A glorious location for an away from it all tranquil holiday, or a family gathering, the large secluded garden includes a private heated swimming pool, surrounded by rustic English oak decking, with sun loungers and umbrellas, and an outside relaxing area for bbq's and eating, the garden boasts a variety of fruit tree's and vines there is also what we call the vine house in the garden for a shaded area to drink some vine if required ! Or if it's a cosy, romantic night in, in front of the log burner you want we can accommodate that too! (but bring your own romance)! We can also accommodate wheelchairs as we have two bedrooms and a shower room on the ground floor. For those of you who like to explore, minutes away are towns, villages and activities. Golf, fishing, walking, cycling, chateaux's and the george sand racing circuit is within minutes away, the la brenne national park is only 45 min's away, well worth a visit. Our nearest town is la chatre which is only 10 miles away, la chatre has a variety of quaint french shops, café bars and restaurant's, you will also find the tourist information board here, where information may be obtained on the activities mentioned above. There are so many places of interest in the area you can easily spend the week exploring, or you can sit by the pool and do absolutely nothing, except relax and enjoy, not to mention over indulge with friends and family. Limoges is only an hour away, world famous for it's pottery, if you are coming from the uk there are direct flight from bristol airport twice weekly, or if you prefer to arrive by ferry the closest ferry port is portsmouth to caen, you can also travel by train via the euro star.
Traditional Five Bedroomed Farmhouse With A Private Heated Pool, Tranquil Area
- Farmhouse
- People: 11
- Bedrooms: 5
- Bathrooms: 3
- Min. Stay: 7 nights
Five bedroom Farmhouse with private heated swimming pool. peacefull location.
Bedrooms
Owner
William and Andrea Whittle
- Speaks
- english, Currently we only speak English and Welsh.
- Calendar last updated:
- 8 Feb 2019
About William and Andrea Whittle
My wife Andrea and I bought this Farmhouse in 2014 as a bolthole from the British weather and a peaceful haven from day to day living, our children are now adults making it easier for us to get away, we are both still in full time employment and will be for the next 7-10 years, and look forward to the time when we can spend more time in France. Andrea Manages a fuel distribution Centre and I am self employed and drive excavation machines. We are both Welsh speakers and have lived our lives in South West Wales, where it rains a lot, hence the escape to France. (but..... when it rains it Wales we open a bottle or two).
William and Andrea Whittle purchased this Farmhouse in 2014
Why William and Andrea Whittle chose Vicq-Exemplet
We like this location for its peace and tranquillity, but only 10k away from the nearest town where you will find all the familiar shops we have in the UK including ALDI, LIDLE, Carrefour etc.as well as the quaint French shops bars and Cafe's. This area is called he garden of France, the temperature is ideal for us all year round, hot summers by the pool and chilly winters by the fire.
What makes this Farmhouse unique
Complete relaxation, lying by the private, heated South facing pool, reading a book and enjoying a glass of wine or four ! We fell in love with the original rambling features of this French Farmhouse and have spent many hours working with the house letting it dictate to us, and keeping as much originality as possible e.g. The roof has many of it's original tiles and timberwork which isn't straight but quaint. We hope anyone who stays here at our home feel the benefits and take away good memories.
Facilities
- Swimming pool
- Internet
- Air Conditioning
- Pets Welcome
- Fireplace
- TV
- Satellite or Cable
- Washer & Dryer
- Children Welcome
- Parking
- Accessible
- Heater
Bathrooms
- 3 Bathrooms
- Bathroom 1toilet, tub, shower, bidet
- Shower room 1shower
- Shower room 2shower
- On the 1st floor we have the family bathroom with bath, over bath shower, toilet and bidet, and a separate toilet, on the ground floor we have two separate bathrooms that house showers, WC and wash hand basins.
Location Type
- Rural
- Village
Meals
- Guests provide their own meals
General
- Air ConditioningThere is no air conditioning at the property,
- HeatingThe house is heated by electricity, and log burners we find that in high season there is very little need for heating.
- Linens ProvidedBed linens are provided, the beds will be made up for you, a cleaner will change the beds at the end of every occupancy.
- Washing MachineThere is a new washing machine in the main kitchen.
- Tumble DryerThe garden has a rotary line.
- FireplaceThe house has three log burners, a complementary basket of logs will be left at the house, additional logs will have to be purchased.
