£850 - £1950
(€1018 - €2335)
Per property per week
Country house, sleeps 6, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms
Contact the owner
Contact the owner directly
Eileen Gravelle
(Advertising since November 2014)
Tel: + 44 (0)1730 816387
Tel 2: + 44 (0) 7535 484407
Website: visit owners website.
Please mention French Connections.
Heated private pool and lavender filled terrace with vines beyond (1 / 45)
Elegant stone house and front garden (2 / 45)
Rear of the house and garden in early Spring (3 / 45)
Pool and shaded gazebo with dining for 8-10 (4 / 45)
Relaxing on the deck away from the pool side (5 / 45)
Looking from the gazebo to the garden and pool side (6 / 45)
Deck with lovely vine views: great place for an "apero" (7 / 45)
Shaded table for cool drinks (8 / 45)
Old french table and entrance to rear garden (9 / 45)
May roses in a favourite spot for morning coffee (10 / 45)
Early lavender and roses on the pool terrace (11 / 45)
Pretty and private front courtyard from the kitchen window (12 / 45)
Sunny front courtyard with vine views (13 / 45)
View of the front garden and the hamlet from your bedroom (14 / 45)
Our wild garden below the pool and terrace (15 / 45)
Light entrance hall with door to salon and outside (16 / 45)
Elegant beamed salon with large selection of books, dvd's and games (17 / 45)
Comfortable seating for 8-10 in main salon (18 / 45)
Very well equipped kitchen (19 / 45)
Revealed stone in the kitchen dining area (20 / 45)
Sunny seat in the kitchen with courtyard views (21 / 45)
One of two large windows in the elegant master bedroom (22 / 45)
King sized bedroom through to airy landing (23 / 45)
Fresh and clean twin room (24 / 45)
Our street in the delightful hamlet of Chez Billon (25 / 45)
Neighbour's workshop (26 / 45)
Chez Billon pretty stone trough at the entrance (27 / 45)
Our neighbour's gates Chez Billon (28 / 45)
Our neighbour's pretty flower filled potager (29 / 45)
Vegetables from our neighbour's potager (30 / 45)
Abbaye de Font Douce a historic site within walking distance (31 / 45)
Take a picnic and enjoy the summer festival right on your doorstep (32 / 45)
Hiking and biking trails from Chez Billon (four bikes provided) (33 / 45)
Pretty Roman city of Saintes 20 minutes by car (34 / 45)
Saintes in the early spring sunshine (35 / 45)
Beautiful early evening in Cognac near Hennessey and castle (36 / 45)
Hennessey in Cognac about 8 miles from the house (37 / 45)
Talmont one of the "plus beaux villages" 30 minutes drive (38 / 45)
Chateau Baulon taste estate grown pineau in lovely surroundings (39 / 45)
Taillebourg riverside a short drive (40 / 45)
Impressive Chateau de la Roche Courbon within easy driving distance (41 / 45)
One of Ile de Ré's chic quay side towns in October sunshine (42 / 45)
Vibrant and beautiful La Rochelle makes a lovely day trip (43 / 45)
Montagne sur Gironde half an hour's drive (44 / 45)
Creperie in Mortagne sur Gironde (45 / 45)
Elegant Stone House in Idyllic Countryside Surrounded by Vines
Beautifully decorated traditional stone country house with a large heated swimming pool flanked by lavender, roses and jasmine in a large private garden. Set in lovely countryside mid-way between Saintes and Cognac and with easy access to the coast. The nearby village of Burie has a well-stocked supermarket, baker, butcher, chemist, bank with cash dispenser and all-hours petrol station.
Our 18th century Charentaise stone house is the last one in a pretty hamlet at the end of a country lane giving it a delightfully tranquil setting surrounded by the vines below.
A short stroll out of the front garden brings you to the lovely grounds of the historic 12th century Abbey de Fontdouce. Sit in the garden or by the pool and you are unlikely to hear anything other than birdsong or the occasional sound of French voices in the fields. Take a short car drive and you can be shopping in the pretty pedestrianised streets of the old Roman city of Saintes. Truly the best of both worlds!
This lovely stone house is full of original features including beamed ceilings and a Charentaise fireplace and has been completely restored by the British owners. Work on the property during 2014 included the installation of a new kitchen (with completely new equipment and appliances) and redecoration and restyling of interiors throughout. The house is professionally managed by English agents who live locally and are on hand if problems arise. They also organise the weekly linen change and undertake pool cleaning and maintenance so guests can relax.
