£1477 - £4219
(€1750 - €5000)
Per property per week
Farmhouse, sleeps 16, 7 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms
Contact the owner
Contact the owner directly
Gareth Wilding
(Advertising since November 2016)
Tel: +44 (0) 7774 711166
Tel 2: +44 (0) 7849 431149
If requested by the owner you can print out a booking form here
Please mention French Connections.
Belle Etoile, our ‘beautiful star’, consists of a stylishly converted 19th century farmhouse and loft apartment combining rustic charm and contemporary chic. Set in an unspoilt, peaceful hamlet it is surrounded by stunning views.
During the peak summer season the house and gite can only be let together, so guests have exclusive use of the exceptional solar heated pool, which extends to 20 metres for lane swimming, and the courtyard with its pergola for alfresco dining, chimenea barbecue, fire-pit & grill, floodlit boulodrome (boules/petanque court), and exceptionally equipped games barn.
The pool, with its infinity-view across rolling countryside, is securely enclosed by child-proof fencing, and accessed by a self-closing gate. The adjoining sun terrace is furnished with two large parasols, 8x cushioned sun-loungers, and a large rattan corner sofa – the perfect spot to watch the sun go down.
The surrounding private garden, with children’s swings, and a hammock chair hanging from the signature walnut tree, is adjoined by a paddock where children can kick a football about or organise a game of family cricket.
The property has wi-fi internet connection and the house and gite each have English FreeSat satellite television and BluRay players with an assortment of DVDs and BluRay discs.
Belle Etoile is suitable for year-round use. Its deep stone walls keep it cool in summer and warm in winter. A wood burner in the living room, and oil-fired central heating heats the house, while the gite has its own wood-burner and very effective electric radiators.
The Farmhouse:
- The living room is furnished with two large four-man sofas and a leather wingback armchair. The coffee table contains a large selection of board games. A 42” LED HD television has access to UK Freesat TV channels as well as a collection of DVDs and BluRay discs and surround-sound BluRay player. For you to play your music collection an iPod docking station is also provided. The writing desk houses the Orange internet router and wi-fi is available throughout the house.
- The fully fitted farmhouse kitchen is furnished with every necessity including a kitchen table to seat 10. Please see below a full list of equipment and facilities.
- Bedroom 1: The master bedroom has the original wooden floors. A six-foot square mahogany sledge bed offers more room than you can imagine for a good night’s sleep. Double wardrobe. The view from the window, across the courtyard and pergola, is of rolling countryside to the horizon.
- Bedroom 2: One metal-frame double bed. Double wardrobe. The metal-frame single day-bed, with pull-out trundle bed, offers versatile accommodation for families with very young children. The view from the window, across the courtyard, pergola and boulodrome, is of rolling countryside to the horizon.
- Bathroom 1: Washbasin. Lavatory. Roll-top enamelled cast-iron bathtub. Walk-in double shower.
- Bedroom 3: The larger of the two loft bedrooms, Bedroom 3 is ideal for children. 2x single beds. Metal-frame single day-bed, with pull-out trundle bed.
- Bedroom 4: is ideal for children with 3x single beds.
- Bathroom 2: Washbasin. Lavatory. Walk-in corner shower.
The Gite:
- Living Room: The first-floor open plan apartment, in a converted barn with its high pitched roof, is a fabulous studio space that has been tastefully renovated with retained original features such as oak beams and exposed stonework.
- The fully fitted kitchenette is furnished with every necessity including a kitchen table to seat 6. Please see below a full list of equipment and facilities.
- Bedroom 1 - The main bedroom in the gite has the wooden floors throughout. A king-size mahogany sledge bed offers luxurious comfort for a good night’s sleep. The half-height feature window incorporates the original barn door archway and offers a view across the garden, pool and rolling countryside.
- En-suite - Bedroom 1 enjoys en-suite facilities including: washbasin, lavatory, enamelled cast-iron bathtub and walk-in shower. The south-facing window offers views across the garden and pool, and rolling countryside towards the Dordogne.
- Bedroom 2 - The second bedroom in the gite has wooden floors throughout. Three single beds provide comfortable accommodation for adults or children.
