Le Manoir des Couts
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£549–£1049 / week
About the home
WELCOME TO LE MANOIR DES COUTS!
May/June : £50 off/week
“Quiet and magical property”, “the most wonderful house”, “unique, lovely house”, “beautifully restored, delicate house”, “the house is lovely and so full of character and the garden is beautiful” are a few of the expressions taken out of the 2011 comments left in our guestbook (please see the fuller versions below).
Enjoy this rare, spacious 16th C manor house, lovingly restored to bring back to life its many architectural treasures: beautifully carved windows with interior stone seats, impressive flagstones and beams, an arched stone sink and a gothic fireplace. The decoration of this unique home seeks to achieve a careful balance between antique character and contemporary touches, providing comfort and a relaxing atmosphere. An article concerning this house's restoration can be found in the January 2006 issue of French Property News .
One of our little visitors, Emilia, 21/2 years old decided the house was a “fairy castle”, no doubt the castle was in her imagination but the fairy is perhaps, strangely more “tangible” since a local legend relates the tale of the fairy of the nearby spring and a Carolingian knight. Babies, toddlers and children are indeed very welcome, they will play happily and safely in the fully enclosed garden and will find a cot, a high chair, a baby monitor, a baby bath, a changing matt, toys, games, books and dvds, all free of charge.
This spacious property is fully detached, all facilities such as the heated pool, are fully private and the owners live 2 miles away, easily available when required...
-Note on Air conditioning : Ours is totally natural and ecological, very thick walls, double glazed windows, shutters and generous insulation provide a very pleasant temperature inside when it is baking outside!..
| Size: | Sleeps up to 6, 3 bedrooms |
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| Nearest beach: | La Rochelle : 110kms/Lac Lambon 29kms |
| Will consider: | Corporate lets House swaps Long lets |
| Access: | Car advised |
| Family friendly? | Suitable for children of all ages Unsuitable for people with restricted mobility |
| Notes: | May take pets - please enquire No smoking at this property Self-catering |
Facilities
| Luxuries: | Private outdoor pool (heated), Log fire, DVD player |
|---|---|
| Pool: | Private outdoor pool (heated) |
| General: | Air conditioning, TV, CD player, Satellite TV |
| Standard: | Kettle, Toaster, Iron |
| Utilities: | Dishwasher, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Washing machine |
| Rooms: | 3 Bedrooms, 1 shower room |
| Furniture: | Single beds (2), Double beds (2), Cots (1), Dining seating for 6, Lounge seating for 6 |
| Other: | Linen and towels provided Highchair available |
| Outdoors: | Private outdoor pool (heated), Balcony / Terrace, Private garden, BBQ |
| Access: | Parking space |
Further details indoors:
THE ACCOMMODATION
The house is fully detached, its ground floor accommodation 112m2 sleeps 6 and a baby (cot, high chair, baby bath provided), children are welcome.. We have taken great care in restoring and decorating it, respecting local traditions, often ahead of ecological norms : the thick stone walls have been re limed , increasing their insulation power and have been washed with warm, natural pigments. They keep the property beautifully cool during hot summer days!.. The wooden windows are either double glazed or single glazed with wooden shutters, the uninhabited first floor is insulated (200mm), there is a woodstove and all electric appliances are A rated.
-Living room : With a gothic fireplace and stove, comfortable sofas and armchairs, a hand painted antique buffet, French and UK SAT. TV, DVD player, a choice of books and many old fashioned wooden games and board games.
-Kitchen: : Newly equipped with a Smeg stainless steel gas cooker, microwawe; fridge freezer, dishwasher, electric coffee machine, toaster, kettle etc.. A glazed door lead to the pretty, enclosed garden.
-Dining Room: With the impressive stone arched sink and an antique Henry II buffet with its table and 6 chairs.
-Utility room : Washing machine, hoover, iron ironing table, clothes- rack, clothes cupboard and cleaning utensils.
-Shower room : : Shower with thermostatic tap, glass door, toilet, washbasin, cupboard.
-Double bedroom 1 : With four poster bed, chest of drawers.
