Cottage with pool Charente/Dordogne border

L'Abricotier (The Apricot Tree) is a beautifully renovated former farm cottage with a delightfully quirky interior.Accessed via a 200m private lane, the cottage is surrounded by farmland and stunning views. It is quiet, peaceful and romantic but, despite its idyllic location, is only 5 minutes' drive from the small town of Montmoreau-St-Cybard. It is ideally suited to couples and families with up to two very young children (under 5s only) L’Abricotier (The Apricot Tree) is a beautifully renovated former farm cottage with a delightfully quirky interior. It is close to, but entirely independent from, our home which is situated across the courtyard. Accessed via a 200 m private lane, the cottage is surrounded by farmland and stunning views. It is quiet, peaceful and romantic but, despite its idyllic location, it is only 5 minutes’ drive from the small town of Montmoreau-St-Cybard which has many amenities and an excellent supermarket. At the front of the cottage is a small gravelled courtyard surrounded by a rustic fence for privacy (and to keep the chickens out!) The rear of the cottage has a small, private garden area which overlooks our extensive organic vegetable garden with views over the valley beyond. The cottage is set within the grounds of our home and guests have the use of the above ground swimming pool, which is approximately 9 m long and 4.5 m wide. (We use the pool only twice daily, in the early morning and again in the evening). Inside, the ground floor is open-plan and includes a roomy relaxing space with glazed doors onto the garden, a dining area and a spacious, well-equipped kitchen in which there is a large range cooker, fridge and microwave. There is no washing machine in the property but guests are welcome to use our laundry room. Upstairs there is one, enormous bedroom with a small “sleeping nook” for children which contains a single bed and a cot which can be converted to a toddler bed by removing one side. PLEASE NOTE : a large beam, with 1.2 m clearance from the floor, runs across the entire room. Please check the photos, to see if this would cause any problems, before booking. Although the cottage is ideally suited to couples seeking a peaceful, romantic break, the bedroom can easily accommodate a small child (up to 5 years) and/or baby in a cot when used as a family room. We provide a high chair, toddlers’ booster seat, potty, child’s toilet seat and baby bath as well as a selection of childrens’ toys. On arrival, guests will find everything they need to prepare a simple evening meal and supplies for their first breakfast. We will be on hand to welcome you on arrival and help with any queries but will keep a discrete distance during your stay. Do note, however that we live, and work, on site. The property is very close to the Charente/Dordogne border with Aubeterre (voted one of the “prettiest villages in France”) only 15 minutes’ drive away. There, you will find a vibrant village square, bordered by shops and restaurants and all only a short walk away from a lovely river beach on The Dronne, where canoes can be hired or one can swim in the calm waters. The small town of Riberac is about 20 minutes away and has a very popular weekly market on Fridays. Angouleme – the “Cartoon Capital of the World” is 30 minutes away and Perigueux about an hour. The surrounding area is very beautiful and will appeal most to those wanting a quiet, relaxing break, deep in the countryside. Finally, we share our home with two Border Collies and some chickens. All range freely. Although the dogs are not allowed within the cottage garden or courtyard, they are likely to greet you very enthusiastically whenever they see you so please bear this in mind when considering your stay. In addition to the cottage’s small, private garden, the swimming pool, pool house and garden surrounding them are for guests’ use. (We do use the pool in the morning and if guests are out). There is a washing machine situated in the laundry room of the main house, available on request for those staying for more than a few days. We will be on hand to welcome guests on arrival. As we both live and work on site, we will generally be present and available throughout but will always bear in mind our guests' privacy A car is essential to get around and the roads are very good. It is also ideal for cycling. Public Transport is minimal, there is a train station at Montmoreau, but the service is infrequent. There is a larger station at Angouleme (30 mins) from where you can travel to Bordeaux or even Paris on the TGV Children are welcome to use the swimming pool, but only if they are fully toilet trained or have special swimming nappies.