|
Chez les Hirondelles. The farmhouse was built in 1603, and this was always the major consideration during the restoration. Reclaimed materials and traditional building methods were used to repair and reinstate many features. We have also selected traditional French furniture, especially in the bedrooms and the lounge and dining areas. Whilst the farmhouse was restored to reflect the period in which it was built it also has the added comfort of today's luxuries. Downstairs there are enormous oak beams, a traditional Charentais open fireplace, exposed stone and tiled floors. Along with the Louis XV style lounge furniture, a beautiful oak cabinet houses the TV/DVD player and CD player. The dining area has a large Basque oak dining table, with six chairs. The fully equipped kitchen has a Smeg dishwasher, microwave oven, gas cooker and fridge, together with plenty of cooking utensils, serving dishes and cookware. There is a downstairs showerroom complete with mosaic-tiled shower, a wash basin inserted into an oak surround and WC. There is a 200 litre hot water supply so there is always lashings of hot water available.
Upstairs there are three bedrooms - two double and one twin. The two double bedrooms have traditional French bedroom furniture, with chevets and bedside lamps for that late night reading. The two front bedrooms have spectacular views of the River Vienne. The large showerroom has a mosaic-tiled shower, washhand basin and WC.
There is a communal laundry area in an adjoining building with washing machine, iron and ironing board.
It is unlikely that this house has been occupied for at least the past 200 years, apart from the families of swallows (les Hirondelles) who visit each May. They have been banished from the inside and now make their nests in the nearby barns. However they still like to see where they used to live and during the months of July and August it is quite usual to have five or six of the small birds perched on the window shutters chattering to each other.
|
