L'Espoir

With superb uninterrupted views over the French countryside, you may find it difficult to tear yourself away from our little piece of heaven. You will find it nestled at the end of a small hamlet of eight houses, a stroll away to the village of Boisme, where you can enjoy a drink in the bar, or collect your freshly made bread in the boulangerie.

Though L'Espoir was built almost a century ago, we have tenderly combined modern-day living with its  many original features.

The house generously accommodates eight people in four spacious bedrooms, with two bathrooms, fully equipped kitchen-diner with original Charentaise fireplace, separate dining room, and lounge with wood burner.

The swimming pool is for your private use during your stay; it is floodlit, as is the surrounding terrace.

The terrace, which is  just outside the kitchen door, has a large table and ample seating to accommodate eight people easily for your al fresco dining. The barbecue is close by. A further stone table is at the bottom of the garden and has views over the countryside.

The pool has a recently installed security fence which conforms fully to AFNOR regulations (recent French law on swimming pool security). There is an outdoor temperature-controlled shower adjacent to the swimming pool entrance.

The garden, which is south facing, enjoys the sun from morning to night.

For those wishing to retreat from the sun, there is a large stock of DVDs, videos and books in the sitting room, and full satellite TV, accessing all the UK programmes. The large dining table will also play host to family board games, as well as providing an indoor dining area for eight people.

The dining room, kitchen and the sitting room all have ceiling fans to keep the interior cooler on those long summer days; the fans are reversible to help keep the rooms warm in the winter.

The surrounding area is one of the few places which has really not been commercialised. French cafés and traditions are still very much in evidence, with local markets held weekly nearby. Within a drive of an hour or so to the west is the beautiful Vendee coast with long sandy beaches, restaurants, tourist attractions and live street theatre. Drive north for an hour and sample the wines of the  Loire Valley. Further afield and yet still within reach for a day out, are the Bordeaux and Cognac regions.