Gite Near L'Absie       2 Bedrooms,  sleeps up to 4+ cot maximum      Property Ref:  FR100

Located in a small hamlet close to the village of L'Absie, just 50 minutes drive from La Rochelle and one hour West of Poitiers, a warm and generous welcome awaits you at  our little slice of heaven. 
Situated in the Deux Sevres department of Poitou Charente, France's best kept secret, we offer the perfect antidote to the stresses of modern living. If you're looking for the perfect Holiday Home in France you will find peace and quiet here in a delightful rural setting.

L'Atelier is our standalone Gite comprising 2 bedrooms, a shower-room and a large living room with kitchen dining area. It also has a large deck area where you can dine al-fresco or simply relax and enjoy the magnificent views, an additional terrace with seating and sun-loungers and a 4 Metre above ground pool for cooling off. A plan of the Gite is included with the photos.

Ideal for families or couples L'Atelier offers split level living, only two steps from the living room to the bedroom and shower level mean it is ideally suited to those who dislike trudging up and down stairs.  We also provide a "welcome basket" for guests when they arrive as well as our HomeChef service, if you would like meals arranged for you.

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ACCOMMODATION

Converted from a semi-derelict barn in 2012 l'Atelier has been renovated to a high standard combining the character and appeal of an old building with the comforts of modern living. The kitchen is equipped with an oven, gas hob, fridge freezer and dishwasher. Laundry facilities are available in the form of a front loader washing machine. - 

The kitchen is fully provisioned in terms of glassware (most important for those pre dinner drinks on the balcony) crockery, cutlery, cooking utensils, pots and pans, tea towels and all the cleaning and washing supplies you would normally expect.

The living\dining room is spacious with a three seat settee, two matching armchairs, coffee table and desk with chair. The dining table is set for four people but can accommodate more. The room benefits from high ceilings with exposed woodwork.

 The main living, dining and kitchen area is an open plan space of approximately 6.2 by 6.5 metres plan area, the ceiling is a vaulted timber construction with a minimum height of 2.95 metres.

The main bedroom (maximum size of 2.7 metres wide by 5.4 metres long) has a generous sized double bed, bedside tables and a chest of drawers as well as hanging rails for clothes. The second bedroom (maximum size of 2.9 metres wide by 3.5 metres long) can be provided with either a double bed or two single beds, depending on your accommodation needs, and also has a chest of drawers and a hanging rail for clothes.     Cot and highchair available.

The Shower Room (2.4 metres deep by 1.9 metres wide) has a shower cubicle, WC and washbasin.  

L'Atelier is equipped with a Sony flat screen TV, free-view satellite service (if you are a Sky Subscriber you can use your Card in the Sky box), DVD player and WiFi  so if you have a laptop you can use Skype, Lync or Vyber to keep in touch. Mobile phone signal is reasonable for a rural location on the Orange network, other networks may vary.

Car parking is to the rear of the property and is easily accessed on a level gravelled surface with PIR lights to ensure you can see where you are going at night.

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Outdoor Facilities:
The deck area ( 6.75 metres wide by 4.1 metres deep), accessed from the living room via French doors, has a large good quality wooden table with four matching wooden chairs complete with cushions and parasol as well as a separate casual seating area with table. It affords lovely panoramic views over the surrounding countryside.  The Decking is on the south facing flank of the Gite meaning you can enjoy the fabulous sunsets in comfort.

There are also four sun loungers for you to lie and relax on on the terrace.The terrace area also has a "Tunnelle" (Gazebo) with chairs and table for al-fresco dining complete with a barbecue.

There is a 4 meter above ground pool for cooling off should you need to.  This can be sectioned off from the decking area for child safety.

There is an area where you can play Boules, a boules kit is provided in the Gite! 

