Maison Cachee – The Courtyard at St Catherines

Idyllically set amongst sunflowers and rolling meadows, this former priory is now an idyllic family-friendly retreat comprising three luxurious gites, along with a large heated pool and a whole host of child-friendly play gear and nursery equipment.

The priory buildings of Ste Catherine de la Champ were built by monks in the 1700s and were all but ruined when the friendly May family fell in love with the place in 2006 and decided this would be the start of a new life in France. Undaunted by the scale of the restoration and renovation project, the Mays set about creating a home for themselves and a place where other families could share their dream in the Charente countryside.

The family of three, plus their soppy dogs and Jet the cat, finally moved here from the UK in 2010 and have made it their mission to go way above and beyond the average gite holiday and especially catering for parents with preschoolers.

They’ve sensitively converted the priory into three luxuriously appointed gites and have been justly rewarded with 4-star ratings by the Chambre de Tourisme. Not content with simply adding quality fixtures and fittings for grown-ups, the Mays also provide top notch child-friendly kit too. To take the pain out of packing, there’s a long list of nursery gear (see Fast Facts tab) and boxes of toys all tailored to children’s ages, including Lego, Playmobil, garage, train set, shop, dressing up outfits, loads of books and DVD’s. Plus, the TV’s have UK channels including all-important Cbeebies and Wi FI is available inside and out.

Each of the three gites boasts the privacy of their own garden and dining patio but families can also safely spill into the secure shared grounds of The Courtyard, where children have lots to keep them happy including a trampoline, swings plus baby swing, sand pit, slide and climbing frame, swing ball, basket ball and football goal posts. During the summer, children can also sign up for Bebe Poney from three, mug painting workshops with arty Michaela who will take away the masterpieces to be baked and glazed as a perfect memento. Even babies can do a foot print plate to take back for Granny.

The swimming pool at The Courtyard is completely fenced and gated, to give parents peace of mind while children roam, free range, around the garden and there are plenty of sun loungers for a sneaky snooze in the sun. The pool is 1.5 metres deep right the way across, with corner steps for easier access and it’s heated to a comfortable 27°c from 1st May to end of September.

Accommodation overview

Maison Cachee (sleeps 2 adults, 2 children + baby in a cot) is a lovely transformation of the original buttery and kitchens of the priory into a cosy gite with lots and character. In a traditional farmhouse style, the kitchen doubles as the family room, with a comfy sofa in front of a wood burner, a dining table and modern appliances including a half gas/half induction hob, fridge freezer, dishwasher and washing machine. The master bedroom at Maison Cachee has a king size wrought iron bed and a proper cot and leads into a children’s room with two single beds. The bedrooms share a shower room with a large, walk-in corner shower, washbasin and WC.