The house is decorated and equipped to a very high specification offering guests luxury and comfort combined with practicality. Decoration is light - white painted walls and some revealed old stone with original beams picked out in neutral Farrow and Ball colours. Original old shutters and window fittings and tall windows flood most rooms with light.
The kitchen in particular is a lovely light living space with a full length glass window to the front and a double french window giving access to the pool terrace at the back and the shaded dining gazebo overlooking the pool and the vines beyond. The original Charentaise fireplace in the salon has been fitted with an efficient and beautiful Chesney cream wood burner for early Spring/Autumn bookings. Upstairs the rooms are light and furnishings simple - high quality laminate and painted wooden stairs provide clean, cool flooring.
- Picnic equipment includes cool box, bottle coolers, rugs and beach chairs
- Swing ball
- Outdoor table tennis table
- Bose portable speaker system in sitting room for all blue-tooth enabled devices + CD player/radio
- Free sat for most UK channels
- Quality high thread count white cotton sheets and towels including pool towels
- De Lunghi espresso machine and coffee grinder
- Quality white china, glassware and cutlery for 12
- Separate well equipped utility room with Bosch washing machine, clothes airer, steam processor iron and large ironing board
- Outside clothes line
- non-breakable glassware and 'china' for the poolside
- Large selection of fiction and reference books including cook books
- Wide selection of games, DVD's and box sets
Geographically the house is mid-way between the lovely Roman city of Saintes and world famous Cognac, both of them less than a twenty minute drive away. The sandy beaches of Royan and Isle d'Oleron are within easy range (around 40 minutes) and there are beautiful visits to the ports of the Gironde estuary (Mortagne, Meschers and Talmont) within a half hour drive.
Further afield the wonderful sea port of La Rochelle with its sandy beaches, beautiful harbour and fantastic fish restaurants is an easy day out (just over an hour's drive). The chic and tiny Ile de Re is accessible by bridge from La Rochelle and worth visiting for its pretty beaches and gorgeous seaside villages.
For longer stays Bordeaux is a 90 minute drive and is among the most beautiful cities in France. All in all the location and quality of the house offers the best of all worlds for a holiday in the Charente Maritime - one of the sunniest regions in France.
Further articles about the area, photographs and other information about the house can be found on the owners website and you will find the live link included on this listing.
There are several lovely gold courses within easy reach of the property: Fifteen minutes away is Saintes with 18 holes, an elegant stone building amid lovely countryside. St Brice Cognac is 30 minutes drive and has 18 holes with stunning vineyard views and pretty clubhouse. Other beautiful 18 hole golf courses at Royan (dune course), La Rochelle (Atlantic views) and Angouleme. The area has a very long playing season due to the high number of sunny days in the Charente Maritime.
For sea swimming, and other beach activities there are long sandy beaches at Royan 40 minutes drive away (St Georges de Didonne particularly pretty). Isle d'Oleron one hour away with numerous sandy beaches, pine forests and network of cycle tracks (Four bikes available at the house for guest use or for hire at beaches). Just over an hour's drive the old harbour at La Rochelle and the lovely beach just to the south. Pretty Ile de Re is fringed with beaches and chic villages - drive over the bridge from La Rochelle.
There are numerous walks out of the house through vines and fields and connections to green routes. Four all terrain bikes are available at the house for use on the road or cycle tracks direct from the house or elsewhere.
Saintes is a lovely city witha large range of cultural activities and sight seeing options including: a Roman arch and amphitheatre, pedestrianised shops, restaurants and river trips. Of particular note is the wonderful market in Saintes on Saturday and Wednesday mornings (get there before 10.00 am) at the base of the Cathedral with wonderful displays of fresh vegetables, fruits and all sorts of food products.
Cognac has distillery tours, markets, shops, restaurants and river trips and s well-known for its annual blues and jazz festival usually in July. Wine, pineau and cognac can be bought locally direct from producers. From May onwards many villages and towns have "brocantes" and "vides greniers" (attic sales) for those interested in acquiring a bit of old France.
The Abbaye de Fontdouce within a short walk of the property is a ruined 12th century abbey with wonderful vaulted ceilings and a pretty restored garden. Open air candlelit concerts are held in the main season festival with picnics in the garden. Also within walking distance is the Parc d'Aventure (part of the Abbey) with tree walks and zip wires for the adventurous.
Bird and wild life abound in the peaceful garden and on walks around the property with many birds not commonly seen in the UK.
