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Sleeps 6 in 3 bedrooms ( 2 doubles and 1 twin) plus infants |
 | Lovely paddling pool for the little ones and a full sized swimming pool for the whle family. |
 | A good range of toys, bath toys, books & DVDs are all provided. |
 | Paddling pool, swimming pool and pool games, sand pit, table tennis & badminton. A free tennis court 5 minutes walk away. Pre- bookable art lessons for budding artists of any age. |
 | Residents of 18RMB include 2 sheep, border collies Pippy and Smudge, 4 chickens & Mimi the cat. |
 | An evening meal can be arranged. |
 | The town of Thor, a 10 minute drive, has a lake for swimming. It also has pedalos, mini golf, boule and a restaurant. |
 | An exhaustive list of provisions are available. Wooden & travel cots, highchairs, baby baths, baby bouncer, steriliser, potty, buggy and car seats. Each property has fixed stairgates. Plastic crockery, cutlery and trainer cups are also in the gites. |
 | Available on request. |
 | Pre-arrival shopping is available on request. A hamper of local produce is provided on arrival. |
Seasonal Discount:
10% discount for dates booked between 01 Jun 2012 and 29 Jun 2012 minimum of 7 nights
5% discount for dates booked between 30 Jun 2012 and 27 Jul 2012 minimum of 7 nights
Arrivals and Departures:
Check-in time: 16:30
Check-out time: 10:00
Payment:
Reservation Deposit: 30%
Balance: 56 days prior to arrival
Capacity:
Sleeps: 6 + Cot sleeping infants
As guests approach 18RMB and the gates open to reveal the full character of the Charentaise courtyard, they begin to understand why this beautiful 18th Century property holds such an attraction for budding artists.
Previously a farm and cognac distillery, hosts Nigel and Carolyn have sympathetically restored the property, successfully introducing stylish interiors and mod cons without compromising the rustic charm. A hamper of local French produce is provided on arrival but mini guests might enjoy supplementing this with fruit from fig, walnut, cherry and apple trees in the orchard which Nigel and Carolyn are happy for you to pick.
The accommodation comprises two gites: La Grange, with 4 bedrooms, sleeping 8 (plus cots), and L’Etable sleeping 6 (plus cots) in 3 bedrooms. Each can be booked individually but a double booking is ideal for two families, or a large extended family. The gites are fully equipped with modern kitchen facilities and satellite TV, a DVD player and Wi-Fi. For little ones there are toys, books and DVDs. A word of warning, before sinking into the luxurious Louis XVth bed at the end of the day, make sure a coin’s been flipped to determine who’s walking to the nearby boulangerie in the morning for fresh croissants and pastries! There are plenty of activities to keep the kids entertained allowing mums and dads important relaxation time beside the pool or in the courtyard. Pool games, table tennis and boule are all provided and additional hosts include 2 sheep, their shepherds Pippy and Smudge the border collies, 4 chickens and Mimi the cat!
There are tennis courts in nearby Haimps, which are free for 18RMB guests. If living the good life in the fabulous French countryside is enough to inspire a creative streak in any member of the family, there’s a chance to put it to good use as host and artist Nigel offers art lessons on site.
L'etable Overview:
Guest enter into a spacious open plan lounge, dining and kitchen area which offers great views out onto the sunny courtyard. There are 3 bedrooms, all on the first floor comprising of two doubles and one twin bedroom.
Share Tips & Advice Show Location Map
For guests who can muster the energy to leave the property, Fresneau is within walking distance and has a boulangerie, a park with a children’s playground, boule court and picnic areas. The property is a short drive to the picturesque towns of Cognac and St Jean d'Angely, both of which have plenty of options for when you don't feel like cooking and Nigel and Carolyn are happy to taxi parents wishing to have more than one glass of wine.
If you would like to do a distillery tour, Hennessey in Cognac is a good option as kids are allowed but, even better, there's a cute town tour train that leaves from directly outside so parents can take turns entertaining the kids on that whilst one or other does the tour. Boat trips also leave from there in high summer / on weekends
Further afield, the white sandy beaches of Royan are worth a day trip as is the harbour town of La Rochelle which has a good selection of restaurants and shops and access to Ile de Re and Ile d'Orelon.
Nearest Medical Services:
Getting There: The nearest airports in order of distance from Fresneau are: Angouleme-Brie-Champniers (from Stansted), La Rochelle, Poitiers, Limoges and Bordeaux-Mérignac. Try www.skyscanner.net as a useful low-cost flight comparision.
Past Guest Ratings: * (3 guests)
*Rating collated since Feb '10.
All verified as genuine BFB guests who experienced the accommodation with young children.
Awards:
We couldn't have asked for a better holiday. The gite was lovely and amazingly w...
We couldn't have asked for a better holiday. The gite was lovely and amazingly well equipped, the setting of the property absolutely beautiful and our hosts Nigel and Carolyn couldn't have been more friendly and helpful. Absolutely 5 star!
Overall Experience Rating: 100%
We had a fantastic and relaxing time at this gite! Carolyn and Nigel were genero...
We had a fantastic and relaxing time at this gite! Carolyn and Nigel were generous hosts who did their utmost to meet all our needs. The buildings and gardens were very beautiful (a pleasure to look at each morning). Our toddler loved the fact he could potter out of the door of our gite to play in the sandpit and kick a football around, and at times Carolyn appeared with a new toy for him (such as a little car on the day we were packing up!). The swimming pool was great fun and kept us all cool! Some of our group played tennis and we enjoyed using the bikes to explore the local white roads, weaving through fields of sunflowers. We stopped under cherry trees next to the road and filled up on fruit, and had a great pizza with a glass of wine in a nearby village outdoors (tables were set up for us). It's also a good area for Cognac tasting (ask Nigel where to go!). If you book I would recommend taking the hosts up on their offer of a meal on arrival and departure.
Overall Experience Rating: 80%
We had a fantastic and relaxing time at this gite! Carolyn and Nigel were genero...
We had a fantastic and relaxing time at this gite! Carolyn and Nigel were generous hosts who did their utmost to meet all our needs. The buildings and gardens were very beautiful (a pleasure to look at each morning). Our toddler loved the fact he could potter out of the door of our gite to play in the sandpit and kick a football around, and at times Carolyn appeared with a new toy for him (such as a little car on the day we were packing up!). The swimming pool was great fun and kept us all cool! Some of our group played tennis and we enjoyed using the bikes to explore the local white roads, weaving through fields of sunflowers. We stopped under cherry trees next to the road and filled up on fruit, and had a great pizza with a glass of wine in a nearby village outdoors (tables were set up for us). It's also a good area for Cognac tasting (ask Nigel where to go!). If you book I would recommend taking the hosts up on their offer of a meal on arrival and departure. Overall Rating: Excellent!
A lovely gite in a beautiful rural location. Loved walking to get bread and cros...
A lovely gite in a beautiful rural location. Loved walking to get bread and crossiants in the morning and enjoyed trying the local restaurants (about a 10 minute drive, drop-off service provided). Nigel and Carolyn are wonderful hosts, nothing was too much trouble. They provided a fabulous 3 course meal the night we arrived, and a great BBQ on our last night. Great grounds and pool for little ones. Overall Rating: outstanding!
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