Villa Beau Fief

To leave the hustle and hassles of daily life far behind, this traditional stone cottage has the most peaceful setting, surrounded by the swaying sunflowers, maize fields and vineyards of the Charente countryside. Without even venturing beyond the gate, families have over 1000 square metres of land all to themselves, to pluck juicy kiwis in a private walled garden, relax by a heated pool and have teddy bear picnics in an orchard of fruit trees.

After a blissful holiday to this quiet corner of France back in 2012, British couple, Richard and Victoria knew they’d have to be back soon and just 6 months later they bought Le Beau Fief to have plenty more leisurely lunches in medieval towns, picnics by the river and sunny bike rides along scenic country lanes. They lovingly renovated the cottage to keep its rustic charm, with whitewashed stone walls and stripped wood floors, but also furnished and finished it off to luxurious boutique standards, with cool grey colour schemes and all mod cons, including Wi Fi. In the open plan living room, kids can sink into big squashy sofas to watch TV or a DVD by a wood burner while grown-ups linger at the table with a coffee or local wine. The French country kitchen is well equipped for family self-catering and the gite opens onto a private gravel patio for eating outdoors and sizzling up suppers on the barbecue.

With the Charente being second only to the Cote d’Azur for sunshine, everyone will be happy having lazy days by the pool which is heated and 1.3 metres deep all the way across, as well as fenced and lockable for parental peace of mind. Children’s pottery sessions is a fun optional extra, for little ones to make and decorate their own ceramic souvenir and foodies can learn a few secrets of French cuisine with cookery lessons from a professional chef.

Accommodation overview

'Le Beau Fief' is a traditional stone cottage in a hamlet of just 12 other houses, deep in the Charente countryside. The gite has 3 bedrooms and comfortably sleeps up to 5 plus babies, with 2 travel cots and 2 high chairs available. The ground floor has an open plan layout comprising a cosy lounge, dining area and kitchen. In the lounge, families can flop into two big sofas to snuggle by a wood-burner and watch TV or DVD’s, or make use of the free Wi Fi. An elegant dining table seats 6 and the French country kitchen has all the essential appliances and utensils, including an electric oven and gas hob, a microwave, a fridge and separate freezer, a washing machine and a hand blender for zuzzing up baby food. Upstairs, there are lots of books and a chest full of games on a large landing with a vaulted ceiling. Off the landing are the gite’s three pretty bedrooms – one with a double bed, one twin room and one single room, two of which have space for a cot. The gite has a family shower room with a WC and a separate WC is on the ground floor. The Cottage is especially lovely for spilling outside with over 1000 square metres of grounds, including a dining patio area with a BBQ, a fenced and gated swimming pool, a sheltered walled garden and fruit orchard.