La Prairie
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About the home
La Prairie is a 3-bedroomed gite which sits on the island, bordered on the North side by the main stream of Le Bruant, which is gently flowing and not deep and on the East by the millrace which once turned the millwheel itself (sadly removed along with all its mechanism over 20 years ago). It is named for its superb views over the stream towards the Charente River and the prairieï, the river flood plain stretching away to the mighty Charente River itself about 800m away.
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.
"La Prairie" is light and spacious & was converted in 2004 from part of the former Mill (flour Mill) and now offers a comfortable holiday home with plenty of space for 6 persons. Downstairs is open-plan with French doors opening onto a private gravelled terrasse with table, chairs, parasol & BBQ - exterior light or for the more romantic amongst you, candle-light is provided too!
The kitchen area is fully fitted with gas oven & hob (extractor), fridge with freezer section, dishwasher & top loader, microwave, coffee machine etc & a CD/radio music system so bring your CDs too! In the lounge area is an efficient woodburner which can heat the whole gite comfortably if required for the Winter months.
The Charente Maritime is the 2nd sunniest region after the South so bathes in warm sunshine throughout the sunshine and it is easy to plan BBQ's and outdoor events here unlike the unpredictable weather in the UK!
Upstairs offers 3 comfortable bedrooms with a larger double with its own en-suite shower/wc overlooking the river at the rear (space for cot if required), a further double bedroom on the East side, and a twin bedroom with 2 single beds and a bathroom with bath(shower attachment) basin & wc.
A perfect base to "chill out" and relax from the outside world, read, swim, fish, ideal area also for walking and cycling (bring your own bikes or hire them locally in the village). This gite is particularly attractive to the nature lovers amongst you as being at the end of the Mill it faces the gently flowing river with its abundance of wildlife including colourful Dragonflies, Frogs, butterflies, a regular pair of Kingfishers!, various fish including an occasional Pike, beaver & even deer.
A restful setting to laze, read BBQ, swim or cycle or walk in the quiet country lanes and near to the drainage canals close by. Horse-riding is also popular locally just 6kms away for both the beginner or more experienced rider and treks can be arranged in advance from Eu18 an hour
(English spoken)
Something of interest here for all members of the family, especially the naturelovers amongst you!! - you won't be disappointed!
This 4 acre site contains a 10m x 5m swimming pool (fenced) with Alarm which facing SW enjoys sunshine virtually all day and safe children's play area with large sandpit. Set within attractive gardens with shady trees and small woodland leading to the river this is the perfect holiday venue to enjoy some fishing, birdwatching, cycling & walking too as well as some quiet reading & snoozing too of course!
| Size: | Sleeps up to 6, 3 bedrooms |
|---|---|
| Nearest beach: | Fouras, 30km |
| Will consider: | Corporate lets Long lets Short breaks |
| Access: | Car advised Nearest amenities: 7km |
| Family friendly? | Suitable for children of all ages Suitable for people with restricted mobility |
| Notes: | No pets allowed No smoking at this property |
Facilities
| Luxuries: | Log fire, Internet access |
|---|---|
| Pool: | Shared outdoor pool (unheated) |
| General: | Table tennis, Wi-fi available |
| Standard: | Kettle, Toaster, Iron |
| Utilities: | Dishwasher, Cooker, Microwave, Fridge, Freezer, Washing machine |
| Rooms: | 3 Bedrooms, 2 bathrooms of which 1 family bathroom and 1 shower room |
| Furniture: | Single beds (2), Double beds (2), Cots (1), Dining seating for 6, Lounge seating for 7 |
| Other: | Please check with the advertiser regarding linen and towels Highchair available |
| Outdoors: | Shared outdoor pool (unheated), Balcony / Terrace, Shared garden, BBQ, Private fishing lake / river, Swing set |
| Access: | Secure parking |
Further details indoors:
All 3 bedrooms, comprising of 2 double bedrooms and a twin bedded room, together with the house bathroom are on the first floor with sloping roof. The Master double bedroom has its own small en-suite shower, washbasin & toilet. Some of the 1st floor has exposed stonework and all bedrooms command wonderful views over the Prairie and River below.
The ground floor is open-plan, part dressed stone with Charentaise stone fireplace with working log-burning stove for Winter (or occasional chilly Spring/Autumn!) nights, plus generous lounge & dining areas and fully-equipped kitchen with downlighters and includes gas hob & oven, large fridge, washing-machine, dishwasher, microwave, toaster and coffee maker too. There is a large contemporary leather sofa suite with 2 matching armchairs - coffee table, with lamps and downlighters too and a large Pine sideboard with matching dining table & chairs. The chimney place has an efficient wood burner for the cooler months.
This property is ideal for low season lets especially if house-hunting in this charming region - from September to end April (May by arrangement) (enquire for further details)
Further details outdoors:
To the rear of La Prairie is a gravelled terrace with table for 6, BBQ & parasol and is overlooking the gently flowing River Bruant and prairie land beyond with its amazing array of wildlife, including Storks, Herons, Buzzards & Hen harriers, Kingfishers, Hooppee Beavers and even deer! so perfect for the nature lovers amongst you!
