18th century house beside a ruined castle

The house sleeps a maximum of 8 people in 4 bedrooms: • Two bathrooms and 1 shower room • Fitted equipped kitchen with breakfast bar • Separate dining room • Living Room with view over castle ruins • Mezzanine bedroom above living room • Double bedroom with adjacent shower room, bathroom and separate toilet. • Two double attic-style bedrooms – one with en suite bathroom • UK and French satellite TV • Wifi Broadband • Walled garden to the front of the house with furniture and parasol for al fresco meals • Huge (16 x 8m) swimming pool • Ample parking The house has 150m2 of accommodation on two floors, and has been renovated to a high standard, using materials sympathetic to the age and style of the building. You can see this in the front door, beautifully crafted with handmade medieval style nails and metalwork. Inside the house there are fine stone surrounds to the doorways and windows, some of them originally from the chateau. Floor and wall tiles come from a local factory still making terre cuite after three centuries. Stone steps lead up to a covered veranda with fine carved stone pillars – a place to sit in the shade and admire the chateau walls. There are two entrance doors, one leading you into the kitchen and the other to the living room. The kitchen (6 x 6m) has a lovely stone fireplace with a Jotul wood burning stove, a terre cuite tiled floor, a fitted kitchen area with solid granite worktops, and a beamed storage area. It is equipped with a cooker with gas hob and electric oven, a dishwasher and a fridge freezer. There are bar chairs so that you can take coffee or snacks at the kitchen bar. The living room (6 x 6m) is a lovely light room with a separate entrance door from the veranda, a picture window overlooking the chateau, and steps up to a mezzanine area, where there is a bedroom, which also benefits from this exceptional vantage point. The living room is furnished with two 3-person settees, and a television with British Sky and French TNT satellite channels. Through to the right from the kitchen is the dining room (6 x 3m) with an extendable dining table and chairs for up to 12 diners. There is a large pine dresser containing crockery, cutlery and glasses. Off here there is a bedroom (3.2 x 3.2m) with a double bed (140 x 190) and wardrobe. Adjacent are two bathrooms, one with bath / shower and basin, the other with a fully tiled walk-in shower, and a basin. There is a separate toilet. On the second floor accessed by an oak staircase from the kitchen there are two further bedrooms, separated by a landing. The first bedroom can be prepared as a twin or a double (160 x 190) as you wish. The second has twin beds and has direct access to the bathroom which has a bath, basin and toilet. The washing machine is also housed here. The final bedroom is located on the floor above the living room, and has a king-size bed overlooking the chateau ruins. The house has oil-fired central heating to 14 radiators, the boiler being housed in the cellar. This boiler also supplies hot water. There is a graveled courtyard garden immediately in front of the house where garden furniture is supplied so that you can sit out and take meals. There is also a built barbecue in the far corner. The pool is situated about 150 meters away from the house, and has a tiled terrace on which you can sunbathe. This pool also serves our other gite, housing up to 4 people. The pool is exceptionally large (16 x 8m) so there is ample room for everyone. It has steps leading down to the shallow end and shelves down to 2.3m at the deep end. The pool area complies with safety regulations with a fence and child-proof locking gates to which you will be given a key. It is however the responsibility of the adult members of your party to supervise any children to prevent accidents. The security system should prevent unauthorised access to the pool area but it doesn’t replace your vigilance so please supervise the younger members of your party closely! Also available on the same site is a separate cottage which can accommodate in 2 bedrooms both with en suite shower rooms. Please enquire for more information. The Chateau Both houses are part of the remains of an old hamlet situated right outside the chateau walls. The chateau dates back to medieval times, but was largely taken apart for its stone after the revolution at the end of the 18th century. You will see its stones in many of the buildings in the surrounding area, including those of the houses where you will be staying. The previous owner did much to rescue the ruins, which had become almost completely buried in earth and overgrown with trees. We have continued the work by protecting what he uncovered, and we have planted the courtyard with roses, irises, lavenders and other flowering shrubs, creating a unique walled garden in an ancient setting. However, the chateau remains a ruin and so we ask you not to enter it without permission, and above all, not to allow any adventurous members of your party to climb onto the walls for their own safety. Access to the Chateau The chateau is private and not open to the public, but we will be delighted to give you a tour of the chateau during your stay. In addition, we may give you unlimited access on signature of a discharge of responsibility, and on payment of a key deposit of 100€. (The key is hand-made in wrought iron, and cannot be easily or cheaply replaced.) If you are staying in the main house, you will get a good view of the chateau courtyard from the living room and the bedroom above. And even if you are not, the walls and tower make a wonderful backdrop to your holiday home. SPECIAL MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19 / CORONAVIRUS We are very aware of the concerns that our clients may have during this current health crisis. We have therefore put special measures in place to protect you as much as possible. We have two holiday homes on the site, but each house in completely independent. The only shared facility is the pool where we plan on special measures for your protection. The place is well away from cities and crowds, so somewhere safe for you and your family. SOCIAL DISTANCING Firstly, we will practise social distancing with you and we ask you to do the same both with us and other guests. We will not shake your hands when you arrive or when you leave, but we will still welcome you when you arrive and be available during your stay should you need us, as is our custom. CLEANING / DECONTAMINATION We plan to put additional measures in place for the cleaning of our properties at each change of clients. This means that the house will not only be cleaned but also decontaminated following the guidelines of the CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) as recommended by Airbnb. It is also recommended that we put in place a 24-hour gap between each rental. Once you are installed in the house for your stay, you can be there together in your party of family of friends as much as you want! Each house has its own balcony and garden or courtyard where you can take your meals outside. The only place where you may meet other guests is at the pool. THE POOL The water is treated with chlorine and it is therefore highly unlikely that the virus could survive so as to infect another person. We will set up sun loungers and parasols in two different areas so that you can keep your distance. If you prefer a system of separate periods of access from your fellow guests, we would be happy to facilitate that. Please let us know if you should have a particular concern!