Renovated Barn Offering Accommodation in 2 Gites with Shared Pool, Bikes, Wi-Fi, TV/DVD, Games etc
Family Friendly Rural yet Near Amenities - Discounts For Couples, Booking Both Gites & A Second Week
One 2 Bedroom & One 3 Bedroom Gite (each sleeps 6)
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Once the heart of a working farm, the stables & milking parlour have been renovated to provide two comfortable, well equipped gites. Each has a washer, dishwasher etc, Wi-Fi, Sat TV/DVD, books/games/DVDs, and a separate bath & shower. For privacy & security, the pool (certified by the Public Health Authority) is within the walls of the old hay barn, overlooked by a large covered terrace & games area. There's bikes, a tandem, tow bar & baby seats, so no one gets left behind! Our sunny climate & pretty countryside makes this the ideal base for outdoor pursuits such as walking, cycling, golf, horse riding, canoeing, fishing & bird watching. Local towns regularly host markets, fairs & festivals, and are home to some beautiful Gallo-Roman sites. Amusement parks such as Futuroscope & Monkey Valley are also nearby. Safe, sandy lakeside beaches are 30 mins away with the coastal resorts of La Rochelle and Royan 2 hours away. The airports at Poitiers, Limoges & Angouleme are an hour away.
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| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 7 January 2012 - 30 March 2012 | 315 | 3 | ||
| 31 March 2012 - 1 June 2012 | 420 | 3 | ||
| 2 June 2012 - 6 July 2012 | 500 | 3 | ||
| 7 July 2012 - 27 July 2012 | 750 | 3 | ||
| 28 July 2012 - 10 August 2012 | 700 | 3 | ||
| 11 August 2012 - 31 August 2012 | 750 | 3 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 28 September 2012 | 500 | 3 | ||
| 29 September 2012 - 21 December 2012 | 315 | 3 | ||
| 22 December 2012 - 4 January 2013 | 500 | 3 |
L'ecurie (Sleeps 6, 3 Bedrooms) Prices
| Rental Period | Per Night | Per Week | Per Month | Min. Stay (Nights) |
| 7 January 2012 - 30 March 2012 | 360 | 3 | ||
| 31 March 2012 - 1 June 2012 | 460 | 3 | ||
| 2 June 2012 - 6 July 2012 | 540 | 3 | ||
| 7 July 2012 - 27 July 2012 | 870 | 3 | ||
| 28 July 2012 - 10 August 2012 | 820 | 3 | ||
| 11 August 2012 - 31 August 2012 | 870 | 3 | ||
| 1 September 2012 - 28 September 2012 | 540 | 3 | ||
| 29 September 2012 - 21 December 2012 | 360 | 3 | ||
| 22 December 2012 - 4 January 2013 | 540 | 3 |
Notes on prices
10% discount for renting both gites
50 euros off Olympic weeks
50 euro discount for a 2nd week
Couples discount 50 euros for a week (21 euros for 3 nights)
Contact us for price of extra nights, pets or to agree reduced rates for longer term lets. Bedding/kitchen linen, welcome pack included. Towel hire (1 hand, 1 bath) 5 euros. Cleaning at departure costs 50 euros unless you do it yourself. Wood included for lets in La Laiterie (Oct-April). Central heating costs 70 euros per gite per week.
Changeover day
Holidays may start on any day outside of the summer holidays, with a minimum stay of 3 nights. We try to be flexible so contact us to discuss non-Saturday changeovers during the summer, or for longer term lets.
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L'ecurie (Sleeps 6, 3 Bedrooms)
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Downstairs (with under-floor heating): Kitchen/diner - gas oven and 4 burner hob, fridge-freezer, microwave, washer, dishwasher, coffee maker, toaster, kettle, pressure cooker, cool box and picnic set with rug, large farmhouse dining table. Patio doors leading onto south-facing courtyard. Lounge - satellite TV (English and French channels), DVD player, radio/CD, selection of books, games and DVDs. Door onto patio area. Three steps down to: Bedroom 1 - double bed, dressing table with hairdryer, under floor heating. Bathroom - bath, separate shower cubicle, WC, basin, heated towel rail, shaver socket, extractor fan, under floor heating. Upstairs: Child gate. Bedroom 2 - double bed, dressing table, Picture window with views of surrounding countryside. Radiator. Bedroom 3 - two single beds, roof window. Radiator. WC - separate WC with wash hand basin. |
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Notes on accommodation
Welcome pack included. We'll provide a travel cot, high chair, changing mat free of charge if reserved at the time of booking and there are plenty of child-friendly toys and games. There is a child gate at the top of the stairs and smoke detectors on each level. The gites both have oil fired central heating - charged at 70 euros per gite per week. La Laiterie has a wood burning insert fire which easily warms the whole gite. 1/2 cubic m included in cost for October - April lettings. Additional amounts available locally at cost.