Local amenities
Nearest bakery: 2 Kilometres To An Artisan Baker With Delicious Bread
Nearest supermarket: 2 Kilometres To Carrefour Connect
Nearest market: Local Villages Or Saintes Main Markets Every Day
Nearest pharmacy: 2 Kilometres
Nearest bar: 2 Kilometres In Burie
Tourist information: Saintes Or Cognac 12 Kilometres
St Bris Des Bois on the map
Property 160366 –
Nearby place of interest
How to get to Charentaise Country House
There are airports at La Rochelle, Bordeaux, Bergerac, Angouleme and Limoges with the nearest being La Rochelle which is just over an hour and Bordeaux a little further.
The nearest ferry ports are St. Malo (approximately 4.5 hours drive), Caen just under 5 hours and Le Havre just over 5 hours. Car hire is recommended because of the many opportunities for sight seeing inland and day trips to the coast and estuary ports.
Access options
Car Essential, No public transport available
Nearest airport
The nearest serviceable airport is Angouleme [ANG]
Stayed here? Add your review >
We stayed in this house in July 2021, postponed from 2020 due to the covid pandemic, and it was well worth the wait. The owner, Eileen, was in communication with us and very understanding and helpful from the beginning, which made us feel very welcome when we did finally arrive. The house, grounds, garden and pool certainly have the wow factor and everything has been considered and supplied to make the holiday complete. The kitchen is extremely well-equipped and preparing and cooking food was as easy as at home. The well-maintained and spacious gardens are not overlooked and provide striking views over the vineyards. There are numerous options of where to sit for that pre-dinner glass of wine and despite having choices of places to sit and eat indoors, we were able to sit outside for our dinner the whole time we were there. The whole house is beautifully furnished and has the feel of home rather than a holiday perch. The pool, which is heated, is of a very good size for private use, and is in fact larger than the pool at a hotel we stayed in en route home. This is the best holiday home we have ever stayed in and we will certainly be returning.Guest rating:
We absolutely loved this beautiful home in a calm hamlet. We travelled as a family of 4 including 2 (active) boys of 12 and 9 and all agreed it's the best place we have stayed in years of French holidays.The house itself is superbly well equipped, particularly the kitchen (where every detail seems to have been covered, imcluding a well thought out welcome pack). The rooms are all very clean and comfortable. The pool was spotlessly clean and (when we'd had enough) the terrace was a great place to dry out and have a drink overlooking the surrounding vineyards and sunflower fields. We used the local village and town for almost all our supplies and really enjoyed the local walks - there was excellent selection of maps and guides. The Parc Aventure with all its 'Go Ape' activity is literally a 5 minute walk away across from the 12th century abbey so you can pick your pace. A bit further afield, we enjoyed a day on the beach at Royan (including a visit to Talmont on the way home), canoeing on the Charente at Cognac and a wander round Saintes. The week absolutely flew by and we were genuinely sad to leave. We don't normally go to the same place twice, but we would all love to return here.Guest rating:
We enjoyed a lovely week at this very well equipped and beautifully restored and maintained property. The location is very peaceful and we particularly enjoyed exploring the quiet lanes by bike and then making the most of the pool on returning home. The local village of Burie provided for most of our shopping needs and a nice cycle route coffee stop. We made the 30 min drive to Port-d’Envaux for a delightful lunch and then swim in the river and also paid a visit to Cognac only 20 mins away, but otherwise we were very content to enjoy the local area. We visited the ‘Paleosite’ prehistoric centre in near by St-Cesaire which our 5 year old found fasinating. The modern kitchen made cooking a pleasure and we enjoyed eating out on the covered terrace most nights. We would recommend this as a very pleasant and thougtfully equipped property which has everything you could wish for.Guest rating:
This was our 3rd visit to lovely Chez Billon. The house is beautifully and stylishly equipped in a lovely quiet location with great views across the vines and yet easily accessible for Cognac and Saintes, the river Charente and the Gironde estuary with many excellent restaurants. The garden is lovely and perfect for chilling out with a great pool (water temperature was 25C). It's an easy drive from the Channel ports. We're already looking forward to our next visit!Guest rating:
The house is truly lovely as it has been furnished and decorated with great care and attention. The kitchen is wonderfully equipped with quality equipment. Upstairs the linen and towels are 'luxurious'. This really is an exceptional holiday rental. The garden and pool are a delight and it's difficult to drag yourself away. That said, if you can, the local area has so much to offer, we barely scraped the surface in two weeks. We discovered a passion for cycling the quiet country lanes. Anyway we loved it so much we recently went back In December for a short break and swapped the pool for the cosy fire and sitting room playing the board games so thoughtfully provided.