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CHILD FRIENDLY

We appreciate that happy children make for happy parents and have taken care to ensure that our small guests are well catered for. Not only is our Gite ideal for families with small children there are a wide variety of local attractions to keep your little ones entertained.
We have a cot and high chair should they be required for very young children. The sun deck can also be secured to ensure little ones do not venture too far. 
The split level nature of our Gite means you do not have to constantly go up and down lots of stairs, there are just two steps between the main living area and the bedroom level of the Gite. Whilst temperatures can get quite high during the summer months the Gite with its high vaulted ceiling offers a cool and comfortable living space for guests.
Our above ground pool gives ample opportunity for a splashing time. It can only be accessed by means of a secure walkway accessed from the sun deck so there is no danger of a child accidentally falling in.

Our kitchen garden gives children the opportunity to pick fresh food for their meals and has proven really popular with previous young guests. Eating food that was growing barely an hour before mealtime is both a real treat and an education!
Our chickens lay fresh eggs on a daily basis and have proven to be of endless fascination to our smaller guests. Our pigs have also proven popular and as with the chickens they are equally intrigued by the attention of small people.
L'Atelier gite is located in a small hamlet with no passing traffic. It is a tranquil location set amidst surrounding farmland. If you go for walks along the local bridleways you will see plenty of farm animals as well as wildlife and and a wide variety of birds but little if any passing traffic.

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UPON ARRIVAL

We appreciate that you may have had a long journey and the last thing you need is to be worrying about what you will be having for breakfast.  We provide a "welcome basket" for you on your arrival which typically contains the following:

• Two bottles of still mineral water 

• Orange Juice

• Croissants or Brioche

• Butter 

• Fresh Eggs freshly laid by our own chickens!!

• Sliced Boule (French Bread but sadly not a Baguette as they go stale quite quickly)

• Confiture (Jam and if you are lucky it will be home made!!) 

• Bottle of Rose wine chilled in the Fridge

• Milk

• Tea

• Coffee (Filter NOT Instant)

• Ice Cubes in the Freezer (Most Important)

The items in the welcome basket are things we buy for ourselves. The Gite is also provisioned with toilet rolls, dishwasher tablets and clothes washing powder/liquid and all the other day to day items you would need to cook, clean and tidy up so all you need to be sure of is that you have brought your personal toiletries with you.

We provide towels and face cloths for guests use in the shower-room

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PRICES       2018

End of March - 14th July                 £600.00 per week 
15th July - 15th September             £715.00 per week
16th September - 30th September  £600.00 per week    

 

Prices per week in sterling and includes hire of bed linen and house towels.  We can also arrange beach towels if required.

 Arrivals and Departure Days - Saturdays  (flexible in Sept/Oct)

 Arrival 4.00pm  -  Departure 10am

Welcome packs upon arrival

Non-refundable booking deposit 30% of rental

Security deposit of  £  is payable with the balance payment - this is fully refundable if no damage to the property and left in a clean and tidy condition.

 

 

 

 

CUSTOMER REVIEWS

"We had a wonderful holiday, and would certainly recommend l'Atelier to anyone wanting a tranquil break in the fabulous French countryside." - Phil & Sue Lake, Exmouth, 

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A little piece of heaven!  -  The pictures of this place just can't convey how beautiful this place is. The Gite was fantastic had everything you need for the perfect holiday. It's also bigger than it looks in the photos. Our host Josie was absolutely lovely she was there if you needed her but not at all intrusive. The views are breathtaking and the deck is the perfect place to sit and take in the the sunset. There are also barn owls! We had an amazing holiday here very relaxing and tranquil but also there are lots of things nearby to enjoy. It's ideally situated for Puy du Fou and there are some lovely towns to visit not to mention the restaurants and markets! There was a really good selection of information available in the Gite , where to go, where to eat etc. This is a fabulous place to relax but also has wifi and a pool which kept our son who is 12 more than happy. Would definitely recommend this place without hesitation, you won't be disappointed! -Karen S - August 2017​

