La Bucher
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About the home
Le Bucher is probably the most characterful gite here retaining its charm with original limestone walls and beams yet offering today's modern comforts. It is quite tranquil & perfect for couples or families alike.
Immediately outside on the side of your terrace is the Millstream & very pleasant to while away an evening or two with your BBQ & wine in hand watching the fish & wildlife around you
Mosquitoes are very rarely seen here due to an abundance of returning "Hirondelles" (swallows as we know them!) who consume their weight daily in Mosquitoes we were told by the previous owner so no worries here plus they are fun to watch skimming over the river at dusk!
Offering 5 gites in total, Le Moulin du Champ is an 18th. century house and watermill, set in peaceful countryside yet only 30 mins from the beaches at La Rochelle . This four acre site contains a 10m x 5m swimming pool (fenced) and safe children's play area with large sandpit. Set within attractive gardens with shady trees and small woodland leading to the river. Perfect for fishing, birdwatching, cycling & walking too.
| Size: | Sleeps up to 4, 2 bedrooms |
|---|---|
| Nearest beach: | Fouras, 30km |
| Will consider: | Corporate lets Long lets Short breaks |
| Access: | Car advised Nearest amenities: 2km |
| Family friendly? | Suitable for children of all ages Suitable for people with restricted mobility |
| Notes: | No pets allowed No smoking at this property |
Facilities
| Pool: | Shared outdoor pool (unheated) |
|---|---|
| General: | Table tennis, Wi-fi available |
| Standard: | Kettle, Toaster, Iron |
| Utilities: | Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Washing machine |
| Rooms: | 2 Bedrooms, 1 family bathroom |
| Furniture: | Sofabeds (1), Single beds (2), Double beds (1), Cots (1), Dining seating for 4, Lounge seating for 5 |
| Other: | Please check with the advertiser regarding linen and towels Highchair available |
| Outdoors: | Shared outdoor pool (unheated), Balcony / Terrace, Shared garden, BBQ, Swing set |
| Access: | Secure parking |
Further details indoors:
The former Mill was an important flour Mill in days gone by and dates back to early 18th century - in fact "Le Bucher" used to be the wood storage barn & there are some old writings on one of the walls in the kitchen still!
It was converted in early 2004 and has been regularly occupied by people (not wood!) since.
This 2 bedroom is quite charming and has exposed stonework and original Oak beams and offers tranquility and is quite romantic & tranquil with original beams & exposed stonework
Comfortably sleeps 4 with space for small cot but if wishing to bring other family and friends why not combine with one of our other gites in the Mill offering you privacy from eachother yet still the ability to share meals/BBQs together - please ask for further deails and any Special offers if booking several together!
On 2 floors the ground floor is split on 2 levels and opens into the lounge area with a corner sofa suite & coffee table & looks down through glazed double doors onto the terrace and river beyond. Up a couple of steps to the kitchen/diner with large window (you can actually fish from this window and fish have been known to be caught here - honestly!) Near the window is the oval Oak dining table & matching chairs and the fitted Oak kitchen to the right with a fridge/freezer, electric eye-level oven & gas hob & extractor, as well as microwave & coffee machine etc.
An interesting & historical centre piece in the kitchen is the large rustic wood "thresher" which was found in the property before it was converted & was used to sift the grains - we decided to bring it back to life & varnished it and installed lights and glass panels so it is now a characterful kitchen wortop as well as serving as a useful divider from the lounge!
Of course there is a radio/CD player for your enjoyment - so do bring your own although we have a selection too!
This property is ideal for low season lets especially if house-hunting in this charming region. (Available longer low season stays from September to end of April (May by arrangement)
Further details outdoors:
Just outside is your decked terrace & from the lounge sofas you can see down river! - You can also fish from here of course!
The grounds comprise a large walled garden on the West side with lawns, shrubs, rose garden & fruit trees including Plums, Apples, Fig & Cherry, plus an enclosed private in-ground Swimming Pool, children's rustic playground and sandpit, all fenced off from our shady waterside woodland of Plane trees and Island. The wild-life, freshwater shrimps and fish abound, including Carp, Trout & even a Pike has been spotted! Do bring your rods along as well
Further details
The fenced swimming pool (10m x 5m) unheated is normally open from end May to the end of September (weather dependant) and faces SSW so in sun virtually all days so heats naturally!
Obligatory end of stay cleaning of gite Euros 45
This gite is available for longer, out of season lets at very preferrential "monthly" rates so please enquire asap as demands starts early! Min. 2 months. Please enquire now!
