Le Ruisseau Perdu (The Lost Brook) - Country house Holiday Rental in La Foret De Tesse, Deux-Sèvres, France

Where is it

• Location:  South West France  >  Poitou Charentes  >  Deux-Sèvres
• Closest town/village:  La Foret De Tesse (Charente) ( 1.2 miles *Direct distance, road distance may vary. Please refer to detailed area map for local roads. )
• Closest airport: Angouleme Airport (26.4 miles *Direct distance, road distance may vary. Please refer to detailed area map for local roads.)
• Access: Car Essential Car hire
• Property highlights: Barbecue, Garden, Scenic views, Swimming pool, Swimming pool (exclusive use)

 

Charming Charentaise Maison de Campagne with exclusive use pool

Nestled on the gentle hillside of a sleepy hamlet, this lovingly restored home and garden artfully unites original character with up-to-date facilities. Set in a rural idyll teeming with wildlife, it has beautiful views onto woodland and unspoilt countryside.

The tiny hamlet of Le Sauvage, just metres away from the Charente / Deux-Sèvres border, is perched on a hillside and surrounded by pasture, fields of sunflowers in the summer and groves of magnificent sweet chestnut trees. The hamlet, which means ‘untamed’, with its honey coloured stone walls and canal roof tiles, seems to sleep and shimmer in the heat of the day. It’s an ideal area for walking and gentle cycling, especially as there’s so little traffic on the roads, lots of interconnecting lanes through fields and woodland, forgotten hamlets, stone lavoirs (ancient washhouses) which bubble with ice cold spring water, wells … lovely spots for picnics.

If you don’t feel like stirring out of the garden, you could stay at home and enjoy your private pool or simply watch the migratory hoopoes or later on in the evening listen to the song of the nightingale. There’s a wealth of good local restaurants offering excellent value, or dine on freshly cooked local produce 'at home' under the stars.

Although the owners are not on site, they live closeby and they're very happy to help with anything guests may require.

Some recent comments from our guests:

'..... a lovely, laidback oasis' - Peter & Jennie Brimacombe of Gloucestershire. 

 '..... a wonderful holiday in a beautiful spot. The house and garden have been restored superbly and it is set out perfectly for lazy days in the sun' - Edward & Allison Hamilton & their toddler Daniel of London.  

'..... we wanted a holiday where we could relax and we found the perfect place in 'Le Ruiseau Perdu'..... combined with the peaceful and picturesque location and the excellent weather, what else could we do, but sit around the pool whilst the children had a great time and enjoy more than the odd glass of wine!' - Karen & Keith Nowland and their children, Amy, Joe & Jack of Hertfordshire.  

'Restored with great flair and skill.....this lovely house is a perfect place in which to spend the winter months, with it's efficient C.H., constant hot water and logs for the stove. We watched with great interest as the countryside changed from Winter into Spring' - Priscilla & Malcolm Flower-Smith of Somerset. 

'What a fantastic house in a haven of peace and tranquility. This is by far the best house we have stayed in, well equipped and cared for. Thankyou Alison and Francis for the opportunity to stay somewhere so lovely' - The Bakers & the Demoss of Shropshire.

‘Our first year in ‘Le Ruisseau Perdu’ but our 5^th year with Alison & Francis. Our best ever holiday (anywhere). Even more peaceful than Mandegault! We’ll be back next year….’  Paraic, Sinéad & Siofra Hegarty, West Cork, Ireland. 

 ‘We greatly appreciated the opportunity to stay in such a comfortable and considerately equipped house set in tranquil surroundings…’ Pat & Timothy Roberts and Sophie & Adam and their two little ones. 

‘A gorgeous house, beautifully presented and well equipped. On the rare occasions when we were able to tear ourselves from the garden loungers we visited…’ Ged, Kathryn and their children, Chris & Nicola. 

‘We have had a lovely, relaxing time here. Alison & Francis have made this house a home. There was nothing lacking. We have been content to stay at the house most of the time, going in the pool, playing badminton and readings lots of books!’ Lynne, Julian and their children, Tom & Victoria.