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“A very warm welcome from Josie, and the warm hospitality continued throughout our stay. She gave very helpful tips on excursions, and kept our sons busy by getting them to help with watering the plants and feeding the pigs and chickens. The cottage is attractive and designed to match the local vernacular, well maintained, comfortable and perfect for 4. The gardens are large and very flexible i.e. you can immerse yourself in the organic, "Good Life" that Josie has cultivated, or instead sit on the large terrace to eat, drink, or just admire the great countryside views or untainted night sky. Lots of good local café / restaurant / shopping / market options, and various outdoor pursuits available either direct from the house or within a 15-20 minute drive. Thoroughly recommended.” - Jonathan & Anja - September 2016

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We were warmly met at the gate by Josie and shown around our gite. The gite was lovely and very well presented. Our hosts had provided a welcome pack, this is always very welcome. It had all the amenities you will need, from washing machine to powder and conditioner. Its the little things that makes a stay go beyond normal to be a delightfully enjoyable experience. The view from our decking was great, well worth getting up in the morning with a cup of something with a croissant or two and just sit back and watch the day unfurl. The above ground pool was greatly appreciated as the temperatures increased throughout our week - Helen F - July 2016

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We loved staying at l'Atelier.  We arrived late in the evening to a lovely home-made lasagne from Josie which was a great welcome.  The Welcome basket was great and meant we did not need to shop on the Sunday at all.  The Gite was beautifully designed and comfortably furnished.  It was modern but also had character as it was a barn conversion.  The Gite was also well equipped and we did not miss anything from the kitchen at home.  Everything was provided from tea bags to toilet rolls and washing powder.  The Gite was spacious and cool in the hot weather. Our teenage girls loved their bedroom.  The views from the decking were amazing and we all enjoyed the pool which meant many days were spent at the Gite just relaxing.  

We could really switch off here and enjoy the countryside especially as four excellent bikes were provided for us which meant no hiring costs.  There was WiFi when needed also.  We were able to lie outside in the evenings on the sunbeds star gazing as there was no light pollution.  Josie keeps lovely gardens with chickens, pigs and plenty of lavender.  It was not at all intrusive having the owners on site and next time I shall join in one of Josie's yoga classes!

Thank you for a truly relaxing holiday with the right amount of peace and quiet but still only just over an hour to the beach at La Rochelle.  The town of Niort was interesting to visit and have lunch.  

This holiday was also exceptionally good value for money we could not fault it!!!!  Thanks Josie,The Sanders family - Berkshire August 2015

We arrived in the dark and awoke the next morning to pull back curtains and WOW what a view ! Fantastic base for exploring local places of interest. Peace and relaxation guaranteed, whilst enjoying a glass of wine on the decking, and having a dip in the pool. Plenty of lovely local restaurants to enjoy. Josie is always there for help and advice. The gite was spotless, everything you need at hand, and English TV. Bikes are also available to enjoy a ride through the lovely countryside. On one such occasion, we came across CafeBonBon in La Chapelle aux Lys, owned by a lovely English couple.

Would highly recommend and return - Beautiful ! - Stella & Nick, Rugby - September 2015 

Many thanks for a lovely week at L'Atelier.  We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and all agreed it is the best holiday cottage we’ve stayed at, at home or in France.  We loved the spacious, airy living area and the walk out onto the large deck with lovely views. The pool was a big hit with our daughter, and seeing the pigs and chickens were the highlight of her holiday! The Gite was perfectly equipped and as hosts, you were so welcoming.  The Boot Family Hampshire - July 2015

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5 out of 5 Stars - Home now from our wonderful week at L'Atelier. The Gite is gorgeous, with absolutely everything we needed for a relaxing stay. Josie is a wonderful host, and the welcome basket on arrival (including wine!) was a lovely touch. The Gite has the most fantastic views which no photos can do justice to. Miles and miles of tranquil French countryside was our view whilst sipping wine on the terrace - gorgeous. My husband enjoyed numerous local walks, maps provided by Josie! The local restaurants are superb for 'Plat du Jour' at €12 each. A visit to La Rochelle was lovely, and would recommend as less than an hour away. Thank you so much for a lovely, relaxing stay. We'll definitely be back! - Angela Hewitt August 2014

