Beautiful 160m² fully restored 4 bedroom farmhouse on extensive grounds in the Vendée, one of the sunniest parts of France. Minutes from the village of La Caillere and its 17th century church, situated close to the Vendée river. Originally an 18th century farmhouse, our beautiful Vendée hideaway is now a fully restored large four bedroom family house, retaining its character and complete with all modern conveniences. It is very spacious with lots of natural light and is furnished to the highest standard for up to eight guests. It is a perfect base for exploring the beauty and history of the Vendée, or simply relaxing and enjoying rural France and the nearby attractions and beautiful beaches. There is ample parking in the enclosed grounds for several cars. The rear of the house has a very large covered terrace, is west facing and has lovely sunset views across 1.75 acres of totally private gardens, so plenty of room for games, football and fun. The large private terrace is ideal for al-fresco dining or winding down after a hard day of sightseeing, eating or playing on the beach. There are sun loungers, a barbecue and a table & chairs comfortably seating 8-10 for those long hot summer evenings sipping a glass of wine and listening to the crickets. The Vendée is renowned for its excellent climate - as much sunshine as the Cote d'Azur. A bonus is that the house stays cool inside on very hot days. The ground floor features a very large fully equipped fitted kitchen with all that you could possibly need, a large dining room with seating at the solid oak table for eight and a comfortable spacious lounge area with a stereo and an electric keyboard (Yamaha PSR-160, not a full piano of course) for the musically inclined!! There is a large double bedroom, bathroom with walk in shower and a separate WC. The ground floor bedroom and bathroom mean that the house is ideal for the handicapped or mobility challenged, there are no steps leading to the house. Upstairs there are three bedrooms, one king size and two twins, a large modern bathroom with twin sinks and bath and a mezzanine/play area with a computer, printer, scanner and a fold out double sofa bed (for occasional use only). Outside, the house has a spacious cool cellar and a large outbuilding where you will find four bikes, various bats, balls and play equipment (can sometimes be damaged by guests so not always all available) and sufficient space to park a car and trailer if shade is preferred. The garden has a pool, trampoline and a tyre swing to keep the children amused, they can even pick blackberries and apples in season. There is oil fired radiator central heating throughout. There are plenty of books for adults, games for kids of all ages and the house is fully equipped for baby, if required, with solid cot and mattress, bottle sterilizer, high chair, bath, rocker seat and changing area , so you can leave them all at home! Enjoy beaches, fantastic food and wine, Puy du Fou, Futuroscope, horse riding, swimming, cycling, walking or just doing nothing in one of the sunniest and most pleasant areas of France. Our house is just a four minute walk from the village of La Caillere and its 17th century church, situated close to the Vendée river. You can buy virtually everything that you might need in the bustling village which has a range of shops; a small well stocked Spar supermarket, boulangerie, café/bar/tabac, visiting boucherie & poissonerie, a lovely local style restaurant, hairdresser, bank with ATM and catholic church. There are both a doctor's surgery and a dentist in the town, just in case! The house is close to all amenities, beautiful beaches, lovely restaurants, Puy du Fou, 10 minutes from horse and pony riding for all levels 7 days a week at reasonable prices, Mervent Forest Park and lakes, Parc de Pierre Brun amusement park, Mervent Zoo, Nantes, La Rochelle and its aquarium, Marais Poitevin, a lovely public swimming pool , golf courses and vineyards. There is also a football pitch for ball games, tennis court and a skateboard park about 5 minutes walk away. All around the area of La Caillere there are many tracks and lanes perfect for walking and cycling and plenty of beautiful spots for picnics. Set off in any direction and your eye is drawn to the plentiful array of Chateaux and ancient farms. There is an extensive network of clearly marked footpaths and trails and there is a large selection of maps and guide books in the house. ***Nearby attractions (Within 30 minutes) Puy Du Fou - the fourth most popular attraction in France, is only 25 minutes away. This is a MUST if you have children around 8-16 years old and for adults also. The night time show, Cinescenie, boasts the largest stage in the world, thousands of actors, hundreds of horses and about 400 