‘We have very much enjoyed this little piece of paradise that Alison & Francis have created in Le Sauvage. There is so much to see and do in this area with its beautiful villages, hamlets and churches'. Catherine, Russell and their children, Adam & Belinda, New Zealand. 

‘Just had a fabulous week – everything we hoped for and more. It was lovely to simply walk or cycle along the local roads – no traffic, wonderful scenery…..’ Andy and Lynne, Hebden Bridge, West Yorks.

Holiday Accommodation at Le Ruisseau Perdu (The Lost Brook)

A traditional stone built, independent property dating back over two hundred years, set in three acres of undulating meadowland and comprising a restored 'maison de campagne' and a converted 'étable'. Furnishings and decoration have been carefully chosen to exploit and reflect the preserved architectural charm. Evidence of the restoration work runs right through from the rebuilt stone walls and repositioned oak beams to the restored and hand painted furniture. The thick stone walls and cool terracotta floor tiles maintain a natural coolness in the summer and the 'artisan' made traditional wooden windows and doors, are all double glazed. Natural fabrics and linens frame the windows and doors with refreshing simplicity.

Downstairs

• Sitting/dining room -  is a large, light and airy open plan room with exposed honey coloured stone walls and painted beams. At the sitting room end there's a traditional Charentaise fireplace, two comfy settees and armchairs, a low table and a painted cupboard housing a TV with TNT (French Digibox), DVD player, and MP3 micro system with USB port. The dining area has an old refectory table, carved wooden chairs and a painted dresser.
• Kitchen - has solid wood worktops, an old glazed wall cupboard and is fully equipped with a stainless steel sink, dishwasher, fridge/freezer, stainless steel electric oven, gas hob, extractor hood and microwave. Equipped for cooks and 'foodies' with 'Bodum' type cafetière, electric hand mixer, kettle, toaster, stainless steel pans, plain white crockery, oyster knives.
• Living room - a separate 'petit salon' with French doors onto the garden with lovely views over the meadow, exposed stone walls, beams, double bed settee, superb old desk, book case and armchair - an ideal writer's retreat!
• Separate toilet - with washbasin and on a practical level.
• Utility room - housing the central heating boiler, washing machine, tumble drier, sink, recycling bins, clothes airer and a built in broom cupboard housing ironing board, iron, vacuum cleaner etc.

Upstairs

There are two bathrooms and three large bedrooms with oak beams, exposed stone walls and white washed floorboards.

• Principal bedroom - with its view onto the herb garden, has a king size bed, a built in wardrobe/shelves using old reclaimed shutters and an antique dressing table. The en suite shower room with toilet, washbasin and large shower has a sweet little window, non-slip floor tiles and is predominately white in colour.
• Triple bedroom - has three lovely antique pine box beds, a wardrobe, an old pine chest of drawers, wooden chapel chairs and a view onto the garden.
• Double bedroom - has a magnificent wardrobe, old double bed, chest of drawers and a lovely view onto pasture and woodland.
• Bathroom - which is bright white with a roof window, has non-slip floor tiles, a bath with shower, a toilet and a washbasin.

Grounds

The house faces south and its front borders are planted with old fashioned, scented climbing roses and lavenders. The garden is walled to one side with iron entrance gates and a gravel driveway to the parking area. There is a small sunken herb garden inspired by the Carolingian gardens of the region and a wonderful view from the lawn over the meadow, which is occasionally grazed by a handsome horse, an adorable donkey or a few sheep.

The shady open barn, planted with wisteria and clematis, under which is a large wooden table and chairs and along with the barbecue, makes a perfect setting for outdoor eating and drinking.

The discrete above ground wooden swimming pool (4.5 x 3m) has been carefully chosen to integrate harmoniously into the natural environment. 

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About La Foret De Tesse in Deux-Sèvres, Poitou Charentes

A pleasant bike ride or walk along country lanes to the nearest boulangerie and café/restaurant at Montjean which is only 3km from the house and the market town of Sauzé Vaussais with its fishing and canoeing lake, large supermarket and selection of bars, cafés and restaurants is under 6km.