STOP PRESS!!
Are you just a couple or 2 friends wishing to chill out here in May, June or September?
If so, and you book for a minimum of ONE week by 11 May I am offering 10% off so don't delay!!
ALSO Longer lets from mid/end September at 595 Eu pcm (heating extra) - Please enquire now!
June July and August - still some weeks available - 2 week booking preferrential in peak Summer but do enquire in case!
(Special Offers may be removed or changed at owner's discretion)
Conditions
FACILITIES AVAILABLE
Bedlinen hire if required
Extra cleaning help (10 Euros ph) - after all it is YOUR holiday!!
COT and/or hgh chair available for hire Eu 15 per week. (Please prebook)
Babysitting may be available subject to demand Eu 25 an evening
STOP PRESS! New since last year, is a Bar d'Ambiance called "Le Mouton Noir" (The Black Sheep) in the next hamlet - about 500m walk! which is open on Friday and Saturday evenings only - 3 floors offering chldren's room, Bar billiards, outside terrasse and regular live Music on some weekends - mostly Blues & Jazz!! so no need to take the car!
The Poitou-Charentes / Vendee / Charente Maritime region
The Charente Maritime, is the 2nd sunniest in all of France, after the South and I know as I have lived here for over 16 years! The Summers are normally long and hot. From May & June you will find the evenings stay quite light until at least 10 pm so perfect for chilling out with your glass of wine or the local "Pineau"!
The region is full of Roman history and our nearest Roman town is Saintes, on the River Charente , just 20 minutes' drive. An interesting and lively town, popular with locals and holidaymakers alike, as there is so much on offer - from the wide choice of restaurants offering traditional French cuisine, Creperies, Italian, Indian, Chinese/Asian and even a Moroccan one. And perfect for families there are a number of "pedestrian only" roads in the centre and many restaurants offering terraces with outside dining. The River Charente running through the centre of the town there is opportunities to hire electric boats as well as enjoy one of the pleasure boats linking Saintes to Cognac. Its greatest asset & well worth a detour is its Roman Amphitheatre - still in a fine state of preservation. An excellent town for shopping with large hyper markets and many interesting boutiques in the centre - there are daily fresh Markets with Fish too!
Rochefort, is also a short drive away and is a former Naval Port town & in its former years was a very important town for ship-building and trading on the River Charente, Tobacco, wine, Cognac, paper etc ....For the last 15 years a Galleon "L'Hermione" is being constructed by specialist in carpentry & boating and this July 6/7 it is being launched and in 2 years time it will leave Rochefort for Boston, U.S.A. to cover one of its original journies
La Rochelle, a cosmopolitan port town, famous for its seafood restaurants and home to one of the largest Marinas in France (4000 boats) is only 30 mins away. This town holds a lot of British as well as French history and it was from this town that many French left for the New World many years ago. For those interested in history and architecture there is much to offer you and there is a network of pedestrian streets full of clothes & Jewellery shops as well as specialist shops too. La Rochelle is home to over 200 restaurants so a must for those gourmandes amongst you!
Bordeaux and the wine region can be reached in just over 1.30 hours via the A.10 motorway (Saintes to Bordeaux) as well as famous wine labels at St Emilion, Margaux to name just a few! The Charente Maritime produces its own local wines both Red, White and Rose and there are many local producers where you can stop and visit where they will be delighted to show you around plus you can do a little sampling too (for the non-drivers in your party of course!) Pineau de Charente, is the locally produced Aperitif and is delicious served chilled or in Fresh Charentais Melon - the French also use it in their sauces too! It is not available outside of France yet so worth buying in a few bottles!
For the beachlovers amongst you our nearest beach is at Fouras just 25 mins - a charming, former bathing town in the 20's which has not become too touristic and has maintained some of its original charm along with many of the old seaside houses. La Rochelle also has clean sandy beaches and a little further South at Royan and "le Cote Sauvage" will be found long stretches of clean beaches, some very natural inclusing a few Naturist beaches too! The large Island "Ile d'Oloron" between La Rochelle & Royan offers some ideal beaches ideal for surfers and windsurfers as well as some Kite-surfing too
The Saintes / Romegoux area
Le Moulin du Champ is mid-placed (20mins) between the Cathedral City of Saintes and the ancient Naval – now Pleasure – Port of Rochefort. We sit in a small valley between 2 small villages of Geay and Romegoux. Romegoux itself is purely residential and has a Romanesque Church, a Primary school, Library and Town Hall plus, of course, a Boule area & Tennis Courts
Geay, has a small Post Office open 3 times a week and an "Epicerie/Bar" a little like a village shop but which is in a bit of a time warp actually! You have to go there to see what we mean though! Just 4kms away on the Route Nationale 137 is the small town of Beurlay which has a Baker, a small Co-Op (selling almost everything!) a Hairdresser, Town Hall & Bar/Cafe - just on the outskirs is a "Truckers' Restaurant" - the well-known Routier Restaurant where you can be served an excellent value 4 course lunch plus the obligatory bottle of red wine with a help yourself buffet to start with! You can't find value like that anymore in the U.K. anymore can you?