- En-suite - Bedroom 2 enjoys en-suite facilities including: washbasin, lavatory and walk-in shower.
The Garden Room:
- Bedroom: The ground-floor self-contained bedroom, in the converted barn, is a beautifully refurbished quiet room with double bed.
- En-suite - The Garden Room enjoys en-suite facilities including: washbasin, lavatory, and walk-in shower. The west-facing window offers views across the courtyard.
Located on the Charente/Dordogne border in the ancient hamlet of Isle, where hollyhocks abound from June to September, just 3 kilometres from the historic village of Villebois Lavalette, with its Knights Templar chateau and medieval, covered market square.
Villebois Lavalette has excellent restaurants, shops and services, including: butcher, baker, newsagent, supermarket with petrol station and car hire, tourist office, post office, doctor, dentist and more. The Saturday market is delightful and friendly, where people meet for coffee, to catch up on news, to eat fresh oysters and to buy local produce and crafts.
It is just 3 kilometres to an excellent supermarket, restaurants and all services.
The relatively traffic free roads and gentle terrain make this an ideal area for walking, cycling and touring.
Within easy reach are a number of weekday street markets, eg Chalais on a Monday and Brantome or Riberac on a Friday.
Even closer to Belle Etoile is the village of Ronsenac; this is 2 kilometres away and can be reached by footpath. Ronsenac has a lively bar which serves food, a well-equipped children's play area and a public tennis court.
Local amenities
Nearest bakery: La Mie Qui Chante, 24 Grand Rue, Villebois-Lavalette
Nearest supermarket: Super-U, ZAC De Sigalaud, 16320 Villebois-Lavalett
Nearest market: Villebois-Lavalette (Saturday Mornings)
Nearest pharmacy: 1 Avenue Maison Blanche, 16320 Villebois-Lavalette
Nearest bar: Jimmy's, 5 Place St. Jean Baptiste 16320 Ronsenac
Tourist information: Place Du Champ De Foire, 16320 Villebois-Lavalette
Ronsenac on the map
Property 167358 –
Nearby place of interest
How to get to Belle Etoile
- The international airports at Bordeaux, Limoges and Bergerac are each approximately 1hr 20mins drive away from Belle Etoile.
- The drive from the Eurotunnel terminal at Calais is 760Km of easy French motorway/dual carriageway, with a final 15 minutes across beautiful rolling countryside.
- The ferry ports at St. Malo (488km), Caen (502km) and Le Havre (548km) each offer a variety of overnight travel options, depending on your preference.
Access options
Car Essential
Nearest airport
The nearest serviceable airport is Bordeaux [BOD]
Stayed here? Add your review >
We stayed at the Belle Etoile for my 40th Birthday. As soon as we arrived we knew we had chosen somewhere very special. The outlook from the property was over rolling fields of sunflowers (July) and was absolutely stunning. We rented the Farmhose, the Gite and the Garden room. Each building was unique and beautifully presented. Very homely with everything you could possibly need. Belle Etoile is clean, charming, and the owners have been caring and attentive throughout. Our children played in the wonderful spacious pool where there is plenty of space to sunbathe on the loungers/rattan corner set. There is a gorgeous outside dining area overlooking the fields, and the kids and adults alike spent many hours in the Games Barn and the Boules court! The paddock was an excellent space for croquet (or rounders) too. We hired bikes locally and cycled along the quiet country roads into Ronsenac and beyond. Ronsenac is very small but quaint with Jimmys Bar for a cold beer. Beyond this we visited Villebois Lavalette and it's beautiful Chateau, and dined in the square/visited the Market. Our favourite restaurant was L'ecole in Vendoire. This place is just stunning and the food/service was perfect. We recommend Congac for a Hennessey Tour, and Brantome or Aubetterre sur dronne for Kayaking! We would visit again most definitely, and would recommend this property 100%. Thankyou for letting us stay at your Belle Etoile, a real home from home.
