Sac - a hilltop hamlet between the busy market town of Chalais & the lovely village of Aubeterre (each 8 kms). Here Les Deux Puits (Farmhouse) lies in 2.5 acres of sloping meadow, with fruit, nut and lime trees for shade, facing south over sunflowers & a lake. This is Cognac & vineyard country with specialities of foie gras, melon, peach & chestnut dishes.
The large pool (12m x 6m, terraced & floodlit) is not overlooked by any of our neighbours in the hamlet.
Our 2 houses & the studio apartment are well separated from each other & there is plenty of space for privacy. Shared facilities:pool, table tennis, bikes, croquet, cricket, Badminton, floodlit Pétanque piste etc.
The houses & the studio apartment may be rented separately or together, forming a flexible basis for family or group holidays, with a capacity of 18 plus babies. Les Tilleuls (ref. LES 694) is the cottage, sleeping 2+2. La Quatrième Porchèrie is the studio apartment, sleeping 2, but is only let along with one or both of the houses as extra accommodation. Our 3 holiday homes are of traditional Charentaise stone, oak beam & Roman tile construction,all simply but fully equipped. Baby equipment & linen.
Accommodation Facilities
Bedrooms:
Double Bedroom overlooking pool, with en suite bathroom with French hipbath, basin & shower. Triple Bedroom -2 single beds & double sofabed, French door to garden. Double Bedroom overlooking pool. Huge (95 sq m) open attic, carpeted, large Velux windows & floor level windows& Six single beds, widely spaced; 3 low beams (about 130cm headroom) –need to duck! TV, DVD, HiFi. Ideal for children.
Bathrooms:
Double bedroom has ensuite (French hipbath, thermostatic shower, basin); family shower room with thermostatic shower cabin, bidet, basin and WC; separate WC with basin. 2 hot water tanks (200 litre and 300 litre). Both bathrooms have electric drying rails, hairdryers and shaver sockets. Bedrooms & shower/WC lead from spacious, 18 sq m, entrance hall with 18th Cent tiles.
Kitchen:
Enormous farmhouse kitchen (36 sq m) with seating for 15+, armchairs, view of pool. Beamed, exposed stone walls, 18th Cent. fireplace & wood burner. Washing machine, dishwasher, 2 fridge-freezers, microwave, five burner gas cooker with electric oven, Le Creuset pans etc. Stairs to Attic. Arched stone doorway, steps to Pressoir. Outside - tables & chairs under shade tree, with lighting & BBQ.
Living Rooms:
Pressoir (Wine Press Hall); huge sitting room (50 sq m), massive, high rafters & exposed stone walls. Wood burner, TV & UK satellite system, VCR/ DVD player, HiFi, enormous chandelier and candle sconces, sofas and armchairs; full-size pool table. French doors to gardens & pool. Waxed wooden floor - great for dancing! Low stone arch (mind your head!) leads up to dbl bedroom & utility/darts room.
Other Rooms:
Utility room with second fridge/frezer and darts board, ironing board, iron etc. Large tiled hall. Storage cellar.
Cleaning/Towels/Linen etc:
Bed linen and bath/face towels may be hired from our friends/neighbours/caretakers for E10 per person. Pierre and Danielle speak English and are always happy to help guests and tell you about the area and events. The house will be cleaned after you leave, but we hope you will leave it reasonably tidy and clean. We do not charge a security deposit, and trust you to take care of our holiday home .
Outside:
Shared by 2 houses and studio flat: big pool (12 x 6 metres, from 1 to 2 m deep). Alarmed, not fenced. Terraced, floodlit. Roman steps. Not overlooked.Recliners & poolside furniture. Solar Shower. Croquet, Badminton, cricket,boules piste, spacehoppers, free bikes and baby bikes/scooters, swingball, skittles, table tennis room, swings, outside furniture and BBQs,loads of play space, table footie.
Additional notes (if any):
Les Deux Puits is very large, and makes a perfect holiday home for a large family, families sharing or reunion groups.15 people can eat in the farmhouse kitchen - at our daughter's wedding we had a formal dinner in the Pressoir (sitting room) for 22! Children love the huge, airy & carpeted attic, like a school dormitory. Rent the cottage, Les Tilleuls (ref LES 694) too, for even more accommodation
Property Location
Local Area / Activities
This is the second sunniest part of France. The Charente is renowned for the production of Cognac with vineyards dominating the slopes of the Charente river valley; fields of sunflowers, golden maize or wheat on the gently rolling hills above. Marked cycle/footpaths thread the region.Chalais (8km) - big food market, good shopping and restauarants, chateau with working drawbridge & restaurant in dungeon. Aubeterre (8 km) - "one of France's 100 loveliest villages" - river beach, canoe hire, fishing & swimming, bars and bistros, tennis, golf.Angouleme, Bordeaux, coast & St Emilion vineyards for day trips; Bergerac (river trips), Riberac (flea market), Jonzac etc. Cognac has many world famous chateaux/distilleries within 45 kms. Grands Crus de Bordeaux vineyards within 30 kms. Local speciality is Pineau de Charente. Cognac is also, in some restaurants, served in special flaming cups (bruleurs) as Café Charentaise.Foie gras made by a renowned producteur within 1 km of the house; other types of pate and terrine , including wild boar (Sanglier). Melon, Limousin beef, cepes, tiny strawberries, oysters...but duck & goose (foie gras) are supreme & honoured.Old churches/castles abound.
Changeover Saturdays (arrive 4pm, depart 11am). Price includes gas, water, electricity and firewood. Bed linen/towels available to hire. Baby equipment free. Welcome basket of local food and wine.
Summary of Key Features
Facilities:
Shared Pool, Multi Unit Site, Dishwasher, Washing Machine, Tv, English Satellite Tv, DVD Player, Wood Burning Fire or Stove, BBQ, Cot Available
Requirements:
Wheelchair Friendly, Suitable For Young Children, Non Smoking
Activities:
Near River Beach (10km or nearer), Near Lake(10km or nearer), Tennis Nearby, Golf Nearby, Fishing Nearby