- ParkingThere is enough room for 3 /4 cars to be parked safely off he road.
- InternetThe house has internet connection.
- Towels ProvidedTowels will be provided a cleaner will attend at the end of every occupancy.
- Wood Stove
- Iron & Board
- Hair Dryer
- Living RoomWe have a large suite of furniture in the living area comprising of two large leather sofas and reclining chair, coffee table, tv, dvd player, side lights and log burner. Two side cabinets for your use. Also the stairway to the first floor.
Kitchen
- DishwasherWe have installed a new dishwasher in the main kitchen
- RefrigeratorThere is a large Fridge Freezer in the main kitchen and a smaller one in one of the adjoining kitchens.
- Freezer
- Stove
- OvenA new Oven and hob have recently been fitted.
- MicrowaveThere is one microwave in the main kitchen.
- Grill
- Coffee Maker
- ToasterYou will find a new toaster in the main kitchen.
- Pantry ItemsSome condiments have been let at the house for the guests to use.
- Dishes & UtensilsAll dishes and utensils are new and of good quality.
- KitchenWe have recently refurbished the kitchen with new kitchen cabinets, fridge freezer, dish washer and washing machine, new pots, pans cutlery and utensils etc. The kitchen also has a wood burning stove that can be used for keeping food warm.
Dining
- Dining Area
- Child's Highchair
- DiningThere is a large rustic hand made dinning table that seats eight,there is also a large patio dinning table.
- comfy seating for 8 people
Entertainment
- TelevisionThere is one large TV in the main lounge, has all British and French channels.
- Satellite / Cable
- StereoThere is a Sony music centre in the reading room.
- DVD Playeryou will find a Blue ray DVD player in the main lounge with an assortment of DVD's
- BooksA good selection of books in the reading room.
- Music LibraryThere is a small selection of a variety of cd's it's difficult to cover all types of music.
- Ping Pong Table
- ToysThere is a small selection of toys, swing ball, children's play tent, tricycle. badminton and pool toys.
Outside
- Lawn / GardenThe garden is over an Acre, along one side there is a wooded area, there is also an oak clad shed to keep the pool furniture.
- Outdoor GrillThere is a large gas Barbecue.
- Deck / PatioThere is a large paved patio area outside the reading and dinning room
Suitability
- wheelchair accessibleThe property has not been deliberately adapted for wheelchair use, because we have five separate entrances with no major steps, any wheelchair user can gain access via any of these entrances.
- suitable for elderly or infirm
- Long-term Renters Welcome
Pool / Spa
- Heated Pool
- Private PoolThe pool is heated and private, in a South facing position, it gets the sun all day, and should you want an evening dip the pool has it's own light.
Notes
- Notes on accommodation: This house is very versatile, it sleeps up to eleven people comfortably, within the main house we have four double bedrooms, one double on the ground floor and another with adult size bunk beds, and two double bedrooms on the first floor, also under the same roof as the farmhouse we have the gite with it's own separate entrance, where there are bunk beds that will sleep three, a double bottom bunk and a single bunk above, in the gite there is a shower room hand basin an toilet, a small compact kitchen area with a two ring gas hob, kettle pots and pans crockery and utensils. next to the pool alongside the garden we have a wooded area, don't be surprised if you see the occasional rabbit or pine-marten watching you in the pool. Outside: The pool is 10x5m and is surrounded by oak decking ( be sure to use suitable footwear) the pool is situated in a secluded position and is south facing, you will get the sun here all day, even so the pool is heated for your comfort, we have pool umbrellas and recliners. A large wooden family patio table and chairs with a parasol for shade also, a plastic table and chairs which can be moved around the garden. we have a large bbq grill for your outdoor meals. and a large mowed pasture at the back of the house for recreational use such as football etc. the property is secure on all boundaries. Utility Room: There is no utility room as we have a large Kitchen that accommodates all our needs. Cleaning / Towels / Linen / Maid service: Towels and bed linen are provided, cleaning can be arranged privately during your stay, laundry facilities are available should you require clean sheets and /or towels during your stay, pool towels are not provided. Other: There is a reading room off the kitchen for relaxation and listening to music which overlooks the garden for quiet times. In here you will find a double sofa bed if you need any additional beds.
House Rules
Check-in: 16:00
Check-out: 11:00
Cancellation Policy
100% refund for cancellations more than 14 days before check-in date. 50% refund for cancellations more than 7 days before check-in date.