Electricity, gas and water are included in the cost of hire.
Bedding, pillows and kitchen linen are included in the rental cost, towels available for rent. Each gite has a fan and it's own iron and ironing board, washing basket and pegs, an airer and clothes line. An initial supply of household items is provided. No smoking allowed in the gites or shared areas. Surcharges applied for pets - contact us for details. Book separately or together for larger groups.
Accessibility
As L'ecurie has a double bedroom and family bathroom (with walk in shower cubicle) on the ground floor it may be more suitable to those with reduced mobility, although there are three 12 cm (6 inch) steps with hand rail leading to the main living area.
Outside
Each gite has its own garden with teak patio furniture and barbecue. There is shared use of the large courtyard, pool, bikes and other leisure facilities. The 8m x 4m in-ground pool has Roman steps to make access easy and is within the walls of an old barn, overlooked by a covered terrace which provides a shaded dining and games area. There are sun loungers as well as a shower and a toilet/changing room. Try your hand at table football, bar skittles, darts or the punchbag. Have a splash with some of the inflatable pool toys or enjoy some water polo or volley ball with the nets supplied. With ample parking at the rear of the gites, the courtyard is available for games and you will find bats and balls in the bike shed, along with badminton, tennis, boules and swing ball. There is also a paddling/ball pool and teepee for the younger members of the group. For those wanting to explore on 2 wheels, there is a selection of bikes, a tandem, an alligator tow bar, 2 baby seats and several maps.
Coast/Beach
Safe, man made beaches are available within a half-hour drive at Roumazieres and Confolens. Roumazieres has a life-guard, a snack bar, pedallo hire, fishing and forest walks. 40 mins away are the lakes of the Haute Charente which have swimming, windsurfing, canoeing, sailing and bird-watching as well as the beach. The coastal towns of Royan and La Rochelle are a two hour drive away.
Golf
Saint Junien (47km) - 18 hole par 72. Mortemart (47km) - 9 hole par 74. La Preze, Ecuras (54km) - 18 hole par 72. L'hirondelle, Angouleme (65km) - 18 hole par 70 and 9 hole par 54. Mignaloux Beauvoir, Poitiers (74km) - 18 hole par 72. Limoges (77km) - 18 hole par 72. La Porcelaine, Panazol (82km) - 18 hole par 72 (has excellent feedback). Chalons (84km) - 9 hole par 72. Saint Brice, Cognac (102km) - 18 hole par 72. Chateau les Forges (108km) - 18 hole par 73. Saint Cyr (108km) - 18 hole par 73, 9 hole par 62 and 9 hole par 54.
Travel
Major centres of Poitiers to the north, Limoges to the east and Angouleme to the south all have an airport, and are an hour away from us. We are half an hour away from the RN10 at Ruffec, a major road route that runs from north to south. Using the toll motorways (pιages) we are 4.5 hrs from Caen and San Malo and 6.5 hrs from Boulogne, Calais and Dunkerque. The TGV, high speed train stops at Poitiers, Angouleme, Limoges and Ruffec. Car hire/use of a car is essential.
Distances
Benest 1.5km bakers, butchers, post office and hairdressers. Champagne Mouton 7km, supermarket, bar restaurant, bank with ATM, chemist and English speaking doctor.
Charroux 15km bar restaurant, bank, on the route of St Jaques de Compostelle. Confolens, Civray and Ruffec - around 20km away with a greater choice of shops, tourist information offices and places to visit. Animal park at Hiesse 15km. Monkey valley 35km. Futuroscope and Montmorillon are both 70km. Cognac 110kms plenty to see.
Further details
There are lots of activities in the area throughout the year, concerts, car rallies, heritage festivals with jousting and banquets to name just a few. A particular highlight has been the Ete Actif programme, which has seen guests trying out reduced price activities during the summer holidays. There are over 100 activities to try, and favourites have been wind surfing, archery, model aircraft flying and climbing. The area has a wealth of historic sites including the Roman settlement of Casinomagus, the Gaul village at Esse and the village of martyrs at Oradour Sur Glane. There are lots of chateaux dotted throughout the Charente and those at Cibioux, La Rochefoucauld and Rochechouart are open to the public.
