Farmhouse sleeps 10. Heated pool (open Apr-Sep)

This luxury home is fully equipped to provide our guests with everything they need. This is the place for whether you are a group of adults wanting a retreat to relax or families who want fun in the pool and days out. During the summertime, we have an outside pergola next to the swimming pool where you can sit on the outdoor sofas and enjoy the garden, the heat and the shade! In the winter, we put up the Christmas tree and fire up the wood burner and kitchen Aga for those cosy evenings in! The space Four of the five bedrooms have a king-sized bed and one has two single beds. There is a hairdryer located in each room. There are towels provided for each guest and if you are staying for more than one week please let us know if you would like the house cleaned or a change of bed linen. (This incurs an extra charge). In the upstairs landing area, there is a sofa where you can read a bedtime story or two and a small area complete with toys, children’s books and puzzles. One of the two upstairs' bathrooms has a bath, basin and toilet. The main bathroom has a double bath, shower, basin and toilet. The downstairs washroom has a classic French shower cubicle with basin and toilet. The kitchen is fully equipped with all cooking utensils and equipment that you should need however please ask us if you need an inventory of all items provided. The dining table seats up to 12 people and we have two high chairs (not suitable for babies that can’t sit up). We have plastic cups and plates for children. In the utility room, (arrière) there are garden games and a washing machine alongside a tall freezer and extra fridge. In the living room, we have four extra large sofas that happily seats up to 12 people. At the back of this room we have two separate seating areas: next to the window so that you can look out into the garden and pool, we have a tall-table where you can sit, play cards or simply have an aperitif. On the opposite corner, we have a large comfy arm chair to sit quietly and read a book or do the crossword. There are a multitude of games located in the cabinet in this corner for the whole family. We have a charcoal-burning bbq with a shelter just in case!!! There is a large trampoline in the garden with safety netting and laddered steps. The swimming pool is kept to 30 degrees and is maintained weekly, we provide melamine pool glasses, and coupes so that you can enjoy drinks by the pool. There are 10 sun loungers around the pool, please note you need to bring your own pool towels. Free WiFi is available throughout the house and there is parking for at least three cars outside of the gates and one vehicle inside. Other Information Our house is set within a rural area with many walks. In the summer, it is ideal to pick the local fruits such as apples and blackberries particularly. Just on the doorstep you can wander along next to fields with cows, horses and the occasional bull! We have even ventured to walk into the nearby town Lezay however driving is more advisable! Lezay is a 10 minute car journey and although a small town, it has a market every Tuesday morning between 8am and 12pm. You can either sit at L’Commerce which is a bar with both inside and outside seating and watch the world go by. The locals tend to hang out here and they serve excellent coffee (the hardcore among us are happy sipping Pastis at 11am,) hey no judgement here!!! The market has an indoor area where you can buy the local catch of the day and there is an abundance of fresh fish, all seafoods, meat and vegetables. A particular speciality is the local honey and Pineau, which is a gloriously sweet liqueur to either drink or good with cantaloupe melon. Cheeses, speciality bread, freshly cooked paella and smoked sausage are also on the menu to be bought here. We have a game in our family where we partake in the “five-euro challenge.” We each have five euros and after looking at the stalls, we make a purchase of something exciting or important to compare and vote on who has got the best bargain for their money. A winner for us was a small wooden stool from 2011 that we still use to get the wood burner ready and going on those chilly winter mornings. More wider afield, we have a number of places you can visit: Within a 45 minute drive, Futuroscope near Poitiers is a fantastic family day out with rides, shows etc. They now have a water park too, savings to be had if you book online. 30 minutes north, another great place to visit is La Vallées des Singes. This is a wonderful park that you can walk through with lemurs and spider monkeys crossing your pathway. They have a pets corner complete with goats, rabbit, lambs and many others to pet to your hearts’ content. There are scheduled shows in an amphitheatre setting where you can meet the star of the show: the Silverback Gorilla! There is a restaurant to buy food, snacks, drinks and ice creams and many areas to sit and eat a packed lunch. Travelling south now, Angouleme is a truly picturesque city. It has a cathedral which is an architectural wonder and a bustling shopping centre with all of the shops that anyone needs if they want a break from the cultural, rural side of the trip. There are plenty of restaurants here, varied in terms of price however be aware that in France, restaurants and bars are generally open between 8am and 2pm to reopen at 7pm and 11pm. On your doorstep, we have Melle, although they do not have a cathedral, they have a pretty impressive church and within the summer months they put on an art festival from the church that extends into the surrounding houses. Melle has two restaurants, one in the centre called L’Glycine and one on the outskirts called L’Argentiere which we frequent due to the wonderful food and the hosts. Within a 20-minute drive, you can reach Ruffec, another quaint town. Here you will find Le Rejallant on the banks of the river Charente where you can canoe or kayak. It is your choice to row either upstream towards Condac to the beautiful crystal clear springs or downstream via the rapids and end your journey at either Barro or Verteuil. Wherever you decide to stop, the crew will send a vehicle to bring you and your canoes back. They provide plastic drums to store any valuables or food should you fancy a stop off to eat and admire the view. Guest access The whole house is accessible except the owners bedroom. (The owners will not be at the property when guests are in). Other things to note Upstairs there are a few low beams, all but young children will need to "duck" their heads. We have a long list of recommendations of restaurants, places to visit and go within our welcome pack so do take a look. We also have a leaflet stand with up-to-date flyers and information of things to do. An important note: we have a septic tank and sensitive flushing systems, please do not put bleach (javel) into any of the sinks or toilets. Within our inventory we have listed each item within the kitchen. We expect to have the odd breakage or accident but please can you inform us. Unless it is a serious issue, your deposit will not be affected but it is helpful for us to know so that we can replace for the next guests.