-Double bedroom2 : One double bed, a cot, one wardrobe and one chest of drawers
-Twin Bedroom : Two single beds and one chest of drawers.
Further details outdoors:
THE GARDEN:
Relax in the very private and sheltered garden, a veritable heat trap, help yourself to the delicious Moroccan mint for hot or ice cold tea or pick herbs for your barbecue from the herb garden, dine under the wooden pergola covered by ancient vines, Enjoy the scent of the old roses, lilac, lily of the valley, lavender, eucalyptus and Jasmine. A solar heated wooden pool is available for your exclusive use. Keep an eye (and an ear) open for the interesting local birds, some very rare : hoopoes, bustards, cuckoos, nightingales, barn owls, falcons, buzzards and herons.
Further details
All prices are per week, they include gas, water, 12kw of electricity per day .Out of season heating will be charged according to meter reading...
Conditions
For stays over two weeks, out of season, please contact us for rates.
Photos
Awards
The Poitou-Charentes / Vendee / Deux Sevres region
THE POITOU-CHARENTES REGION :
-POITIERS :Enjoy its rich heritage : The very rare 4th century Baptistère St Jean, the beautiful Romanesque church, Notre Dame la Grande, the Palace of the Dukes of Aquitaine and many other medieval and Renaissance buildings, not to mention a good selection of shops, boutiques, cafés and restaurants. Children and adolescents have enjoyed Futuroscope’s latest attractions.
-LA ROCHELLE : Its wealth acquired through its sea trading is still very visible through its rich heritage, there is a great choice of restaurants and a great ambiance, don't miss the aquarium! .The trendy ILE DE RE and its lovely sandy beaches should not be missed either..
-THE VENISE VERTE : Enjoy your chance to have fun rowing in the wrong direction, the Marais Poitevin in only 45mns away..
-LA VALLEE DES SINGES:: Go and see the many species of monkeys including a very happy family of gorillas and become the focal point of their attention!... A pleasant outing in a well designed park, only 20mns.away.
-SANXAY : An impressive Gallo-Roman site about 25mns away.
-BOUGON : An impressive NEOLITHIC site featuring several large tumuli and a well designed museum.
-BAGNAULT/EXOUDUN/LA MOTHE ST HERAY: Two untouched medieval villages, a superb orangery in La Mothe .
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-COGNAC: Visit the cellars and discover how the wonderful Pineau de Charentes is made.
-TENNS,,FISHING: 5mns, RIDING : 15mns. GOLF: 45mns, FRESH WATER LAKE, CANOEING : 25mns, GO KARTING : 15mns, Golf : 45mns..
The Melle / Lezay area
BIRD WATCHING:
Situated in a small hamlet, a few steps away from the river Dive within the NATURA 2000 wildlife protected zone, perhaps you could catch a glimpse of some of the 15 protected species of birds, including the Little Bustards, Honey Buzzards, , Montague’s & Marsh Harriers, Wood Sandpipers, Short beard Owls, Black & Bed Kites etc.. This is an ideal location for walking, enjoying the unspoilt countryside and/or simply relaxing in the very private enclosed garden, having fun with the children in the private solar heated pool. Enjoy the scent of lavender, old roses, help yourself to the Moroccan mint for tea, dine al fresco under the pergola, enjoy a barbecue!....
-PAINTING LESSONS :
As well as restoring historic ruins and gardens, both your hosts continue to practise painting. Should you wish to seek inspiration from the beautiful local surroundings and improve your drawing and painting skills, Keith Dunkley, RA trained and former tutor at Sheridan College, Toronto will be pleased to offer advice and the possibility of informal painting lessons. Keith is fully registered with the Maison des Artistes, siret no : 400 663 316 00018.
-MELLE : A pleasant little town featuring 3 beautiful romanesque churches, one of which is Unesco listed, an ancient silver mine and its carolingian garden.
-LEZAY : It offers one of the largest markets around, much appreciated by all our visitors, on Tuesday morning and the usual supermarket and shops. There are plenty of untouched, medieval villages nearby and a choice of good restaurants.
-ROM : A sleepy village which used to be the second largest Roman town after Poitiers, an interesting museum features the many archaeological finds.
