20 minutes and the coast and Bordeaux vineyards are a 1 - 1.5 hour drive.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 3 March 2012 - 31 March 2012 | £750 | 7 | ||
| 31 March 2012 - 2 June 2012 | £950 | 7 | ||
| 2 June 2012 - 30 June 2012 | £1100 | 7 | ||
| 30 June 2012 - 1 September 2012 | £1500 | 7 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 29 September 2012 | £1100 | 7 |
Notes on prices
Discounts for couples/smaller parties, except in July and August.
All towels, bed linen, house and pool heating are included, and a selection of local goodies, including wine and cheese, will be waiting for you.
Changeover day
Changeover day is usually Saturday: arrival: after 16.00; departure: 10.00. These times may be flexible - please just ask.
Accommodation
| Bedrooms: | Bedroom 1 with 160cm bed, en-suite shower-room. Bedroom 2 with twin beds. Bedroom 3 with 140cm bed. Bedroom 4 with 160cm bed. All have good storage (with plenty of hangers), hairdryers, fans, cotton bedlinen, towels and bath robes. |
| Bathrooms: | Shower-room to bedroom 1 with shower, wc, basin and bidet. Family bathroom with bath/shower over, basin and bidet. WC with basin on first floor. WC with basin on ground floor. Additional showers in utility room and pool. L'Occitane toiletries supplied. |
| Kitchen: | Dishwasher, cooker (gas hob, electric oven with spit), large fridge/freezer, microwave, electric kettle, toaster, coffee maker, food processor, electric hand whisk, stick blender, saucepans, large amount of crockery, glasses, etc, table and chairs. |
| Utility Room: | Washing machine, tumble dryer, ironing board, iron, vacuum cleaner. Also large shower. |
| Living Rooms: | The sitting-room has an open fireplace, two large sofas (and various chairs), coffee table, dual-standard TV with UK Freesat (so both French and British TV can be watched), DVD and VCR players. Also DVDs, videos, books, cards and some board games. |
| Other: | Leading off the hall, the large dining area has a long farmhouse table with rush-seated chairs and other traditional furniture, a stereo radio with cassette and CD players and iPod connection. Also, WiFi and a small desk suitable for a laptop. |
| Cleaning/towels/ linen/maid service: |
Property will be cleaned for your arrival. Towels and bedlinen are included, and replaced on weekly basis. Cleaning is not offered during your stay, but may be possible to arrange. A welcome basket is included in rental. |
| Amenities/Facilities: | hob/stove garden oven parking fridge/freezer microwave dishwasher washing machine tumble dryer iron/ironing board satellite tv tv internet access central heating room fans barbecue private pool (for sole use of guests) pool heating |
| Location Type: | rural village |
Notes on accommodation
As Nº 22 has been our family's holiday home for many years, it is comfortable and equipped to a high standard. We hope to provide everything you need to start your holiday, so you will find tea, coffee, oil, vinegar, herbs, etc, in the kitchen, soap and loo paper in the bathrooms. As well as the open fireplace (logs supplied) in the sitting room, there are radiators in all rooms. We shall be available for any advice or information you need and we speak fluent French.
No smoking in the house, no pets and, as the house is not suitable for young children, regretfully, minimum age 12.
Accessibility
Access to the house is not difficult, but there is a small step up into the sitting room area and no sleeping accommodation on the ground floor. The downstairs wc is small; there is a large shower in the utility room; the swimming pool has shallow tiled steps.
Outside
The garden is laid to grass with trees for shade. There is a variety of garden furniture including: large, wooden dining table and chairs with parasol, steamer chairs, loungers, and both Weber kettle (charcoal) and gas barbecues.
The heated pool is next to the house in a converted barn and has two large glass doors opening onto the terrace. The pool is 6.2m x 4.25m x 1.6m deep, and has a counter current for those who want to exercise. Underwater lighting, Bose speakers and an iPod dock are also installed. The pool is for the sole use of guests.
There is a terrain de boules and various sets of boules, as well as several bicycles. We have an orchard and a vegetable garden, so fresh fruit and vegetables may be available in season.
Coast/Beach
Royan, the most famous seaside resort on the Atlantic coast, is about an hour away. It has a large beach, shops, and restaurants, although we prefer the charm of nearby St-Georges-de-Didonne. If you like dunes, pine forests and 40km of sandy beach, you will love the Côte Sauvage (the wild coast). The Vieux Port (old port) of beautiful La Rochelle is a great day out for sight-seeing, shopping and eating. Charming Ile de Ré and Ile d'Oléron are just over an hour away.