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Now back from our week at L'Atelier and we are reminiscing at how lovely our stay was. Josie made us very welcome and was extremely accommodating. The Gite was beautifully kept and in an idyllic setting. We would recommend this as a perfect holiday location, set in beautiful rural France. Thanks again Josie! - Nigel Robinson July 2014

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Delightful gite with a fabulous view from the living room and terrace that is hard to beat (but we also recommend a walk up the lane for a 180 degree panoramic view of the wonderful countryside around). Thoughtfully and comfortably furnished and has the best equipped kitchen we have found in a holiday home. Josie provides a lovely welcome basket along with all the basics you need for the kitchen and bathroom. All in all a lovely gite in a tranquil location and we would thoroughly recommend it for a relaxing time away from it all. - Elizabeth Preston August 2014

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We had a lovely holiday and would thoroughly recommend staying here. The gite is beautifully presented, spotlessly clean and is a real home from home. Josie the owner is very friendly and helpful, she even let our two year old boy help feed the chickens and pigs and pick some fresh raspberries and strawberries. The gite has the most amazing view of the Vendee countryside, and is a great place to relax. We would recommend a trip to Parc Bruin if you have young children, the swimming lake about 15 mins away (which I can’t remember the name of but Josie will point you in the right direction), a walk around and lunch out in Vouvant, a visit to the River Mervent where you can hire boats and a lunch out at the Chateau La Citardiere. - David Hockridge July 2014

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Spent a week here and we really enjoyed the home. It was very comfortable, clean and well equipped and had all the facilities you could want. The owner, Josie was very helpful and made us so welcome. The pictures don't relay how peaceful and tranquil the home really is and the views are lovely. Sat on the patio with a glass of wine watching the sun go down brings fond memories. The only blot was the weather which could have been better but it did not spoil our week. Thanks Josie.

Recommended for: Pet friendly, sightseeing, families with teenagers and families with young children

Keith & Sharon Millington, Rochdale

"La Menantelierre is a wonderful place to spend your holiday. The gite is perfectly lovely (comfortable and cosy) and it offers beautiful views of the lush green countryside. The owner Josie lives next door in the main house, and she couldn't have been more friendly or more helpful; providing us with fresh produce from her garden, toys for the children, tips for activities any-time we wanted.

We loved eating the figs and cherries directly from the trees in the garden, and very gladly helped ourselves to fresh herbs, onions and zucchinis for our supper. Josie, thank you for your very generous hospitality: we had a fantastic holiday!

PS We also recommend renting a boat in Marais Poitevin, the Green Venice." - The Gerritsen Family, Holland, July 2013

"The view from the Balcony Terrace is fabulous and much better than the photographs suggest, the Gite is perfect and again far more impressive than the photos suggest" - Carmen Scott, Canada - June 2013

‘Spectacular views and all the comforts of home. We recommend 'Wobbly Rock'and The Parc du Pierre Brune. Thank you for an enjoyable holiday’ - The Butler family West Haddon UK

‘We all thoroughly enjoyed our week and felt much at home. Too many nice touches to mention and the house is a real credit to you Josie. Highly recommended’ - The O'Neill family Bickley, Bromley UK.

‘My family and I would like to thank Josie for a wonderful holiday. The house is beautiful and the views unbeatable. A visit to the Ile De Re is recommended. Many thanks once again for the opportunity to stay in this wonderful area of France’ - The Harley Family West Bromich UK.

‘The Gite exceeded our expectations, very homely, well appointed, spacious and comfortable the perfect base from which to explore the locality'   - The Millars, Uckfield, UK.

