|
Cottages in Mandegault, Nr. Chef Boutonne,
Poitou-Charentes, France
Charmingly Converted Stone Bakery and
Stables
Haven of Peace and Tranquillity
Two x 2 Bedroom Cottages (Sleeps 4 or 6)
Two sensitively restored stone cottages
set in the grounds of a beautiful 18th century Charentaise farmhouse,
each having their own private walled garden. A shared above ground
wooden swimming pool (6m x 4m) has been carefully chosen to integrate
harmoniously into the natural environment. Surrounded by beautiful
French countryside, your hosts have set out to create an unspoilt haven
of peace and tranquility, enabling guests to enjoy the simple pleasures
of rural living. Many of our visitors are struck by the tranquillity of
life here, ‘the rural charm of England 50 years ago’! Set amidst fields
of sunflowers in the summer and chestnut coppice, the tiny, friendly
village of Mandegault with its honey coloured stone walls and and canal
tile roofs seems to sleep and shimmer in the heat of the day. Both
cottages have been selected by Alastair Sawday in his guides, ‘Special
Places to Stay’ and ‘Green & Organic Europe’.
Sitting/dining room: housing original vaulted bread
oven/fireplace, wood burning stove. Oak beams, honey coloured stone
floors and walls. Old pine circular dining table and chairs, double
bed/settee and comfy linen upholstered armchairs and sofa. Broadband
internet access via Wi-fi is available inside this cottage, there's a CD
player and CD's. French TV, VCR & DVD are available upon request.
Kitchen: stone walls & floor, French windows onto private enclosed
garden, gas hob, electric oven, large fridge/freezer, washing machine,
microwave, toaster, electric mixer, iron, white crockery, stainless
steel saucepans.
Bathroom with bath, shower, wash basin, wc and heated towel rail.
Internal wooden staircase to two bedrooms each with exposed oak beams
and stone walls and wooden floors. One has two single iron French beds
and bedroom furniture, the other has an antique French double bed and
matching suite.
Kitchen/dining room: light and airy with French doors onto private
enclosed garden. Stone floor and walls, circular dining table and four
comfortable dining armchairs. Broadband internet access via Wi-fi is
available inside this cottage and there's a CD player. French
television, VCR & DVD available upon request.
Kitchen: electric oven, gas hob, fridge with freezer compartment,
washing machine, microwave, toaster, liquidiser, stainless steel
saucepans, plain white crockery.
Bathroom with shower, wash basin, wc and heated towel rail.
Double bedroom: Double French wooden bed and bedroom furniture, exposed
oak beams, stone walls and wooden floor.
Twin bedroom: two single antique French iron beds, bedroom furniture,
stone walls, wooden floors.
Outside
Each cottage has it's own enclosed, private lawned garden with gravel
sun terrace, herb garden, wisteria covered pergola, barbecue, wooden or
iron garden tables and chairs and teak sun loungers and cushions. A
shared above ground wooden swimming pool (6m x 4m) has been carefully
chosen to integrate harmoniously into the natural environment. We
provide an exterior table tennis table, a range of bikes and safety
helmets and in true French style, a lovely pétanque court along with
boules.
Guests are very welcome to stroll the grounds; enjoy the rose covered
arbour, the fish pond and waterfall and the vegetable gardens and
orchard. Help yourselves to home grown organic fruit and veg or join in
to feed our rare breed sheep, hens and ducks and collect freshly laid
eggs.
There's a magnificent linden tree in the grounds, where we set out a
long table for outside dining. Many guests enjoy joining us on the
Saturday evening for a home cooked French style meal using much of our
own produce (18€)
Coast/Beach
The fashionable, historic port of La Rochelle is only 90 minutes drive
from Mandegault. There's a sandy beach just a few minutes walk from the
many chic boutiques in 'centre ville', art galleries, museums, visits of
the harbour towers and the superb Aquarium or just relax and absorb the
atmosphere in one of the many quayside cafés or restaurants. Try to
visit the nearby Ile de Ré, absolutely bursting with charm (and people!)
or the Ile d'Oleron, famous for its oyster beds and sandy beaches.
Golf
There's a good range of 18 hole golf courses, mostly under an hour's
drive from Mandegault. The closest is Niort, only 40 minutes drive,
followed by St.Cyr & Beauvoir near Poitiers, Angoulême, Saintes and
Cognac with a 27 hole course at Le Forges, Ménigoute.
Special interest holidays
Before they turned to restoring ruins, rearing animals and producing
organic fruit & vegetables, your hosts, Francis & Alison, were lecturers
in Art & Design. They are very happy to offer help and support with
drawing and painting on an informal, relaxed basis rather than offering
formal group tuition.
Travel
Although many of our guests choose to 'voyage vert' (eco travel) by
train with Eurostar or SNCF/ TGV & hire a car from Poitiers, we're also
within easy reach of the channel ports of St.Malo (4.5 hrs), Caen
(5hrs), Cherbourg (6hrs) and Calais (7hrs). Alternatively our nearest
airports, Poitiers or Angoulême are only 45 minutes from Mandegault
followed by La Rochelle (90 minutes), then Limoges (1hr45 minutes) Bordeaux &
Tours (2hrs) Times are approximate and are based on driving within the
speed limit.
Distances
Our nearest boulangerie and restaurant, is in Melleran, less than 2kms
from us... a pleasant walk or if you're in a hurry for freshly baked
croissants then take one of our bikes. Visit the 12th century church
there, noted for its elegant stone spire and set in a beautiful tree
lined village green. Chef Boutonne, our nearest town, (4kms) with its
fairytale château and 'lavoirs', has a bustling market with stalls of
freshly caught fish and local produce, pavement cafés, restaurants &
supermarkets.
Further details
Chef Boutonne, our nearest town, with its fairytale château and ‘lavoirs’,
(ancient washhouses) which bubble with ice cold spring water, has a
bustling market with stalls of freshly caught fish and local produce.
The regional speciality, ‘Pineau des Charentes’ a wickedly delicious
aperitif is served in pavement cafés in the town square. Fishing permits
can be easily obtained for a day’s fishing at Chef Boutonne in the
well-stocked lake at the Château de Javarzay. The château and museum are
open to the public and are well worth a visit.
Without moving far from home at Melle you will discover no less than
three magnificent Romanesque churches, which during the Summer months
become venues for the prestigious Festival of Classical Music. Whilst at
Melle, take time to visit the Silver Mines which date back to Vth
century. The Royal Abbey with its formal gardens at Celles sur Belle is
an imposing testament to Renaissance architecture and hosts a Baroque
Music festival in late August. This whole area is peppered with
exquisite little XIth & XIIth century churches, Medieval heritage,
pre-historic remains and Roman settlements. Further afield, although
mostly under an hour’s drive, there’s boating through the leafy
waterways of the Marais Poitevin also known as the Venise Vert or visit
the renowned (rightly so, it’s absolutely amazing) Futuroscope at
Poitiers, or Cognac (for obvious reasons) or Saintes with its Roman
amphitheatre. If ever you feel the need to cool down - bearing in mind
this region is second only to the Côte d'Azur for it's sunshine scores -
just dip your feet into the water of any of the beautiful stone ‘lavoirs’.
It’s also an ideal area for gentle cycling, especially as there’s so
little traffic on the roads, lots of interconnecting lanes through
fields and woodland… lovely spots for picnics but perhaps the best way
to enjoy the countryside here is on horseback. So why not go for a hack
'en famille' with our highly regarded local Riding School.
|