Guest rating:
We visited late July 2019 as a celebration of our 40th wedding anniversary with two of our children and their respective spouses, plus six grandchildren aged 11 to 3 months. We booked 12 months in advance, having trawled through countless websites looking for the perfect place...and guess what...we found it! Superb accommodation converted from an original farmhouse and outbuildings, providing excellent flexibility for larger parties.During our stay the daytime temperatures hit in excess of 40C, so the huge immaculate pool was a must. Very quiet surroundings but with everything you need just minutes away by car. You can walk to Jimmy's bar in the local village (english run for the not-so-confident french speakers), but not when it's 40C!! So the acid test. Would we go back again? You bet! What could the owners do to improve the property? Short of installing a free bar in the games room, absolutely nothing! How was our experience of dealing with the owners, Gareth and Emma? We had one small mix up on arrival where one of the beds had not been made up. Five minutes after phoning Gareth, the local housekeeper arrived full of apologies and everything was sorted in an instant, so how can you fault that service? Last word..SUPERB!
Guest rating:
12 of us travelled to France for a big family holiday and to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary. We flew into bordeaux and the property was an easy drive.... Approx 90 minutes. The property itself is amazing, very tastefully decorated, modern and has everything you need to make it your home for the week. It's excellently located to be able to explore the surrounding villages. We happened to be there on one of the hottest weeks (40degrees plus) so not a great deal of exploring was done, Angoloume is worth a visit though as is the nearby Villebois Lavalette for early morning croissants and late afternoon ice creams. The pool......it made it for us, amazing for all ages as it has wide steps leading into the pool which the younger ones liked to splash about on. It's deep enough but not too deep and large enough for pool float races! All in all a fantastic week of family time, we had a lot of questions prior to arrival and Gareth was very helpful in answering any queries we had and giving advice about the area. One slight improvement that we thought could be made..... More. Fans, we only had 2 and with the extreme heat could have definitely done with more but its a very minor issue. Would 100% return, we all can't wait to. 12 of us travelled to France for a big family holiday and to celebrate my parents 40th wedding anniversary. We flew into bordeaux and the property was an easy drive.... Approx 90 minutes. The property itself is amazing, very tastefully decorated, modern and has everything you need to make it your home for the week. It's excellently located to be able to explore the surrounding villages. We happened to be there on one of the hottest weeks (40degrees plus) so not a great deal of exploring was done, Angouleme is worth a visit though as is the nearby Villebois Lavalette for early morning croissants and late afternoon ice creams. The pool......it made it for us, amazing for all ages as it has wide steps leading into the pool which the younger ones liked to splash about on. It's deep enough but not too deep and large enough for pool float races! All in all a fantastic week of family time, we had a lot of questions prior to arrival and Gareth was very helpful in answering any queries we had and giving advice about the area. One slight improvement that we thought could be made..... More Fans, we only had 2 and with the extreme heat could have definitely done with more but its a very minor issue. Would 100% return, we all can't wait to.
Guest rating:
We rented Belle Etoile for a week for a family gathering and celebration for 14 (adults & children). We rented the farmhouse, gite and garden room. Each element is beautifully decorated and it worked brilliantly as a combination for families with children and adults. The farmhouse accommodated the families with well proportioned rooms and gorgeous views. and the children loved the top floor rooms - especially as the height is a little limited so best for adults to duck! A perfect den for cousins to enjoy. The gite is a fabulous space and the garden room a perfect sanctuary. The furnishings are beautifully done. There are wonderful areas to all get together by the pool, outside dining area and kitchen but it has enough space for everyone to unwind and relax too. We enjoyed fabulous weather and loved the pool - the big sky and views are fabulous. The pool is cleverly designed - the extra length swimming lane is perfect for working off the extra breakfast croissant! The games room was enjoyed by all and is lovely and cool on a hot day - perfect for a bit of family competition be it pool, table tennis, table football. We rented bikes and cycled to the tennis court in nearby Ronsenac and did some short forays around the very quiet roads (good for children on bikes). The surrounding area is great and we enjoyed day trips to Aubeterre, the market at Riberac and the lake at la Jemaye. The owners are extremely friendly and could not have been more helpful. All in all a brilliant week and a perfect spot. We were all sad to leave at the end of the week. Thank you Belle Etoile for some wonderful memories.