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LOCATION​

Located in Poitou Charentes

Located in a hamlet just outside of the village of L'Absie, only 5 minutes away.  Here you can buy fresh bread, croissants etc.

Whilst French supermarkets offer good quality fruit and vegetables there is nothing quite like a traditional French market:
Coulonges sur l'Autize has a market on Tuesdays and Saturdays
Fontenay le Comte has a market on Saturdays.
Niort has a market on Thursdays and Saturdays

Local Boulangeries take it in turns to be closed for one day of the week, to avoid disappointment note that our local boulangeries are closed on these days:

• Le Busseau - closed on Tuesdays

• L'Absie - closed on Wednesdays - recently under new ownership and much improved! Currently our favourite for bread etc.

Local Supermarkets
Intermarche in L'Absie is a small but convenient (5 minute drive away) supermarket that has more than enough choice to keep you watered and fed.

Super U in La Châtaigneraie is our closest "large" supermarket. UPDATE - Doubt this would ever happen in England  but there is now a large Intermarche directly behind Super U and it can be accessed from the road leading into Super U.

Fontenay le Comte and Niort both have a choice of large supermarkets to choose from.

We appreciate that for families on holiday happy children mean happy parents. There are a wealth of attractions to entertain children to be found in the Poitou Charentes region and all of them within an hours drive of La Menatelliere.

Le Puy du Fou is a historical theme park in Les Epesses in the heart of the Vendée. The park brings in some 1.5 million visitors every year, making it the second most popular tourist attraction in France after EuroDisney. It was voted best theme park in the world in the 2012 Athea awards in Los Angeles.  It is less than an hours drive away.

La Rochelle Aquarium - La Rochelle's blockbuster crowd pleaser rises from a harbour side position near the Port des Minimes, north of the old city. Inside are guided walkways stretching over two floors of massive and bubbling seawater tanks loaded with approximately 10,000 species of flora and fauna from the oceans of the world, living in what look like natural habitats. It's hard to miss this place; there are signs for it all over town.

Mervent Forest of Adventures - an aerial assault course with plenty for young thrill-seekers just half an hours drive from la Menantelierre.

Parc de Pierre Bruin - Pierre Brune is a Fun Park on a 25 acre site full of attractions for all the family again just half an hours drive from la Menantelierre.

Indian Forest Atlantique - a forest based family attraction in the Vendee offering 60 different activities to interest and hopefully tire out your children less than 90 minutes drive away.

Vallee des Singes - take your little monkeys to visit real ones for the day! Less than 2 hours drive away.

Parcabout - another aerial assault course, this time conveniently close at Fontenay le Comte.

Wobbly Rock! - a Rock that Wobbles, need we say more - there is also an aerial assault course close by naturally! - less than 20 minutes drive from la Menantelierre.

BocaSpeed - for the adrenalin junkies amongst you why not try your hand at Go-Karting at this track on the way towards Moncoutant, about 15 minutes drive from la Menantelierre.

Futuroscope - Futuroscope, or Parc du Futuroscope is a French theme park based upon multimedia, cinematographic futuroscope and audio-visual techniques. Just over an hours drive to the East.

If you are feeling really adventurous you can always take to the skies courtesy of Montgolfier Plaisir in their Hot Air Balloon.

There is plenty to do in the area whether your interests are water sports, walking, cycling, horse riding, visiting museums, tourist attractions, wine tasting the list goes on and on.

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VIEW OUR VENDEE ATTRACTIONS AND VENDEE ACTIVITIES and VENDEE BEACHES PAGES

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TRAVEL
Nearest airports are- Poitiers, Nantes or La Rochelle.
All airports are served by discounted airlines i.e. Ryanair, Easyjet and Flybe.

Nearest Ferry port is St Malo, 3 hours drive.
Caen, 4 hours drive approx.
Calais and Boulogne, 6 hours drive approx.
A car is essential in this region of France.

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