La Vieille Boulangerie

What Penny thinks... 

If you want a real escape from it all holiday with plenty of space to rest and relax then La Vieille Boulangeries is the place for you. Perfect for any family wanting to escape from the hustle and bustle of town life, the only things to disturb you here are the sounds of the countryside. Packed full of all the essential you need to make this a really baby friendly accomodation. 

Situated in the heart of the Charente, you'll have access to lots of wonderful towns and villages to visit and experience a real taste of rural France. The garden is charming and has plenty of space to play or just chill out.

This spacious farmhouse has been recently restored to provide a warm and welcoming family friendly holiday home. Large French doors flood the house with light and the well proportioned rooms will give you all space to relax and entertain.

On entering the property you are led straight into the farmhouse kitchen, the real hub of the house; this is a well equipped kitchen and just the place to prepare all those wonderful fresh ingredients that you can purchase from any number of local markets. In the kitchen there is a farmhouse table and chairs, which is a great place to have meals with the small people if you don't want to use the more formal dining area.

From the kitchen, you are led into the light and airy sitting / dining room, a comfortable room that has space for everyone to sit and enjoy a meal together or settle down on the large soft sofas catching up on a dvd or two. In addition to the full central heating, the log burner here provides a warm and cosy feel for those slightly cooler out of season evenings.

Also downstairs, there is a separate office area with desk and Wifi, which doubles up as a kids TV den; a great idea for holidays with children of all ages; this is a fantastic space for children of any age to escape the grown ups and have their own space to play. This office/den also has a substantial double sofa bed, making it suitable as an additional bedroom if needed. Beyond the office/den is a full utility room and separate loo. The Wifi can be accessed throughout the house.

The bedrooms in La Vieille Boulangerie are situated in the two ends of the house, each section being accessed by its own staircase. Above the kitchen end of the house is a double room with ensuite shower room; at the other end of the house are a further two doubles and a bedroom that can be set up as a double with single, a twin or a triple, again all bedrooms are ensuite. The master bedroom also has a spa bath - just the spot to fill up with bubbles, take a good book and steal yourself a few moments of deep relaxation. All the bedroom at La Vieille Boulangerie are large enough to have a cot added, of which there are two available here.

Parent points:

• Owing to the age and very nature of the house, in one or two places upstairs and down, there are small steps between rooms and to the outside. Parents should be aware of the risk of toddlers tripping.
• The stairs, although gated top and bottom, are not suitable for children to use unattended as the gaps in the balustrades are too far apart.
• It is not possible to gate the bottom three wooden stairs in the kitchen so parents should be aware of the risk.
• The shower in bedroom 4 (kitchen end of the house) is height restricted and although the ceiling height is sufficient, the shower head may be a little low for the very tall.

The charming gardens here at La Vieille Boulangerie are fully enclosed and have panoramic views over the surrounding countryside. 

Just outside the kitchen and sitting/dining room is the terrace area, with facilities for a leisurely outdoor supper...just imagine yourself with a glass of something cold, kicking back whilst the little ones play in the safely enclosed child friendly garden. For those really hot summer days there is a large shade awning attached to the house, which can be rolled out to provide some additional shade whilst you eat your meal.

The mature trees and plants allow for plenty of shady areas for those that want to escape the heat of the summer sun. It is here that you will find the play equipment in the lawned area, beside some wonderful suntraps for those of you that would like to catch some sun whilst your children play.

Separate from the main garden, and in an enclosed area, is the newly fitted above ground pool and BBQ area. Beside the pool are terraced areas with sun loungers and a few steps up, but completely separate is the built in BBQ. This area is also equipped with tables and chairs should you wish to eat here overlooking the fantastic surrounding scenery.

Parent points:

• Leading from the patio, the garden is somewhat raised to a higher level and as such there are steps between these levels; children should be supervised when using them.
• The front garden is not suitable for any child to be left unattended - it is unenclosed and road side (although this is a very small road with next to no traffic). It also has a raised terrace with drops from the surrounding walls.

• Enclosed above ground pool
• Enclosed grounds
• Outdoor play equipment
• Sand pit
• Stairgates
• Bed guard
• Cots and cot linen
• Baby monitor with `walkabout` handset
• Microwave
• Steriliser
• High chairs
• Booster seat
• Hand blender
• Plastic plates, cups and cutlery
• Potty
• Step
• Changing mat
• Bath toys 

For the children...
The office is also set up as a childrens TV den. Toys suitable for all ages can also be found here.

The Lacs de Haute Charente are the largest inland lakes in the region and were formed to manage the water-flow into the Charente River from the surrounding countryside. Here, you can indulge in many water sports such as canoeing, sailing and windsurfing; pedaloes are also available. Alternatively, you can just swim or relax and sunbathe on the sandy lake beaches and find a beach bar or restaurant for lunch. The sandy beaches contain enclosed swimming areas for safe childrens' swimming and no motor sports are permitted on the lake.

Parc Bellevue is a great fun day out for smaller children. An amusement park for small children, it promises great fun and lots of rides and bouncy castles. A small train takes you around the park, there is a small boating lake with motorised bumber-boats, water flume (height restricted) an octopus and a small animal park too. Take a picnic or buy lunch at one of several cafés and make a day of it, before returning to the peace and quiet at La Vieille Boulangerie.

The Velo Rail is an energetic but thoroughly fun day out for all; using the old railway lines, there are 4 wheeled carts with seating for 2 cyclists and 3 passengers. You can gently make your way through some beautiful countryside, stop for an ice cream half way, then make your way home again. 

The Nautilis centre just outside Angouleme is a perfect sports and leisure complex for all the family. This is a mixed sports and leisure centre offering a variety of water sports. There are two pools available to all, indoor leisure pools (toboggan, jets, spas) and rooms for natural water and cardiac therapy open year-round. Outdoors, visitors can benefit from the River Charente, wave pool, pentagliss as well as an inflatable structure of 17m during the summer holiday season.

Just 5 minutes drive away, the nearest town to La Vieille Boulangerie is the charming and picturesque Chabanais; straddling the river, you will find some traditional restaurants and shops. You can sit beside the river and enjoy watching the world go by or savour some of the local produce purchased at the local market. Just a little further on is the town Rochechouart, a picturesque, medieval fortified town dating from 965, dominated by a magnificent chateau. The castle, now a centre for modern art, is definitely worth a visit and the Romanesque and gothic church, famous for its unusual twisted spire, is also of great historical interest. Nestled amongst the narrow streets and stone and half-timber houses with their window boxes full of flowers, you will find the Meteorite museum. This is dedicated to the six billion ton meteorite, one of the largest ever to hit the earth, which fell in this area 214 million years ago. 

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