Within a 500m walk of Le Moulin du Champ is a new "Bar d'Ambiance" open just Friday and Saturday evenings with a garden, Bar Billiard room, and lovely room in the rafters ideal for children with books and a superb view looking down over the Mill & river. Jazz/Blues Concerts are held normally every 2 weeks and in the Summer the concerts are in the garden
The local area is ideal for walkers, cyclists and birdwatchers as having the River Bruant in our grounds plus the mightier River Charente only 10 mins away attracts lots of water birds including Kingfishers (we have a regular pair in our garden!), Herons, Storks and various birds of prey - some of which could easily be mistaken for Eagles - for the twitterers amongst you there is a even a pair of Golden Orioles who return to nest every Summer and their birdsong is not to be missed & is very distintinctive! Good walking as well along the local canals only a few minutes from my home offering some delightful fishing spots as well as for pic-nics! Do bring your binoculars and cameras as well as fishing rods although the latter we have a few at hand should you forget!
St. Porchaire, a local Market town is just 7kms, and offers a Post Office, Bank (with cash machine), Ecomarche, Chemists, doctors, dentists, Newsagent (selling at least 5 different British papers!), Co-Op, Bars and an excellent restaurant for that "special" meal (preferably without the kids if they are younger as they really will not appreciate the superb cuisine!) - don't worry we can offer baby-sitting (depending on demand).
We are in an ideal cycling and walking location and as the Charente Maritime is relatively flat you will not have to contend with any hard uphills so do bring your bikes or bikes can be hired locally at St. Savinien, just 9kms from my home
How to get there
Click map icons for more information
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| Nearest Travel Links | |
| Airport: | La Rochelle: 32 km |
| Railway: | St. Savinien or St Jean d'Angeley: 9 km |
| Ferry: | St. Malo: 395 km |
By Air
*You can fly into La Rochelle Airport, only 30 mins away with daily flights with Ryanair (see www.ryanair.co.uk) from Stanstead or Flybee from Southampton & Birmingham (daily flights) Collect an hire car at the Airport.
*Bordeaux Airport is just over 100 kms and from there you can get onto the A.10 motorway Bordeaux To Saintes and then only 20 mins on the RN 137!
By Car and Train
*From Paris it is about 5 hours drive or you can take the TGV (France's fastest train) which goes via Poitiers and get off at La Rochelle.
*The A.10 has exits at both St Jean d'Angeley (just 23kms from us) and Saintes (about 22kms) and then an easy 20 mins drive onto to us - we are happy to provide you with precise directions .
By Ferry
*St. Malo is our closest port in less than 4 hours, then Cherbourg 5 hrs. Roscoff and then Calais about 8+ hours in peak Summer.
Activities near Saintes
Tennis in town
Horse Riding
Golf within 30 mins drive
Fishing
Walking holidays
Rural / countryside retreats
Cycling holidays
Reviews
 12 Jul 2012 |
A fabulous place in a wonderful area of France. Very peaceful - the children loved fishing in the millstream. The owner was extremely helpful and welcoming. A great place to take bicycles. We would definitely return! |
Rental prices
| Rental prices originally quoted in: Euros € | Convert to: |
| Prices for group size 4 | ||||||
| Period | From | To | Weekly | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| 8 Sep 12 | 29 Sep 12 | € 545 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 29 Sep 12 | 27 Oct 12 | € 455 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 27 Oct 12 | 4 May 13 | € 395 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 4 May 13 | 1 Jun 13 | € 565 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 1 Jun 13 | 13 Jul 13 | € 595 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 13 Jul 13 | 31 Aug 13 | € 995 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 31 Aug 13 | 28 Sep 13 | € 565 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 28 Sep 13 | 2 Nov 13 | € 495 | - | - | 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.
Please Note:
All payments to be made in Euros and can be easily effected by bank transfer (please ask)
BookAvailability
See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
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