Farmhouse with heated pool and large games barn

A traditional stone farmhouse in the gorgeous village of Dampierre-sur-Boutonne. With a village shop, bar/cafe and Renaissance Chateau within 400 meters . Relax by the 10 x 5 m heated pool on the sunbeds or sofas, chill out in your own private courtyard, enjoy the activities in the games barn or on the lawn. 3 bedrooms, (with 1 super king, 1 king and 3 single beds) including one downstairs en-suite, cosy living room and large fully equipped kitchen. Hiking, cycling and fishing nearby The Farmhouse was once the heart of a working farm, in the beautiful village of Dampierre-sur-Boutonne. It dates back to the early 1800s. It is the largest of the three gites at La Petite Ferme Gites. The front door enters into a cosy living room with sofa, chairs, TV, coffee tables and a small dining table with 6 chairs. This room opens into the large and fully equipped kitchen containing all the equipment and utensils you should need during your stay including oven, hob, dishwasher, microwave, fridge/freezer, toaster, kettle and coffee machine. There is a working fireplace in the kitchen, that can be used in the cooler months. Off the kitchen is the downstairs bedroom with a king size bed and en-suite shower room. The stairs leads up from the kitchen to the first floor where there are two further bedrooms. The largest one having a superking size bed, a single bed and a cot. The other has two single beds. All three bedrooms have wardrobes and drawer space, bedside tables and bedside lights. The second shower room is off the upstairs corridor. Directly outside the front door is a lovely large, private, gravelled courtyard with a BBQ, table, chairs and parasol as well as a rattan sofa with cushions. A great location for eating, relaxing and socialising with plenty of room for sun loungers. There is a beautiful and newly refurbished 10 x 5 m heated pool, with ample sunbeds and parasols on the terrace and a lounge sofa area. The pool area is in the sun the for the whole day. There is a large patio and pebbled area surrounding the pool. There is also a large games barn to amuse both the children and the adults. It is equipped with a pool table, table tennis, table football, darts and a number of board games, books and DVDs. We also provide equipment that can be used on the lawn area such as badminton, football, boules, mollky and frisbee. Excellent Wifi and English (Freeview) or French TV are available in the gite. We have 2 friendly cats who live with us on site. Bath towels and bedding provided, but we ask guests to provide their own pool/beach towels. There are laundry facilities are on site, including a washing machine, clothes driers, iron and ironing board. The Farmhouse is one of three gites at La Petite Ferme Gites, the other two being The Barn (sleeps 2/4) and Fig Tree Cottage (sleeps 2). Each gite has it's own private terrace/eating area and BBQ and do not overlook each other, so you can feel secluded. The guests do share the heated pool, games barn, sun terraces, lawn, laundry and parking. All three gites can be rented together should you require. There is ample space for parking on site and the property has gates which can be closed during the day and are locked at night. We are happy to accommodate bikers and cyclists and have a locked and secure garage that you can store your motorbikes and cycles in while you are with us. We have good practical knowledge of local running/walking, cycling and motorbike routes that we are happy to share with you if you would like. Access to all communal areas including the 10 x 5 m heated pool, the games barn (with table tennis, pool, table football), the sun terraces, the lawn and the laundry with washing machine. The facilities are shared with the other two gites at La Petite Ferme Gites, The Barn and Fig Tree Cottage, which sleep 2/4 and 2 people. Each gite has their own private outside area, for dining and relaxing. All three gites at La Petite Ferme Gites can be rented together should you wish. We live on site and will meet you with a drink and your keys when you arrive. We will be available to answer any questions you may have during your stay, but won't intrude on your holiday in any way La Petite Ferme Gites have the relaxed tranquillity of a gite in the French countryside but with the benefits of being in an active little village. A two minute walk to get your freshly baked baguette and croissants from the village shop in the morning or to pick up supplies for the day. The village cafe/bar, "Garage a Papi", is a quirky, chilled out place where you can sit and enjoy views of the sun setting behind the Chateau. The bar has indoor seating, but also has outdoor seating in it's large orchard, next to the river. Often musicians play on summer Sunday afternoons. Dampierre has a weekly Thursday evening market, with local producers and artisans selling a range of products. The Chateau de Dampierre is a beautiful renaissance chateau open to the public, with stunning gardens to walk through. They offer daily guided tours, as well as allowing you to freely explore by yourself. Throughout the year they have a range of art exhibitions and musical events. The river Boutonne flows through the village and around the chateau. Fishing, hiking and cycling are all accessible in the village. We can give you information on local routes and fishing spots. We can arrange bike and canoe hire or fishing trips. Aulnay, a charming little market town, with it's bar, restaurants, shops, twice weekly market and large supermarket (Intermache) is an 8 minute drive, while the larger, lovely market town of Saint Jean D'Angely is a 15 minute drive. Here you will find a number of supermarkets, bars, restaurants, twice weekly market, Abbey and a cinema as well as a range of leisure activities such as karting, boating, canoeing and swimming. Both towns are on the Santiago De Compostela pilgrimage trail and have stunning churches and other historic buildings to visit. There are very helpful tourist information offices in both towns. 3 miles away is the world famous Asinerie du Baudet du Poitou (Poitou Donkey Farm) home of the rasta donkeys and Zoodysee wild life park in Chize is a 15 minute drive away. Water sports, including paddle boarding, water skiing, kayaking and canoeing are a 25 minute drive away Ideally situated to be within a 60 minute drive of a number of historic and beautiful towns and a range of activities. The beaches and marinas of La Rochelle, Royan and Rochefort as well as a number of equally gorgeous, but lesser known beaches such as Fouras and Chatelaillon Plage are all less then a hour away. Stunning Charente towns worth a visit include Cognac, home of the world famous cognac houses of Martell, Hennessy and Reme Martin and an 18 hole golf course and Jarnac, a beautiful riverside town, home of Courvoisier. Saintes, Niort, and Angouleme are great towns for culture, sights and shopping. The Marais Poitevin, the Green Venice of France, is a great day out for boat trips and cycling. We provide each gite with a large pack of information on the local area and have range of maps including cycle and walking routes that we can share with you. La Petite Ferme Gites is the ideal place to relax and unwind and enjoy the tranquillity of the beautiful Charente Maritime, but there is plenty to do and lots to see in the area for those who want to explore. Ample car parking on site Secure garage for storing motorbikes or bicycles No public transport We have 2 friendly cats, who live on site.