It is so tranquil here and you will sleep like a log - I promise that!
Exterior terrace light but candles are much more romantic!
The grounds comprise a large walled garden on the Wst side with lawns, shrubs, rose garden & fruit trees including Plums, Apples, Fig & Cherry, plus a fenced/gated inground Swimming Pool, children's rustic playground and sandpit, all fenced off from our shady waterside woodland of Plane trees and little private island with.wildlife, freshwater shrimps and fish abound, including Carp, Trout & even a Pike has been spotted! Bring your rods although we have a few available for use.
Further details
Swimming pool in enclosed West gardens - lockable gate & alarm - Normally open from mid May to mid-September (dependant on weather conditions)
Total of 5 gites at "Le Moulin du Champ" comprising 3 x 2 bedroom gites including "Le Bucher", 3 bedroom "La Prairie" (sleeps 6) & 4 bedroom, "La Source" (sleeps 8/9) and which adjoins "La Prairie" gite
British owner lives in main house on site
Large West gardens enclosed by fencing & gates with sandpit, swings, slide, climbing frame so ideal for younger families!
Wifi internet reception so bring your laptops!
Exterior office with holiday information & book exchange
Conditions
FACILITIES AVAILABLE:
Bedlinen hire (12 Eu p.p.p.w) - To be prebooked
COT and/or high chair available for hire Eu 15 per week. To be prebooked
Extra cleaning services during your stay (12 Eu per hour, min. 2 hours) - To be prebooked
Babysitting - 25 Euros an evening (per family)
Wifi Internet reception
Table Tennis
The Poitou-Charentes / Vendee / Charente Maritime region
The Charente Maritime, the region in which we are situated, is the 2nd sunniest in all of France, after the South and we know as we have lived here for over 11 years! The Summers are long and hot but there is plenty of shade if required in our gardens with lots of trees and parasols outside each gite. From May & June you will find the evenings stay quite light until at least 10 pm so perfect for dining outside, especially after the little ones are tucked up and you can sip your wine peacefully over candlelight & watch the sun going down!
The region is full of Roman history and our nearest Roman town is Saintes, on the River Charente and less than 20 mins away. This is 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 too, you will be spoilt for choice. For those of you with families there are a number of "pedestrian only" roads in the centre and many restaurants offering terraces with outside dining. With theRiver 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 or to the excellent Restaurant at Chanier "Le Moulin du Baine" - not to be missed! Its greatest asset & well worth a detour is its Roman Amphitheatre - still in a fine state of preservation and in August several musical & cultural events are held in the Arena for the general public's pleasure - but far more pleasurable than was its original entertainment of course!! An excellent town for shopping too with large hyper markets and many interesting boutiques in the centre.
We have an abundance of small villages close by most offering a weekly Market - Saintes itself has an excellent daily Market with a Fish market too and a big Foire on the 1st Monday of each month.
Bordeaux and the wine region can be reached in just over 1.30 hours and St Emilion makes for a super day out Of course the Charente Maritime also 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 - we have a cellar full should you forget to buy some or wish to stock up!!
For the beachlovers amongst you our nearest beach is at Fouras - 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 - now much in demand with prices to match alas!!
The Saintes / Romegoux area
Le Moulin du Champ is mid-placed (18mins) 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!
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 friendly Post Office, a Hairdresser, Town Hall and an Electricians, Kitchen shop & so on - 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 for about Euros 11 with a help yourself buffet to start with! You can't find value like that anymore in the U.K. anymore can you?
The local area is ideal for walkers, cyclists and birdwatchers as having the River Bruant in our grounds plus the mightier River Charente only 5 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! Good walking too along the local canals only a few minutes from our 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 so do bring your bikes or bikes can be hired locally at St. Savinien, just 9kms from our 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
Watersports
Horse Riding
Golf within 30 mins drive
Fishing
Walking holidays
Rural / countryside retreats
Beach or lakeside relaxation
Cycling holidays
Reviews
 27 Aug 2012 |
There is so much I could say about our stay but I'll keep it simple - the house is lovely, the location is beautiful and tranquil, the rooms are spacious,clean, and well appointed and the welcome is as warm as you'll find anywhere. My partner and I stayed here with her parents and we all agreed that you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere better. |
Rental prices
| Rental prices originally quoted in: Euros € | Convert to: |
| Prices for group size 6 | ||||||
| Period | From | To | Weekly | Nightly rate | Minimum stay | |
| Weekday | Weekend | |||||
| 3 Nov 12 | 22 Dec 12 | € 425 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 22 Dec 12 | 5 Jan 13 | € 525 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 5 Jan 13 | 5 May 13 | € 425 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 5 May 13 | 1 Jun 13 | € 575 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 1 Jun 13 | 13 Jul 13 | € 695 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 13 Jul 13 | 31 Aug 13 | € 1145 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 31 Aug 13 | 28 Sep 13 | € 695 | - | - | 1 Week | |
| 28 Sep 13 | 2 Nov 13 | € 485 | - | - | 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.
Availability
See below for next 9 months' availability - to see the next 24 months click here
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