Guest rating:
Spent a few amazing days down at Belle a couple of weeks ago. The setting is beautiful and the house is spectacular. Loads of room and given that there were 14 guys around the place, it still felt spacious and open. The pool is great, the pétanque court in excellent condition and with the addition of the new fire pit, we were able to keep ourselves amused and warm long into the night. Bike hire was excellent, golf course was a huge amount of fun and the woodland restaurant divine. I would highly recommend it to everyone.
Guest rating:
Gorgeous farmhouse, garden room and gite. All very homely, lovely soft furnishings, and everything you could possibly want and more. The pool and games barn are fabulous, and if you can drag yourself away from this beautiful villa then the local villages are so pretty and have everything you will need for a wonderful holiday.
Guest rating:
We stay in the main house which is charming, comfortable, peaceful with lovely personal touches that make it that extra bit special. The walks and views are beautiful and it's one of those places that makes you truly relax and recharge. Highly recommended.
Guest rating:
This is a great place to be with family and friends! The location is stunning, and if you can move away from the pool, there is plenty to do within a short distance. Everything seems to have been thought of with great attention to detail. My favourite memory is sitting around the large outside table with all the children and adults in full sunshine at 9.30pm at night! What a delight!
Guest rating:
Just had the most fantastic holiday in the most delightful surroundings. Breath-taking views, and glorious weather. The house is decorated to a very high standard, the owners have thought about every last detail. Could ask for nothing else. Shall definitely book again next year.
Guest rating:
We stayed here in October half term and had incredible weather which meant we could enjoy the amazing outside area at Belle Etoile. My husband and I swam in the pool (we are quite brave unlike our fair weathered friends we were holidaying with !). We had all our meals outside enjoying the spectacular views. The evenings became cooler so we spent these inside house which is extremely well equipped. It is obvious that the owners use this as their second home as there is everything you need to put together a meal for friends and family. The bedrooms are really nicely furnished and we will return again this year if we can !
Guest rating:
We were completely blown away by the view from the garden of Belle Etoile: a vast field of beautiful sunflowers and in the distance trees and rolling hills. As befits a summer home, the property has a lovely barbecue area and entertaining space and a fully enclosed pool of ample size with plenty of loungers for sun bathing alongside a comfortable seating area for sipping chilled Rose whilst enjoying the view. The main house is very cosy and comfortable, with a fully equipped kitchen and a good-sized sitting room in which to relax after dinner. The property has a gite next to the main house, which has recently been modernised and includes two double bedrooms with new en suite bathrooms. One of the barns has been converted into a games room which, amongst other things, houses a pool table, table football and a table tennis table. The surrounding villages are pretty and very French with some lovely restaurants. There is also a conveniently located hypermarket a short drive away. I would not hesitate to recommend Belle Etoile as a home from home and we will definitely be returning.
Guest rating:
What a wonderful location for a cosy Christmas. Central heating, Log fires, beautiful walks and loads of lovely red wine. Great time had by all.
Guest rating:
We had expected a beautiful location and a stylish, yet comfortable interior and we were not disappointed. The views are spectacular from every window and the house is delightful: well kitted out kitchen; spacious, yet cosy sitting room with an efficient wood burning stove for cooler evenings; an enormous and comfortable master bed – we felt instantly at home, and did not want to leave at the end of our holiday. The tiny hamlet is quiet and the garden private and yet Belle Etoile is ideally situated for exploring the surrounding countryside. We enjoyed many walks in the local area from the house – on one occasion seeing a pair of otters. We also ventured further afield to canoe at Brancome, visit the monolithic church at Auberterre and the old city of Limoges: Cathedral, art gallery (both free entry) and lunch at a café in a nearby medieval square. But there is no need to go further than the garden and pool for a completely relaxing holiday. I can't wait to go back.