Whether its winter or summer this is a wonderful place to be, a little french home away from home.
Guest rating:
We spent a lovely week at Chez Billon in September and would highly recommend it for a week or two holiday in the French countryside. Cycling through the vines to nearby Burrie to buy the bread for breakfast was a wonderful way to start the day and there are plenty of walks in the area too. The nearby villages are very picturesque and, a bit further away, Cognac and Saintes are very interesting towns to explore when you've had enough of relaxing by the pool.
We hope to go back.
Guest rating:
My husband and I spent a very special week at Chez Billon during the week of his birthday which is on Bastille day.
We were only the second guests to stay in this beautiful property. The listing description is entirely accurate regarding the layout, location and facilities.
The property was well maintained and immaculately clean. What made it special was the little details like fresh flowers on the table to greet us when we arrived and the generous provisions left for us. It was the thoughtful details, candles for the outside area, a whole range of DVds and books etc to use when it rained-just for one day!!
The agents were helpful and informative.One felt at home, it was very relaxing and peaceful.
We would definitely recommend this property to friends and relatives.The owner provided excellent customer service and was so keen to ensure that our stay would be a happy one.
We visited Cognac and Saintes and enjoyed our walks around the property . Mostly we just relaxed by the pool and in the garden.
The area around the property is very pretty, it was a grat holiday.
Guest rating:
We had a fortnight's stay here and loved it. The property has been so tastefully furnished and well equipped that we spent far more time at the house than originally intended, particularly as we had nice hot weather making it difficult to stray far from the heated pool. Great walks direct from the property through the vineyards picking up the GR routes that pass close by. Wonderful wildlife, deer, hares and lots of bird species regularly spotted. When we did stir ourselves we visited Cognac, Rochefort, Saintes, La Rochelle and the Ile de Re, all easily accessible and well worth visiting. We hope to return before too long.
Guest rating:
| Property type | Country house (Self-catering) |
| Bathrooms | 2 |
| Bedrooms |
2 double bedroom(s) 1 twin bedroom(s) |
| Occupancy | 6 |
| Suitability | Suitable for children, Non-smoking |
| Linen | All linen (bed linen, bath towels and pool towels) included in the price Bed linen changed mid stay for stays of 2 weeks or more. |
| Kitchen facilities | Dishwasher, Freezer, Fridge, Cooker, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Washing machine, Electric hob, Electric oven |
| Internal facilities | CD player, Central heating (electric), DVD player, English satellite TV, Exclusive rental, Hi-fi system, Internet access (broadband), Owner not on site, Telephone, TV, Wood burning fire or stove, Fans in rooms, Hairdryer, Board Games, Wi-Fi Broadband Internet, Tea/Coffee making facilities |
| External facilities | Garden, Scenic views, Swimming pool (exclusive use), Barbecue, Courtyard |
| Activities nearby | Adventure park, Bird Watching, Boating, Canoeing, Cycling, Golf, Museums, Riverside activities, Sailing, Sea excursions, Shopping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Table tennis, Tree adventure park, Walking, Water sports, Wine tasting, Wine touring |
Changeover day: Saturday
Last updated on: 9th August 2021
| Available | Booked/Unavailable |
|---|
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| Accommodation rental period | Price |
|---|---|
| 26 March 2022 – 20 May 2022 |
£850 Per property per week
(€1018 / $1165) |
| 21 May 2022 – 15 July 2022 |
£1800 Per property per week
(€2156 / $2467) |
| 16 July 2022 – 02 September 2022 |
£1950 Per property per week
(€2335 / $2673) |
| 03 September 2022 – 30 September 2022 |
£1800 Per property per week
(€2156 / $2467) |
| 01 October 2022 – 28 October 2022 |
£850 Per property per week
(€1018 / $1165) |
Additional price notes
Please note these rates are for the house booked on its own for up to 6 people. There is an additional cottage at the entrance gates which can be included in the rental at a higher rate during the high season dates (see separate tab). The cottage will never be booked separately to the house.
The house may be available for rental outside of these dates - please enquire
Booking deposit is 25% of total rental price with balance payable 10 weeks before arrival date
No additional payment for electricity or utilities
Refundable security deposit of £300 on payment of balance
Generous welcome pack for guests