Two delightful period houses with an enormous pool

We are pleased to offer you the ideal spot for a family holiday in the peace of beautiful French countryside. The space The accommodation is in two independent period houses set opposite each other across a courtyard just outside the castle walls. Between them the two houses can accommodate 12 people, the ideal location for a private holiday for an extended family. The main house sleeps a maximum of 8 people in 4 bedrooms. It has the following features: • Fitted equipped kitchen with breakfast bar • Separate dining room • Living Room with view over castle ruins • Mezzanine bedroom above living room • Double bedroom with adjacent shower room, bathroom and separate toilet. • Two double attic-style bedrooms – one with en suite bathroom • Walled garden to the front of the house with furniture and parasol for al fresco meals The cottage sleeps a maximum of 4 people in 2 bedrooms: • Fitted equipped kitchen diner / living room • Twin attic-style bedroom ideal for children with en suite shower room • Large double bedroom with en-suite shower room, and door to terrace • Walled garden to the side of the house and stone terrace with furniture and parasol for al fresco meals Both houses benefit from: • UK and French satellite TV • Wifi Broadband • Huge (16 x 8m) swimming pool • Ample parking The main house has 150m2 of accommodation on two floors, and has been renovated to a high standard, using materials sympathetic to the age and style of the building. You can see this in the front door, beautifully crafted with handmade medieval style nails and metalwork. Inside the house there are fine stone surrounds to the doorways and windows, some of them originally from the chateau. Floor and wall tiles come from a local factory still making terre cuite after three centuries. Stone steps lead up to a covered veranda with fine carved stone pillars – a place to sit in the shade and admire the chateau walls. There are two entrance doors, one leading you into the kitchen and the other to the living room. The kitchen (6 x 6m) has a lovely stone fireplace with a Jotul wood burning stove, a terre cuite tiled floor, a fitted kitchen area with solid granite worktops, and a beamed storage area. It is equipped with a cooker with gas hob and electric oven, a dishwasher and a fridge freezer. There are bar chairs so that you can take coffee or snacks at the kitchen bar. The living room (6 x 6m) is a lovely light room with a separate entrance door from the veranda, a picture window overlooking the chateau, and steps up to a mezzanine area, where there is a bedroom, which also benefits from this exceptional vantage point. The living room is furnished with two 3-person settees, and a television with British Sky and French TNT satellite channels. Through to the right from the kitchen is the dining room (6 x 3m) with an extendable dining table and chairs for up to 12 diners. There is a large pine dresser containing crockery, cutlery and glasses. Off here there is a bedroom (3.2 x 3.2m) with a double bed (140 x 190) and wardrobe. Adjacent are two bathrooms, one with bath / shower and basin, the other with a fully tiled walk-in shower, and a basin. There is a separate toilet. On the second floor accessed by an oak staircase from the kitchen there are two further bedrooms, separated by a landing. The first bedroom can be prepared as a twin or a double (160 x 190) as you wish. The second has twin beds and has direct access to the bathroom which has a bath, basin and toilet. The washing machine is also housed here. The final bedroom is located on the floor above the living room, and has a king-size bed overlooking the chateau ruins. The house has oil-fired central heating to 14 radiators, the boiler being housed in the cellar. This boiler also supplies hot water. There is a graveled courtyard garden immediately in front of the house where garden furniture is supplied so that you can sit out and take meals. There is also a built barbecue in the far corner. The cottage is situated across the courtyard from the main house with the accommodation on the first floor, accessed by external stone steps and a stone veranda, which runs along the back of the house with doors to the main room and a bedroom. Living room / diner / kitchen (7 x 4m) with fitted kitchen and a living / dining area with French doors leading out to steps to the path to the pool. The kitchen is equipped with an eye level electric fan oven/grill, and a microwave in a tall unit, a 4-burner gas hob, and a dishwasher plus crockery, cutlery and cooking utensils. Bedroom (23m2) with double bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers. Part-glazed door to the veranda giving independent access. There is a spacious en-suite shower room with toilet, basin and tiled shower. Attic bedroom (5,50 x 4m) accessed by a staircase from the living room. Exposed timbers and dormer windows give this room a cosy traditional feel. Twin single beds and chest of drawers. En suite shower room with toilet, basin and velux window. Outside you have a stone terrace shaded by a magnificent wisteria on the north side of the house. This has direct access from the kitchen and bedroom, making it very convenient for taking meals outside. Alternatively, there is a small garden on the other side. The pool is situated about 100 meters away from the house, and has a tiled terrace on which you can sunbathe. This pool also serves the house but it is exceptionally large (16 x 8m) so there is ample room for everyone. It has steps leading down to the shallow end and shelves down to 2.3m at the deep end. The pool area complies with safety regulations with a fence and child-proof locking gates to which you will be given a key. It is however the responsibility of the adult members of your party to supervise any children to prevent accidents. The security system should prevent unauthorised access to the pool area but it doesn’t replace your vigilance so please supervise the younger members of your party closely! Use of a utility room in the cellar with laundry facilities. The Chateau Both houses are part of the remains of an old hamlet situated right outside the chateau walls. The chateau dates back to medieval times, but was largely taken apart for its stone after the revolution at the end of the 18th century. You will see its stones in many of the buildings in the surrounding area, including those of the houses where you will be staying. The previous owner did much to rescue the ruins, which had become almost completely buried in earth and overgrown with trees. We have continued the work by protecting what he uncovered, and we have planted the courtyard with roses, irises, lavenders and other flowering shrubs, creating a unique walled garden in an ancient setting. However, the chateau remains a ruin and so we ask you not to enter it without permission, and above all, not to allow any adventurous members of your party to climb onto the walls for their own safety. Access to the Chateau The chateau is private and not open to the public, but we will be delighted to give you a tour of the chateau during your stay.