Location: Melle, Poitou-Charentes, France, Europe (4 Mi to Shops, Tgv, Highway; 60 Mi to Ocean. Paris 2.5h Tgv)
Accommodations: House, 3 Bedrooms + Loft, 1 Bath (Sleeps 6)
Welcome to 19th century stone Country House "La Passerose"
House and garden - This limestone typical Charentaise house was construced in 1846. The house is about 220 m2 in surface area and is full of character, with 0.5 m thick walls with exposed limestone walls and oak beams. The house is situated on the edge of a peaceful hamlet with ~60 inhabitants. The hamlet is close to Villefagnan, 400 km South-West of Paris, 150 km North-East of Bordeaux, and 100 km East of La Rochelle. The rooms are spacious with high ceilings, and the house is comfortably furnished. There is central heating.
The layout of the house is as follows (map available upon request): Downstairs, a large hallway with access to two large bedrooms, one with a fireplace and the other with an office area. Behind the hallway there is a second hallway with an open stairwell to the second floor and door to the kitchen. Behind the kitchen is another hallway, leading to a bathroom with shower and wash basin and washing machine, a separate toilet, and a door to a living/dining room.
This sunny room has a lounge area, a dining table, a stereo/CD player, a wood-burning stove, and a French door to the garden. The stairwell to the upstairs area leads to a landing connected to a loft with a single bed, and a door leading to a small bedroom with another single bed. Another door leads to a large living room (~10 x 6 m and a vaulted 5m high ceiling) with exposed stone walls and beams, a wood-burning stove, (LCD) satellite TV with DVD player, and a nice view over the fields. There are several English-language channels, as well as Dutch, German, and French channels.
For recreation, there are two touring bicycles with 18 or 21 gears. There are also a petanque set (jeu-de-boules/bocchi), a badmintonset, a professional darts board, scrabble, mastermind, chess and checkers, and many books, including many English-language books.
On the South side of the house is a garden of about 2500 m2. A 2m-high (7') ancient limestone wall surrounds an inner garden of ~900 m2 dotted with trees, ensuring total privacy and protection from the elements. A gate in the back of the inner garden leads to the ~1500 m2 outer garden which is completely fenced and includes a large grassy area. A gated gravel driveway leads from the road to a 2-vehicle carport. Garden furniture and a barbeque are available. The garden has many fruit trees and fragrant plants, stone benches and arched gates. A gate leads from the walled inner garden to the fenced outer garden of 1500 m2, with a large lawn and a 2-car carport and gravel driveway to the country road. The outer garden is at the hamlet's edge, and offers a pretty view over the fields.
Local surroundings - La Passerose is located in a lightly rolling landscape with fields of wheat, barley, and sunflowers, divided by small woods and occasional meadows around streams. There are many quiet country roads, both paved and unpaved, that are perfect for cycling and walking. Small villages, some dating from Roman times, dot the landscape at small intervals. The region Poitou - Charente is famous for its Roman architecture. Many of the local villages have fortified churches dating from the 12th or 13th century. The village of Villefagnan (1000 inhabitants) is only 5 min by car or 15 min by bicycle. A larger town nearby is Ruffec (4000 inhabitants, 12 min by car). The province Charente is only just being discovered and not yet overrun by tourists. The region is relatively easy to navigate for English speakers due to the many British immigrants and second-home owners. Both neighbors of La Passerose are British.
There are endless opportunities for day trips: visit cities, swim in a river, lake or on the beach, visit wineries/distilleries, castles, antique shops, theme parks, festivals, or wildlife parks.
Keywords: House
Vacation Rental Features
- Amenities
- Linens Provided : Laundry fee: 20 euro per person for bed linen plus towels
- Parking Off Street : Limitless additional off-street parking on meadow
- Covered Parking : Car port for 2 vehicles
- Wood Fireplace
- Woodstove (2)
- Washing Machine
- Beds
- Twin/ Single (2) : One single bed in the upstairs bedroom and one on the loft
- Double (2) : One double bed in each of the two downstairs bedrooms
- Entertainment
- Video Library : DVD library
- CD
- DVD
- Satellite Or Cable
- Kitchen
- Full Kitchen : Gas cook top (4 burners) plus oven. Coffee maker, water boiler, mixer, juice maker, microwave/oven combo, large spice rack, good pans and utensils
- Cooking Utensils : Large assortment of pans, utensils. Barbeque available outside
- Dish Washer
- Microwave
- Refrigerator
- Outdoor Features
- Outdoor Grill Charcoal
- Communications
- Dialup Access : Available for reasonable fee
- Telephone
- Suitability
- Pets Not Allowed
- Non Smoking Only
- Activities
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Cycling
- Fishing
- Antiquing
- Zoo
- Kayaking
- Sight Seeing
Rate Details (In Euros)
€590-790 per week €590: 10/15-12/15 & 1/15-5/15; €690: 5/15-6/30 & 9/1-10/15; €790: 7/1-8/31, 12/15-1/15 Discounts for stays above 5 weeks (30%), and for returning renters (10%) €75 Cleaning Fee Contact owner for more specifics or longer-term rental rates
Note: Until confirmed, rates are subject to change without notice.
Owner's Profile
Owner Description
Year Purchased: 2002
The owners bought this country house as secondary residence and renovated it over several years in authentic style with exposed stone walls and oak beams.
Why the Owner Chose Melle
The owners live in Colorado but are Dutch in origin, and have family in the Charente
The Unique Benefits of this House
Experience French country living at its best in this quaint village. Kick back and relax in the quiet garden, hike, bike, enjoy good food, go wine- or cognac tasting, visit medieval towns and castles or spend the day on the beach.
Property Photos
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- La Passerose house and garden
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- La Passerose garden
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- Dining room with seating area and wood-burning stove (16.5' x 20')
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- One of the bedrooms - with wood-burning fireplace (16' x 15')
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- Spacious living room upstairs (35' x 20') with wood-burning stove and TV
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Vacation Rentals by Owner Listing #253623
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Date last modified - Saturday, January 28, 2012
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