7 Reviews
Great house, perfect for families.
We had a great 2 weeks staying here, the layout was perfect for us. Great modern kitchen which was very well equiped. Our girls loved having a little bit of independence in the self contained sleeping area. The pool area has been redone with a lovely terrace which was a relief as we were a little worried about splinters from the decking. The pool itself was great, heated but still lovely and refreshing after laying in the blazing sun. No having to inch your way in and tell others 'it's lovely once you're in'. Le Chatre is only a 20 minute drive away for those of us who love to shop. We also had great fun visiting the near by adventure park with tree climbing and zip wiring near Sidailles (we went twice). We'll definitely consider staying here again if we come back to the area.
Thanks for the review.We try to improve something every year at the house and over easter this year we paved around the pool and it looks stunning .We will be updating the photos on the homaway web as soon as we have all the new photos ready.Look forward to welcome you back to La Garrene.Merci.
Stunning property
Stunning property, lovely location. Tony was very helpful.
Thank you for your review and so glad you enjoyed your holiday.
Quiet location with amazing kid friendly pool.
It's a beautiful house and we were made very welcome by both the owners and the local caretaker. It's in a very quiet location but with shops, cafes and restaurants just a short drive away. The garden is huge with an amazing heated pool which is the perfect size for keeping it's heat (and keeping the kids happy and entertained).
Some of the amenities in the house are not quite set up for large groups though. We were two families, totalling 9 (house would sleep 11) but one of the bedrooms was only accessible from the outside and felt a little too remote/separate to leave an unattended child. The slimline dishwasher and small fridge freezer also didn't cope well with such a large group (more suited to a couple).
Bedtime was a little challenging with broken Velux blinds letting the light in and very heavy weight duvets for the 30 degree heat (more suited for winter visitors).
The showers were also not quite up to the job, with very small shower trays making it impossible to shower children without flooding the bathroom. The caretaker did respond to the problem of a leaking shower waste as soon as he was told though.
We were also a little disappointed with the 'wifi' which wasn't quite as advertised (a weak 3G dongle). Not everyone's priority, but a very big must for us as both families run their own businesses and needed to work a little whilst away. Overall we did have a lovely holiday but a little more 'work' was involved than we had hoped.
Thankyou for your review and the several points you mentioned,some of which have already been addresed.As it is an old farmhouse and floorspace is limited we could only fit standard 900X900 shower trays in the bathrooms and these will stay as they areThe other points will be sorted overwinter ready for next season...So glad that despite the problems you still enjoyed your holiday.
Fantastisch location and a very nice farmhouse
The location of the farmhouse with the garden and of course the swimming pool was fantastisch.
We enjoyed the beautiful kitchen as wel the barbecue on the terrace.
The only point of criticism was the less comfortabel matresses of the beds.
IT was a great good week with the family.
Thanks for the review.So glad you and your family enjoyed the pool.The said mattress has already been sorted.
Perfect for unwinding
I have just booked third year in a row at this beautiful farmhouse; it is perfect for unwinding, it is quiet, has its own pool and acres of space with all the equipment you need to be able to relax.
Cannot recommend it enough.
Thanks for the lovely review.So happy you find it a great place just to chill.Hope to see you next year.
Home from home
This lovely spacious, well eqipped property was the ideal base for our family holiday and easily accommodated our party of 10. The heated pool was a huge plus and was enjoyed equally by all the family. We had the pleasure of dining outside every day of our stay but it was good to know that the indoor dining room was an option if the weather had been less kind. The surrounding area was very pretty and we particularly liked La Chatre, about 15 minutes drive away. We became regulars at Fredy Brasserie, where we enjoyed a good range of meal options at reasonable prices. The service was great and staff here very friendly and helpful. There is a good selection of supermarkets within easy reach, the nearest probably being the Super U at Le Chatalet, a 10 minute drive away. William and Andrea have made their property a comfortable home from home for visiting guests to rest and relax and enjoy and explore this lovely part of France.
Thanks for your lovely comments and so glad you all enjoyed.Come back soon.
Location
must see la brenne national park
Availability
Booking Notes: Prices are per week, a 20% deposit will be required when booking, balance 30 days before arrival. a refundable damage deposit must also be paid in advance. It will be refunded fourteen days after vacating the property. Changeover Day: Changeover days are Saturday but will try to accommodate requests due to transport arrangements where possible.