How to get there
Click map icons for more information
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| Nearest Travel Links | |
| Airport: | Poitiers: 50 km |
| Railway: | Poitiers: 50 km |
| Ferry: | Caen |
BY AIR :
-Stansted/Poitiers ; Ryanair.
-Edinburgh/Poitiers : Ryanair
-Birmingham/Poitiers : Ryanair
-Stansted/La Rochelle with Ryanair.
-Dublin/La Rochelle : Ryanair.
-Liverpool/Limoges : Ryanair.
-Birmingham /La Rochelle : Flybe.
-Glasgow/La Rochelle : Flybe
-Manchester/La Rochelle : Flybe
-Newcastle/Limoges : Flybe.
-Southampton/Limoges : Flybe.
-Southampton/La Rochelle : Flybe.
-Manchester/Bordeaux : bmibaby.
BY ROAD :
FERRY PORTS : St Malo : 5 hours. Cherbourg : 6 hours. Caen : 5 hours. Boulogne/Calais via Rouen, Le Mans :just over 6 hours.
The house is situated approx. 50mns south of Poitiers airport, off the N10 at Couhé and on the D14, 4 kms before the market town of Lezay.
Activities near Melle
Tennis in town
Watersports
Horse Riding
Golf within 30 mins drive
Fishing
Walking holidays
Rural / countryside retreats
Beach or lakeside relaxation
Cycling holidays
Reviews
 19 Oct 2011 |
We had a lovely fortnight at Manoir des Couts. It is a beautiful old house in a little hamlet not far from Lezay. The property was lovely - it has been very tastefully restored and the garden is gorgeous. The location is pretty central - it a good base to get around the Deux Sevres region by car. The Roman remains up at Sanxay are well worth a visit and the pretty town of Couhé (which has a fantastic pizza restaurant) is just a 15 minute drive away. Best of all we liked the peace and quiet, the amazing wildlife (lots of birds of prey and beautiful wild flowers) and the walking tracks that stretch for miles across farmland. If you want a gentle, restful break, this is a great place to go. |
Guestbook for Le Manoir des Couts
-24 July 4 August 2011
We all had a brilliant time here, the house is lovely and so full of character and the garden is beautiful. As teenagers, we found this house a relaxing environment after our stressful exams.
This area has a lot to offer for everyone as we all enjoyed day trips to different places : Mollie, 14 and Jess, 15 both enjoyed trips to the beach at La Rochelle, the Monkey Valley, rowing in Venise Verte and shopping around Poitiers. James, 16, particularly enjoyed the pool and chilling around the house and our parents enjoyed all medieval villages and roman ruins. Thank you to Keith & Francine for letting stay in your lovely house. Mollie, Jess, James, Nick and Claire Cullen, Bristol.
-9/23 July, 2011
It was our first time abroad for our children and rather than feel strange, they immediately settled into this beautiful and comfortable home. Francine & Keith were so kind and welcoming and their passion for this part of the country is really infectious….
Thanks for everything, once again Francine and Keith! A bientôt
The Jackson family, Falkirk, Scotland.
-26th June/9 July 2011
What a perfect place to come to re-charge our batteries!.. We have had a most enjoyable, relaxing two weeks in the most wonderful house….
We have eaten well, slept well and leave France four very relaxed people.
Thanks Keith and Francine for a lovely holiday in your home.
Louise, John, Liam & Aidan Urqhart, Striling, Scotland.
-5th//11th June 2011
What an idyllic retreat, just what we needed, set in a lovely village but very private.
There are some lovely walks….. but most of all, had a wonderful relaxing time in a convivial atmosphere, loved the Property.
Jean, Stew, Shaun & Russell.
-29th May/5th June 2011
We have spent a wonderfully relaxing week in this quiet and magical property.
Thank you Keith & Francine for your welcome, your tips and your hospitality. We really enjoyed our stay and loved meeting you Thank you for the opportunity to stay in this atmospheric house.
Laurie, Robin, James & Katherine Nash, Suffolk.
