Our home, which dates from C16, is the remaining south-western part of a once much larger logis, or seigneural home, which gave its name to the lieu-dit for this area of the village; before Napoleon 1 decreed in 1805 that every dwelling should instead be designated by a number and clear postal address. Owned during the C18 by an adviser to King Louis XIV, today this stone building retains its cylindrical tower and part of the original moat, still sourced from tributaries of the River Boutonne. Served by three corridors and two staircases, rooms are mostly of a generous size in line with the social standing of former inhabitants, and include four bedrooms, three bathrooms plus another separate WC, sitting room, dining room, library, kitchen, utility room, cellar, plus two additional rooms in the tower. Surrounded by water, we have installed a powerful water to water heat pump to produce a ready supply of hot water and comfortable background heat, whilst wood burners in the sitting and dining rooms, supplied by an endless resource of wood, add an extra boost when needed. Conversely, the 60 cm thick walls allow for a cool retreat if necessary, when summer temperatures soar. We have had several new windows replaced with double-glazing, all have outside traditional wooden shutters, and most are equipped with fly screens. The property is accessed by a driveway lined with various outbuildings, which enters an impressively arched préau, leading to the large back garden via a stone bridge and terrace overlooking the stream. Another stream encloses this area on one side, with a stone wall and border on the other. The 6 metres x 12 metres clam-covered pool sits towards the back of the lawn, framed by a terrace and pool house, and flanked by a glade of trees to supplement the welcome shade offered by the walnut trees in the main garden. From here, a small stone bridge leads to the neighbour’s field, and looks out onto the various surrounding waterways, whilst pathways lead into our bamboo wooded area. Our kitchen garden is also enclosed by a stone wall and accessed either directly from the house or from the back garden by a newly-renovated wooden bridge. Karen overwinters cuttings, and starts off seedlings in the greenhouse, which sits adjacent to the fruit and vegetable patches behind a screen of espalier apple and pear trees. Edible plants also spill over to the borders in this area of the garden, there is a ‘hot’ terrace beside the tower to soak up the sun in spring and autumn, and an imposing wild cherry tree to provide summer shade. All the terraces offer great opportunities to watch out for, and admire, the local wildlife: from the kingfisher who perches on the provided stick in the stream, to the hoopie, woodpecker or red squirrel - all so intent on their tasks as to be unaware of being observed. Sightings will also include birds of prey, ducks and moorhens, the murmurings of starlings in autumn/winter, herons, egrets, coypu, barn owls, bats, frogs, lizards, and a myriad of dragon and damsel flies, along with other interesting insects. Our village fans out from the mairie, where there is a friendly face to offer help or guidance on most days of the week. There is a baguette and goat’s cheese distributor, a garage, plus a village hall with play and exercise area behind. Nearby Chef and Brioux provide all the facilities which might be required on a day to day basis, along with cafés and restaurants. Tourist attractions nearby include a zoo and monkey park, an alpaca farm and donkey retreat, boat rides in the Marais Poitevin, exploration of the Cognac region and the numerous islands lying off the coast of La Rochelle, such as l’île de Ré. We have some ancient bikes, including a vintage tandem, and an infrequent bus service between Chef Boutonne and Niort passes through our village. But having a vehicle in this area is a significant asset.
Cats are indoor cats - however, we take them out on a lead. Keep a close eye on them.
France