Guest rating:
We were a couple, part of a group of 8. We stayed in the gite next door to the main house. This was like a separate apartment with lots of space, separate bedrooms - an en suite double and a twin - with a fully fitted kitchen, a large seating area, and a wood burning stove. This meant we could be separate when we wanted, and join in the larger party in the main house. We ate and hung out in the main house, which is cosy and beautifully decorated, as well as beating our host consistently in both table tennis and bar football in the games barn. Playing pétanque gave us a chance to appreciate the views of the landscape, the sunset and the profusion of stars. The location itself is in a small tranquil hamlet close to a market village with good bars and a great restaurant. Angouleme is 20 minutes away, convenient for the very good Caves Charlemagne.
Guest rating:
A beautiful house, tastefully appointed and furnished, in an outstanding location with distant views of farms and villages, enhanced this year by the surrounding fields of sunflowers. We stayed for the last 2 weeks of July and with the never-ending sunshine spent a lot of our time in the gardens or by the heated pool, although there is a fully equipped games room. On the occasions that we did venture out we enjoyed the pretty villages of Aubeterre, with its church carved into a cliff, and Brantome with its vibrant Friday market together with trips to Cognac, Riberac , Angouleme and of course the local village of Villebois with its excellent restaurant in the town square opposite the 17th Century covered market, overlooked by the Chateau. It is a truly stunning house, in a location that would be difficult to beat, equipped with 5 star fixtures and fittings for the enjoyment of like minded people. We look forward to our next visit.
Guest rating:
Property type | Farmhouse (Self-catering) |
Bathrooms | 6 |
Bedrooms |
4 double bedroom(s) 3 triple bedroom(s) 3 additional bed(s) 2 cot(s) |
Occupancy | 16 |
Suitability | Suitable for children, Unsuitable for wheelchair access, Non-smoking |
Kitchen facilities | Dishwasher, Freezer, Fridge, Cooker, Ironing facilities, Microwave, Tumble dryer, Washing machine, Electric hob, Electric oven |
Internal facilities | CD player, DVD player, English satellite TV, Exclusive rental, Owner not on site, Telephone, TV, Wood burning fire or stove, Fans in rooms, Central heating (oil), Electric heaters, Hairdryer, Board Games, Wi-Fi Broadband Internet, MP3 Player, Internet Access, Tea/Coffee making facilities |
External facilities | Garden, Scenic views, Swimming pool (exclusive use), Barbecue, Courtyard, Heated Pool |
Activities nearby | Ballooning, Boules, Canoeing, Caving, Cycling, Drawing and painting, Flying, Golf, Hiking, Horse riding, Kayaking, Museums, Paragliding, Photography, Photography, Rambling, Riverside activities, Shopping, Sightseeing, Swimming, Table tennis, Tennis, Tree adventure park, Walking, Wine tasting, Wine touring |
Changeover day: Thursday
Last updated on: 8th May 2024
Available | Booked/Unavailable |
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Accommodation rental period | Price |
---|---|
11 July 2024 – 04 September 2024 |
€4850 Per property per week
(£4092 / $5267) |
05 September 2024 – 11 December 2024 |
€2950 Per property per week
(£2489 / $3204) |
12 December 2024 – 01 January 2025 |
€3350 Per property per week
(£2827 / $3639) |
02 January 2025 – 23 April 2025 |
€1750 Per property per week
(£1477 / $1901) |
24 April 2025 – 18 June 2025 |
€3100 Per property per week
(£2616 / $3367) |
19 June 2025 – 09 July 2025 |
€4350 Per property per week
(£3671 / $4725) |
10 July 2025 – 03 September 2025 |
€5000 Per property per week
(£4219 / $5430) |
04 September 2025 – 10 December 2025 |
€2950 Per property per week
(£2489 / $3204) |
11 December 2025 – 07 January 2026 |
€3500 Per property per week
(£2953 / $3801) |
Additional price notes
PLEASE NOTE CHANGEOVER DAY IS THURSDAY
Thursdays give both us - the owners - and our guests better options and cost-efficiencies with travel and cleaning, and will permit us to be more flexible with occasional low-season weekend booking requests - which would currently split two weeks and so are unworkable.
The exceptions to this will be the half-term weeks, where we will still accept Saturday-Saturday bookings.