Golf
We have several courses within one hour's drive: Angouleme (45 mins), 18 holes, 6346m par 70; Cognac (25 mins), 18 holes, 6142m par 72; La Rochelle (60 mins), 18 holes, 6012m par 72; Royan (60 mins), 18 holes, 5620m par 71; Saintes (40 mins), 18 holes, 4790m par 62.
Travel
Airports: Bordeaux (1.5 hours); La Rochelle (1 hour); Poitiers (1.5 hours). Rail: St Pancras to Angoulême via Lille or Paris (about 7 hours). Car from: Caen (5.5 hours), Calais (7 - 8 hours), St Mâlo (4.5 hours). Half an hour from Exit 34 of the A10. A car is essential and can be hired at any of the airports, in Cognac, and at Angoulême station.
Distances
Matha (10 mins), Cognac (20 mins), St Jean d'Angély (30 mins), Angoulême (40 mins), La Rochelle (1 hour), Saintes (40 mins).
Further details
Matha, Cognac and St Jean d'Angély all have covered markets and a good selection of shops, banks, pharmacies, supermarkets, etc. There are at least two English-speaking doctors in the vicinity. A boulanger comes to the village around mid-morning with fresh bread but in Siecq (2 km) there is a boulangerie, with very good bread and a few basic groceries, a bar/restaurant, and a cave which sells its award-winning wine, Pineau des Charentes and Cognac.
We have a few basic restaurants within a few minutes' drive and more interesting options are to be found in Cognac and St Jean d'Angély. At nearby Thors there is a fishing lake with pedalos, mini-golf, play area for children, etc, and a friendly bar/restaurant overlooking the lake with tables on the terrace.
There are public tennis courts in Matha and riding, fishing, go-karting and horse-drawn carriage rides are all available locally. We have a couple of adult-sized bicycles and others can usually be rented locally.
We supply maps and guides and lots of information about activities and facilities in the area. We can also arrange private visits to local Cognac and Pineau producers.
Booking notes
25% deposit is taken at the time of booking. Full payment is required 6 weeks prior to travel. A security deposit of £250 is required with payment of the rental balance and it is refundable within 14 days of the end of the holiday, providing no damage has been caused.
Guest comments
Visitors' book 2011:
Thank you for a truly wonderful week at Nº22. We loved the house and all the thoughtful touches to make it so homely and also the pool - such a treat. Thank you for all you did to make our holiday so special.
Thank you for the warm welcome to your wonderful home. It is a beautiful house, so welcoming and the garden is so full of life, it is a joy to sit and sip champagne and soak up the sun.
Wonderful! Couldn’t ask for more and certainly don’t want to leave! Thank you for everything.
Thank you both very much for another brilliant holiday with you - we all had a great time and have relaxed thoroughly.
It’s been such a pleasure to come to Nº22 - we are so sorry to leave this wonderful place. You have created an amazing home with every comfort. I have never seen such a well-equipped kitchen!
Thank you for such a wonderful week. It as been such a treat to spend time in your beautiful home. Thank you, too, for such a warm welcome and super weather!
Owner profile
About the owner
We live in London near the wonderful Richmond Park, where we exercise ourselves and our two Battersea rescue dogs.
Having taken early retirement, we are now able to spend more time at Nº22, our family home in France, as well as travelling further afield.
Year purchased: 1980's
Why the owner chose a home in this location
Having lived in Paris in the early 80s, we were nostalgic for France and the French way of life, so in 1989 decided to buy a house in France and chose the Charente-Maritime for its wonderful climate and its architecture.
We worked internationally and had to take our holidays in August so, although we love the sea, we felt we would prefer a country house in a quiet location. We also decided that for ease of access, we needed to be within 1/2 hour of an autoroute, 1 hour of an airport, and 1 hour of the TGV.
When we bought it, Nº22 was partially renovated, so we finished the task while ensuring it was in keeping with local custom, from its terracotta-tiled floors to its off-white shutters.
Unique benefits of the property
We all love to stay at Nº22. The rooms are large and airy and there is a wonderful welcoming atmosphere that everyone feels when they come to the house. The heated indoor pool is a particular pleasure - it's great fun swimming in the winter while surveying a frosty garden from behind its glass doors, or on a summer's night with the doors open, looking at the stars!
As it has been our family's holiday home for over twenty years, we feel that Nº22 is much better equipped and furnished than a typical gîte, with lots of personal touches. We hope to supply everything you need on first arriving at a holiday house (such as loo paper) and basic cooking ingredients (oil, salt and pepper, etc). There are two enormous water heaters, ensuring there is always enough hot water for baths and showers.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR5109
Contact Name:
Ros Goode
(UNITED KINGDOM) +44 02083929668
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Property Ref FR5109
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