fireworks per performance! It is breathtaking and unforgettable. Poney Clubs – Horse and pony riding for all levels 7 days a week at reasonable prices through the vast estate which holds the annual COMPÉTITION ÉQUESTRE VENDÉE is only 5 minutes away. Mervent Forest Park and lakes - the largest forest in the Vendee. Parc de Pierre Brun - a Fun Park on a 25 acre site full of attractions for all the family. Mervent Zoo - with over 200 animal of 50 different species including include lions, camels, kangaroos and Bengal Tigers. There is also a children's pet farm on site Vouvant - Un des plus beaux villages de France, a beautiful old village with many art exhibitions and artisan shops. Lac de Rochereau - a vast dam lake where you can hire boats, swim and windsurf La Folie de Finfarine - Explore the world of bees and honey making in the heart of nature. A great outing for the whole family, the park offers a fun, educational discovery trail for the young and old alike to learn about the trees, bees and frogs. The Museum of the Two Victories and the abbeys at Nieul sur l'Autise and Maillezais ***Nearby attractions (within 1 hour) Nantes - with all the attractions of one of France's major cities, including a Safari Park! La Rochelle - a beautiful coastal city with its world renowned aquarium and Ile de Re. Indian Forest - one of the largest adventure parks in France, based on the theme of aerial adventures in the trees, 310 events on 17 different courses! Marrans - a picturesque canal and river town where you can hire a boat to explore the canals and waterways of the Marais Poitevin with a picnic, a real kids favourite. Château Talmont St.Hilaire – daily demonstrations of medieval life. Atlantic Toboggan, St.Hilaire-de-Riez - water park and fun park for all the family. The vineyards of the Loire valley in Chinon, Saumur and Pays Nantais Futuroscope in Poitiers is 90 minutes away, one of the most visited theme parks in France based upon multimedia, cinematography and audio-visual techniques. It has several 3D cinemas and a few 4D cinemas along with other attractions and shows, some of which are the only examples in the world. Futuroscope is at once exhilarating, fun, engaging and (don't tell the children) educational! ***Beaches The beach on Lac de Rochereau is 10 minutes away where you can swim and sail. These is also a lake park in Chantonnay, 15 minutes away The unspoilt Vendee beaches of La Tranche sur Mer and La Faute sur Mer (our favourite) are one hour away, as is Les Sables d'Olonne which is far busier. There is a lovely public swimming pool with diving boards in Chantonnay at 15 minutes. ***Golf Courses There are 4 excellent golf courses all around an hours drive; Les Fontenelles, La Domangère, Port Bougenay and Mazieres en Gatine. ***Vineyards The Orion vineyard, producing Domaine de la Barbiniere, is only 5 minutes away and well worth a visit - the proprietor speaks very good English The vineyards of Mareuil, Pissotte and Vix are also a short drive away The nearest large shopping centres are in Chantonnay and Fontenay-le-Comte, both a ten minute drive from your house. Both towns have large hypermarkets (Leclerc and Hyper-U) and a great variety of bars, restaurants and shops of every description. There is an excellent toy shop in Fontenay which the kids always love to visit and a fantastic market every Saturday morning with a huge array of fresh local produce, particularly fish and cheese. Fontenay is the more historic and picturesque of the two large towns with the River Vendee running through its centre. http://www.ville-fontenaylecomte.fr/ Both Fontenay and Chantonnay have mainline train stations if you would like to take a train journey to the beach or to explore without driving. A five minute drive will bring you to the historic village of Bazoges en Pareds, a beautiful medieval living village which holds many festivals and exhibitions all year round. Pride of place in the village centre, alongside the church, goes to Le Donjon - a 14th Century keep, restored and open to visitors every day in Summer and Sundays in Winter, and floodlit at night. Alongside Le Donjon, a medieval garden is resplendent with the colours and smells of hundreds of traditional plants - flowers, vegetables and medicinal plants - that originated hundreds of years ago. There is a fantastic restaurant attached to the Donjon, Auberge du Donjon, whose chef holds a Commondiere, Cordon Bleu de France and which is highly recommended by us for at least one evening meal treat during your stay, not overly suitable for young children though. Of the many other superb restaurants in the area we would recommend one as not to be missed, only a short drive or cyclfrom your house. A long leisurely Sunday lunch in the beautiful surroundings of La Morliere