The pilgrims route of St Jaques de Compostelle passes nearby and there are numerous examples of fine architecture, such as the abbey at Charroux and church at Civray. Angouleme hosts an international comic strip festival each year and an annual vintage car race through the streets - open to all comers!
Limoges is the ancient porcelaine centre of France and its streets hide the 60km of catacombs beneath. The lively university town of Poitiers has a bustling centre full of shops and cafes.
As we are situated close to the great rivers Charente and Vienne, the area is well suited for anglers of all levels. We can arrange permits which cover the whole of the area. Success is almost guaranteed at the trout pools in nearby Lizant, and there are barbeques and picnic tables to enjoy the catch. There is river swimming at Civray and Le Rejallant (25 mins) as well as canoe hire and barbecue areas.
These are just a few of the activities, events and places to visit nearby, many more are detailed on our web site, which is regularly updated to ensure that guests can make the most of their visit. We are on site to assist with queries and bookings. Le Tiolet Gites, ideally situated for a relaxing break, an active holiday or both!
Booking notes
A 30% non refundable deposit is payable at the time of booking. The balance is payable in euros upon arrival. A security deposit of 150 euros/£130 is payable upon arrival. This will be returned after confirmation that the gite and facilities have been left in good order.
Guest comments
Couzens 2011:
Our second holiday house highlighted just how lovely and well thought out your property is. We had a fantastic week in Benest. Your house is airy and clean, with everything we could possibly need but nothing we didn't need! We really hope to return soon.
Winter/Thursfield 2010:
"Le Tiolet" is the 5th French Gite we have stayed at and we all agreed that it was the best and most well equipped, none of our boys wanted to leave which is a great sign. You were so friendly & relaxed about everything that we never felt like paying guests just friends visiting.
Ruddy 2010:
Thank you so much for such a good holiday, and for all your help and kindness. All the extra "bits" - the bikes, the pool and toys, the games, the baby pack, and the very well equipped gite have all made for a great stay. Thank you a million times.
Barnes 2009:
We've really enjoyed it, it's the best place we've stayed. We'll definitely be back, keep the security deposit towards next year's holiday.
Owner profile
Enjoying the views at Saint Germain de Confolens
About the owner
Former desk dwellers from the North West of England, we made the trip across the channel permanent in the Autumn of 2002. We had always been drawn to rural France for our holidays. We liked the feeling of space and the gentle pace of rural life. The Charente is renowned for its slow pace of life and the locals are known as the snails of France. We'd long had an interest in renovating our own property, but what we took on here was far more substantial than anything we'd tackled in Britain. In the Charentaise way we have taken our time to hone our skills, not just as regards the renovation, but also in respect of the language and way of life. Since arriving in France, my husband has qualified as an Electrician (hard enough in English let alone French) and I've qualified to teach English.
Year purchased: 2002
Why the owner chose a home in this location
We felt right at home in this peaceful, rural location, surrounded by wildlife. Even though it was just three derelict buildings covered in ivy, we fell in love with the place. We had a picnic in the courtyard and began to dream. With just three properties in our hamlet, we love being secluded yet only 5 minutes away from the village. Rush hour usually consists of Guy going past on his tractor, or sometimes Alain and his family leading the cows between fields. When choosing the property we were looking for somewhere with good air, road and rail links, to make it easy for visitors to get away from it all. Le Tiolet is within an hour of the airports at Limoges, Poitiers and Angouleme and within half an hour of the N10 motorway and the TGV station at Ruffec.
Unique benefits of the property
The excellent views help us feel really close to nature and being part of a rural community amplifies the passing of the seasons. Swallows and blossom of spring, sunflowers and soaring birds of prey of summer, rich colours and migrating cranes of autumn and the crisp mornings and cocky robins of winter. Green lanes for walking, cycling and horse riding border the property and criss-cross the surrounding countryside. We provide local maps, picnic sets, bikes and even a tandem to help guests make the most of it. We have fond memories of using a tandem on holiday; a chance to try something different. Our garden and the green lanes offer plenty of opportunity to shop at nature's store. Guests help themselves to berries from the hedgerows, and race the red squirrels for the hazel and walnuts.
For booking and further information
Property Ref FR5441
Yvette Hudson
Tel: (France) + 33 (0)545 891 822
Owners Website: Click here
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Property Ref FR5441
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