Ruffec (8 km) is a bustling town full of little boutiques and cafés and has a lively market of fresh local produce every Tuesday or for a quieter day explore the forests of Ruffec or go fishing at Condac.

Chef Boutonne (12km) with its fairytale château and lavoirs, has a bustling market with stalls of freshly caught fish and local produce. The regional speciality, ‘Pineau des Charentes’ a wickedly delicious aperitif is served in pavement cafés in the town square. The Château de Javarzay and museum are open to the public and are well worth a visit.

Without moving far from home at Melle you will discover no less than three magnificent Romanesque churches, one being Unesco listed and which during the Summer months become venues for the prestigious Festival of Classical Music. Whilst at Melle, take time to visit the Silver Mines and it’s Carolingian garden which date back to Vth century. The Royal Abbey with its formal gardens at Celles sur Belle is an imposing testament to Renaissance architecture and hosts a Baroque Music festival in late August. Again, on a musical note, Operas of outstanding quality are staged en ‘plein air’ in August in the Roman amphitheatre at Sanxay. This whole area is peppered with exquisite little XIth & XIIth century churches, Medieval heritage, pre-historic remains and Roman settlements. Of particular interest is the ‘Tumulus de Bougon’, one of the oldest Neolithic burial grounds in Europe.

Equidistant from the cultural and historic towns of Poitiers, Angoulême and Niort all being within 50 minutes drive from Le Ruisseau Perdu.

Poitiers, with it’s abundant medieval and Renaissance heritage, notably the romanesque church, Notre Dame la Grande and the rare 4th century Baptistère St. Jean along with shops and cafés makes for a pleasant day out or visit the renowned (rightly so, it’s absolutely amazing) Futuroscope. 

Niort, capital of the Deux-Sèvres and steeped in history, dating back to the middle ages. Make time to visit the ‘Pilori’ and the ‘Donjon’, an imposing fortressed castle keep overlooking the ‘Sèvre Niortaise’ river. Don’t miss market day at Niort (Thursday, Saturday and Sunday mornings) a cornucopia of fresh local produce, baskets of fresh walnuts, goat’s cheeses, regional specialities and freshly caught fish from the ‘Isle d’Oleron’.

Angoulême, town of art and history is home to several art galleries including the excellent National Centre of Comic Strip Art. The ‘centre ville’ rich in architectural heritage boasts the XIth century Cathédrale St. Pierre, churches, an abbey and a chapel as well as a ‘chocolaterie artisanale’ and a museum dedicated to the Résistance.

Further afield, although mostly under an hour’s drive, there’s boating through the leafy waterways of the Marais Poitevin also known as the Venise Vert or Cognac (for obvious reasons) or Saintes with its Roman amphitheatre. There’s the delightful historic port of La Rochelle (90 minutes drive to be realistic) with its harbour towers, art galleries, museums and superb aquarium or simply relax and absorb the atmosphere in one of the many quayside cafés or restaurants or stretch out on the sandy beach, a mere stone’s throw from ‘centre ville’. The royal naval port of Rochefort is well worth a visit; witness the meticulous reconstruction of the 16th century frigate, the ‘Hermione’. 

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and facilities.

How To Get To La Foret De Tesse in Deux-Sèvres, South West France

• Le Sauvage is situated 100kms directly inland from the port of La Rochelle and just 10kms west of the N10 near Sauzé Vaussais.
• Within easy reach of the channel ports of St.Malo (4.5hrs), Caen (5hrs), Cherbourg (6hrs) and Calais (6.5hrs).
• There is a wide choice of airports: Poitiers (50 mins) La Rochelle & Limoges (1.5hrs) and Bordeaux (2hrs).
• The nearest TGV train station is at Ruffec (10kms) 90mins to Paris.

See Local guide and map for information on nearby towns and airports.

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Facilities at Le Ruisseau Perdu (The Lost Brook)

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Availability at Le Ruisseau Perdu (The Lost Brook)

Changeover day: Saturday

Availability last updated on: - Sunday, May 6, 2012

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Rates

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