Charming Countryside Cottage / House

Enjoy your own house and surrounding courtyard and garden, set in a rural estate run by the 4th generation 3km away from the village. The 17th century house has been entirely renovated to classic and exacting standards mimicking English cottages. Enjoy a cosy chat by the fireplace under centuries-old beams. Or lunch outside. There are miles and miles of walks or cycling paths from the house, including the canal de Briare running through the estate or a tree museum 3 miles away. The space The house is East and West facing with three doors opening on to a large courtyard which you can enjoy in good weather with its central lawn and young trees. A gravel path, car parking for two cars and a car-charging plug. Hydrangeas border the walls of the courtyard, inviting you to explore the estate. In the entrance room cum boot room: an oak clothes rack, a bench to remove those tight boots after a long walk or plan a game of boules. Separate toilets on the ground floor. Old clay tiles throughout the ground floor. All wooden windows are double-glazed. A large bedroom on the ground floor with views on both the courtyard and the garden, a kingsized bed, a desk and chair by the window and an en-suite shower room. The main room navigates around an old fireplace now equipped with a wood stove and comprises a kitchen (induction, oven, dishwasher). Its own door opens on to the main courtyard/garden. From the main room, you walk in to a kitchen extension with a large fridge/freezer, a washing machine and some storage space. This is where you find the sought-after kettle and Nespresso machine. From the entrance room, step on to the oak staircase made by the third generation of village carpenters to work on the estate. The top floor is carpeted with sisal except the bathroom (bath with shower head/curtain, toilet, washbasin). The old beams are visible throughout (mind the low one in the dorm) as are restored lime washed walls. From the landing, stepping over an ancestral step and passing through an equally old door, is the dorm with three independent single beds. Avoiding the low beam, enjoy the view over the plain through the window. The other bedroom is north facing with two beds (or a large one) and a desk : on for a nap or some quiet work? The two dormer windows are protected by railing (removable in case of an emergency) Guest access As you come in through the gates, the whole garden is for your own use. 30 yards from the gates, you enter the large courtyard, surrounded by walls, the house and two barns, none of which will be accessed from the courtyard during your stay. There are plenty of walking paths throughout the estate. Other things to note Garden furniture on site so you can enjoy al fresco dining. A gas-fired barbecue is available upon request. The house is part of a functioning rural estate which includes crop farming (but no cattle). You may come across the occasional tractor or farming machinery in the fields or on the access tracks. Private river fishing on the estate is possible upon request.