.-June 2010, The Kemp family, North Yorkshire
« We ’ve had a fantastic week here at Le Manoir, the weather has been very fortunate with 31 33°c every day and the occasional thunder storm in the evening. Our girls enjoyed the pool which provided an excellent way of keeping cool. If you are an early riser, take a cup of tea into the garden and sit and watch the wildlife : nightingales, swifts, swallows, humming bird hawk moth and an owl, all can be seen between 6 and 7 AM.. Thank you Keith & Francine, we have loved staying here. “
-Gillian, William, Sebastian & Giles Oliver, Kent. 2008
We've had a thouroughly enjoyable frotnight here in the lovely Manoir des Couts. It is a very relaxing and welcoming house and we have particularly loved the garden. Our boys have spent every day pottering about the garden where they are completely safe and happy
-Mal and Jill Alston, Eurora, Australia Spring 2007
Thank you for your friendship and opportunity to stay in your charming house. We leave with wonderful memoirs of French stone villages and green green fields!..
- 2007 Ian, Susan and Libby, Tadcaster, England
"What a fantastic week we've had here. We've had a very lazy time - helped by the great weather and the pool! The house is amazing and had everything we needed - even for an 8 months old baby.
Tuesdays market at Lezay was a favourite, lots of lovely tasty local produce. Wish we were staying longer!"
-Sharon and Henry, Hereford England. 2006
A really peaceful and characterful property, just the place to unwind. Also great hospitality by Keith and Francine. Spent a lot of the week trying to visualise how the village would have looked in the 17th and 18th century. ..
-Michelle, Remi, Susie, Jamie and Liliane, London. 2005
Wow ! What a lovely house, what a lovely time. We especially enjoyed the lovely herb garden! To anyone else visiting, Cognac is especially worth a visit, go the scenic route..
Terence, Sally, Helena and Teddy, Buckinghamshire, England. 2005
Thank you for a lovely stay in your manoir, we have enjoyed ourselves hugely and there has been masses to do without going too far. Thank you particularly for our painting lessons which have inspired me to get started again and which the children enjoyed too. Two weeks goes too quickly! My mum missed the kayaking and canoeing at Lambon. Great fun! We also went go-karting at Poitiers, an amazing area with so much to do. Thanks a lot, Teddy, age 12.
Alun and Kate, Reigate, Surrey, England. 2005
We are delighted to be the first guests to write in your book! Our stay at the Manoir has been everything we wanted from our holiday and more. The beautiful house and garden is a testament to all your hard work and creativity. We hope that your future guests love it as much as we did, a week is too short a stay! We will certainly be recommending the Manoir to our friends and we hope to see you all again soon ourselves.
Thanks again to you all, particularly Francine- for all your efforts in making us feel at home. ! All the best for the future
Rental prices
| Rental prices originally quoted in: British £ | Convert to: |
| Prices for group size 4 | ||||||
| Period | From | To | Weekly | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| 1 Sep 12 | 29 Sep 12 | £ 649 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| Prices for group size 6 | ||||||
| Period | From | To | Weekly | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| 1 Oct 11 | 28 Oct 11 | £ 499 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 7 Apr 12 | 28 Apr 12 | £ 499 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 28 Apr 12 | 26 May 12 | £ 549 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 26 May 12 | 30 Jun 12 | £ 699 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 30 Jun 12 | 14 Jul 12 | £ 899 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 14 Jul 12 | 1 Sep 12 | £ 1049 | - | - | 2 Weeks | |
| 1 Sep 12 | 29 Sep 12 | £ 699 | - | - | 2 Weeks | |
| 29 Sep 12 | 27 Oct 12 | £ 599 | - | - | 1 Week | |
The property's weekend rates apply to: Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights
NB: Prices may be subject to change at the advertiser's discretion.
All prices are per week, they include gas, water, 12kw of electricity per day (heating will be charged according to meter reading..).
Deposit required on booking: 25%, final balance payment due 8 weeks before arrival.
A Security Deposit of £150 is required, to be refunded within 7 days provided there are no breakages or damages and the house is left clean and tidy.
Availability
See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
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Contact the owner
* Required fields Please check the following errors: | You are contacting Francine Dunkley
Languages spoken    The owner is based in France and has advertised with Holiday Lettings since 2011. This manor house has received 1 review from previous guests.  |
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